High Sierra Topix

I dont have any plans of yet, a new SO has taken priority. She has never backpacked before or been to yosemite so i plan on BPing there with her early summer. Any suggestions there I would appreciate. I might start a thread about it.

I might try triple dividepeak via table lands. I really love that area. I am invited on a trip to CO which isnt that exciting to me. Just no where near as beautiful as asthe sierra.

sparky wrote:I dont have any plans of yet, a new SO has taken priority. She has never backpacked before or been to yosemite so i plan on BPing there with her early summer. Any suggestions there I would appreciate. I might start a thread about it

I went Cathedral Lakes (night 1) to Sunrise Lakes (night 2) via Sunrise HSC a couple of years ago with the kids. It was their first loop trip and a perfect intro to Yosemite. You can climb Clouds Rest on the way out on Day 3 and use the shuttle bus to get back from Tenaya Lake (perhaps not really early season though). Permits can be tricky.

I think I'm set on Tehipite Valley, up and back from Rancheria in four days. Do I need a roll of chicken wire to keep the marmots away from the hoses and wires?

So let me see if I can distill this down to a few bullet points for the less experienced crowd here. (In the summer of ’77 I was more concerned with Star Wars than the Sierra. I was five.)

The PROs
• Mosquitoes hatch early and don’t last into late summer
• High country is accessible earlier
• High lakes are fishable earlier
• Easier stream crossings

The CONs
• Water harder to find late in season
• Vegetation will be dried out/brown by late season
• More prone to forest fires
• Air quality can suffer (due to point above)

As I look at this, it seems this list could apply to any low snow year, not just one following an exceptionally wet year. Is there some combination of the two that makes for a truly unique season?

My schedule usually dictates early season trips, so I’m excited at the prospect of a low snow year. (The ski bum alter-ego just shakes his head at that last statement.) Other than the Bear Lakes Basin trip I’ve mentioned, I’m looking at possible trips to the Hoover Wilderness, Silver Divide, and Emigrant Wilderness. As I write this, showers are passing through Auburn and we seem to be entering a cycle of weak storms every week or so.

Jimr wrote:I think I'm set on Tehipite Valley, up and back from Rancheria in four days. Do I need a roll of chicken wire to keep the marmots away from the hoses and wires?

????

Tehipite is down from that trailhead. Which isn't in Mineral King, so am not certain why you are concerned for marmots....

I am planning a route from Saddlebag Lake to Florence Lake. Also short trips to Tehipite, and an Evolution/Goddard loop.

CDM

Last september I did an off trail pass from n to s that was just a little over 10,000 ft. and was confronted with several hundred feet of snow capped with a cornice on top. I don't think that the snow diminished that much before it got cold. So even with minimal snowfall I would expect that n-s passes and cols are likely to be covered with some really hard dense snow much later than this season's snowfall would suggest.

Mike

I couldn't recall which trail head on the western side had the unusual marmot diet, but I knew it was one of the TH's I had planned a trip start from many years ago, but have not yet done it. Now I recall. About 25 years ago, I wanted to start at Mineral King, hit the Kern via Rattlesnake Cr, then work up to Whitney and out the portal. Those were my ambitious days when I thought nothing about spending two days placing vehicles for trans-sierra routes. These days, I prefer my vehicles to be on the same side of the range.

With the snow melting earlier, I'm considering the Jennie Lakes Loop in late May/ early July. Also, I'd like to hike the Circle of Solitude (Sphinx Creek Trail to Cloud Canyon over Colby Pass to the JMT North to Bubbs Creek and returning to Roads End) and the bugs along this notorious route may be more tolerable in early August or late July.

I welcome any comments on the accuracy of my assumptions. Thanks!

Laha....

If you include early season Jennie lakes as having bugs early you are correct. Right now it looks like late july on skeeters will be light. Anyone know how yellow jackets/meat bees etc. respond to dry years.

Mike

[quote="tim"][quote="sparky"]I dont have any plans of yet, a new SO has taken priority. She has never backpacked before or been to yosemite so i plan on BPing there with her early summer. Any suggestions there I would appreciate.

Sparky-
like Tim i would recommend a similar loop-May Lake-Glen Aulin-Tuolumne Meadows.
i've done this trip with my wife many times-and is always a winner! very good intro. you get beautiful lakes, views, river walks, peaks etc.

i/o of May Lake for night 1 -which is great, but always crowded due to proximity from the road(a 1.5 mi hike in from the lot off Tioga) push past roughly 1.5 miles to Raisin Lake. very small, secluded lake on right of trail-very easy to just walk right on by- but you will likely score it to yourself.

Glen Aulin HSC for night 2, while always packed, finds great people to share the communal fire ring
with. the hike out on day three follows the river the whole way back offering great views of Tuolumne area peaks/wildlife.