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Interestingly, the Stanislaus NF website as far as I was able to view, has nothing that indicates the dam gate is closed. And I looked rather thoroughly using their site index including looking at the road status page that lists closed roads? So today phoned up Groveland and indeed the dam gate is closed and she said it will remain so all summer. That is due to considerable damage on the gravel and dirt roads across the dam. She will look at their web page.
Accordingly if one parks up the road a bit from the dam at the boat ramp junction, it is about 9/10 mile just to the other side of the dam at 4700 feet and a total of 4.5 miles up 1100 feet to Shingle Springs Trailhead. Thus about 9 miles up to mid shore at Kibbie Lake. And to my intended destination near Styx Pass about 14 miles and 3500 feet of up vertical. That is more than I want to do in 2 days as a first trip of the season, especially through such boring charred landscapes.
Instead as a leisurely 8 day trip, I could hike in late afternoon 4 miles up 950 feet to 5650 on the lower Kibbie Ridge Trail where there is a small water less knob. Day 2 instead of hiking Kibbie Ridge as planned since it would be too far to Lake 7777, about 10.0 miles, would hike just 5.0 miles up 1200 feet to Kibbie Lake, a very pleasant destination I've been to many times and do some rainbow trout fishing. Then day 3 would hike 4.8 miles up 1400 feet to Lake 7777 and sync into my previous plans one day behind. Along the route when I reached the KR trail would stash my fishing gear. On day 6 would do the 6.5 miles back to Kibbie Lake picking up my fishing gear en-route, then fishing some more. Then day 7 would hike 6.0 miles down to the Cherry Lake shore, swim, fish, and camp. Although I might decide to hike all the way back 8.5 miles and then fall asleep driving 5 hours home and go to sleep in a casket. And day 8 at sunrise hike 2.5 miles back to my car. Although 8 days, only 6 days would be within wilderness. The first and last days are short so would just be 7 days of actual time. The first day would eat my main meal as a late lunch and just have a snack on the trail. Could stash food for day 7 evening day 8 morning above the reservoir in my Lighter1 bear canister thus lug food for just 5 days that can easily fit in my Ursack or Garcia.
In any case am not too enthusiastic about such a long trip and associated pain of lugging heavy gear up mountains to start out my backpacking season so still need to think about this some although I suspect there really won't be much else available in June. Just look at this snow pack:
From the map, one can see the Kibbie Ridge trail is now snow free as is my target zone of Styx Pass, Cherry Creek about Lord Meadow, Boundary Lake, and Bartlett Creek. But just a bit higher in elevation, that changes dramatically. with 39-59 inches of snow about Huckleberry Lake and 59-96 inches at Twin Lakes, upper drainage of Cherry Creek still has heavy snow. Thus with the next good heat wave in June, I expect the stream to have considerable volume making for whitewater.
SSSdave wrote:Interestingly, the Stanislaus NF website as far as I was able to view, has nothing that indicates the dam gate is closed. And I looked rather thoroughly using their site index including looking at the road status page that lists closed roads? So today phoned up Groveland and indeed the dam gate is closed and she said it will remain so all summer.
Bummer about the gate. I was in fact planning to call them myself because I had considered a quick dayhike to Kibbie. Not so quick now, so that's off my agenda.
Nice plan for a trip even if some improvisation is required because of the long hike in. I haven't been up that area since 1995 and much has changed since then. In '95 Mercur Lake was still receiving aerial care packages and it grew fat red meated brookies (has gone fishless after air dropping ceased). By '95 nearly everyone assumed the unnamed lakes of Bartlett Creek were fishless so there was nobody there and no use trails, but some of those lakes (Judy and I called them the "Emerald Staircase") had big rainbows. Yosemite killed the fish there pretty recently, but that is still wild country and fun to hike around in. I like the Bartlett Creek lakes but my favorite fishless lakes in that area are the ones on the bench downstream of Edyth that Maverick likes so much.
Speaking of amazingly open views from a lake, have you ever been to Top Lake on the west flank of Desolation? There is a little rise to the west of the lake (I usually camp on it) and the westward view is unreal with the distant vista extending from near Trinity Alps (probably does in fact include Trinity Alps) down the spine of the northern Coast Ranges to Diablo and then south to the New Idria area. At night you can see the city lights of most of the Central Valley from there, too. Top will be frozen over for at least another month this year, though.
I was on that route last year. CCC trail crews have recently worked on the trail, and it was mostly in good shape, at least to Lloyd Meadows, although there may be wash-outs from this year's melt. Even though the trail is good, it is easy to miss in spots, and once off it, hard to find. Kind of boggy on top.
Current long range forecasts for Tuesday June 13 show a big high built over the eastern Pacific west of California reaching into the Great Basin. Maybe the warmer fair weather I've been looking for mid June.
GB if you aren't tied down with your usual class duties and have the time, you could slide in just to Kibbie with me. Supposedly only a few backpackers have been going in so a same day walk up permit will not be an issue.
Depending on when I pull the trigger, AT maybe will see you? Will send a PM as that occurs.
Well the long range forecast noted last Wednesday was accurate as the coming week plus is now forecast with strong confidence to be increasingly warm weather with light winds. By the weekend heat will be much above average. Thus what I have been asking for has been queued up on the heels of one of the coldest mid June storms in years. Well except for the issue of the trailhead road being blocked at the Cherry Valley Dam that may add a couple days.
Been working on my gear all week then packed the backpack today. Gear is piled up at my door. Today received my Amazon order for a pint of 10% Martin's Permethrin so diluted that to about 0.8% in a spray bottle, pulled my tent and mosquite head net then outside thoroughly sprayed the netting areas. Grabbed by sun hat had sprayed the whole thing. Looks like my carrying weight will be 58 pounds with 9 pounds of food. Also have yet to decide whether to take a 20 ounce rope and 34 ounces of fishing gear that is probably going to happen at the trailhead. Would be nice to fish Kibbie. Although per earlier post, at a minimum will reach Styx Pass mid day of day 3, will see how I feel going up the Kibbie Ridge Trail with the heavy load and if fine could well reach the pass on day 2. By time I am down along Cherry Creek the heat wave ought to be generating a high flow for impressive white water.
Still going up Friday, but not likely to be as ambitious as I initially planned. As usual the attendees have changed and I'm less comfortable with off trail travel. You may find us fishing in Kibbie or Eleanor.
We really enjoyed poking around those lakes in Bartlett Creek, Dave.
Those lakes are nice B.
Some of my favorite lakes in that area are the lakes on the western side of Kendrick Creek on the way up to Edith from Eleanor.
Can I just hike upstream on Eleanor creek from Lake Eleanor until I get into the lakes you describe? The lakes N.W. of Kendrick creek, and Edith Lake beyond?
Is this something I could access next weekend? I have a permit to go into N.W. Desolation, through Rockbound. Considering doing this instead.
And day 8 at sunrise hike 2.5 miles back to my car. Although 8 days, only 6 days would be within wilderness. The first and last days are short so would just be 7 days of actual time. The first day would eat my main meal as a late lunch and just have a snack on the trail. Could stash food for day 7 evening day 8 morning above the reservoir in my Lighter1 bear canister thus lug food for just 5 days that can easily fit in my Ursack or Garcia.
