Maverick's 2019 Annual 7/25-7/26 HST Meet-up

[rightstar76]

I like your choice, Maverick. It shows wisdom. You picked lakes where the impact from camping will be the least. Also, since there are so many ways to get there, people can come from a variety of trailheads and take as much or little time as they need.

If I go, it will be from the Big Meadows area. I will probably take a leisurely 2 days before going up to the lakes on the third day. And to the mountain gods: please no thunderstorms or forest fires that week.

[oldranger]

Is there enough room for a group to camp up there? I have camped at the western lakes but not the lakes in the Josephine cirque. I honestly did not think the western lakes were that great, so I assume you mean the Josephine lakes. Right now my favorite spot in that vicinity is Big Bird Lake. Josephine has always been on my "to do" list. Hope I can make it.

Daisy, I guess we differ I've always thought the western basin one of the nicest in the Sierra. I've camped at both of the Lakes that Maverick has mentioned. Most of the sites at these lakes are not spectacular but if you walk a bit to the west the views across Deadman Canyon are really great. I like wandering thru the upper basin. If there had been fish in the basin I would have visited more often. When Roaring River Ranger I thought that my ashes should be spread off one of the viewpoints to the w. of the lower lake. Around 2000 I returned there with my son and after dropping down to lower ranger I decided I couldn't ask anyone to carry a few pounds of dust up that route. Like the Josephine side if you hit it right it is a piece of cake ( just s of lower ranger meadow is the starting point) but winding thru the brush in the lower 3rd of the climb correctly probably involves more luck than route finding skill. I've marveled at the ease and other times come back with scratches.

Mave on the n. side of josephine there is a large campsite suitable for quite a few people that in the 80s and in 2000 was heavily impacted. Seemed like few people camped on the w. side of the divide. Don't remember a single fire ring from back then, really no signs of people at all. Should note that somewhere in the southern part of the upper basin there should be an oxygen bottle that fell out of a navy helicopter during a medivac in the late 80s. Something else that looked like a flat piece of metal fell out s of the upper lake on the josephine side of the divide. Somethings to look for. I spent a little time but not much.

[maverick]

OR wrote:

Daisy, I guess we differ I've always thought the western basin one of the nicest in the Sierra.

Yes, it is quite pretty, and love the beautiful and very old Foxtail Pines around the lakes too.

[Wandering Daisy]

I day hiked up there July 8, 2006 from a campsite south of Ranger Meadow, getting to upper Deadman from Tablelands via the pass east of Lonely Lake. It was not a bad day-hike but at the time I recall being glad I did not haul up a pack.

I started up about quarter mile south of the south end of Ranger Meadow, about 100 feet above the actual meadow. Based on the time on the photos, I got up there in about 1.5 hours, and about 4 hours visiting all the lakes except the uppermost. Got back to my camp mid-afternoon. So, yes, if you were to camp in Ranger Meadow you could easily go up for the day. Of course it would likely take more time with a pack if you wanted to camp up there.

OR, do you think a day-hike/fishing outing to Josephine Lake would be do-able from the meetup site?

Here are a few photos from that trip. Sorry but the photos are not that great. But you will get an idea of the area.

Lake on Glacier Ridge

I think the photo above is the lake at 10,000 feet. Do you think that is correct?

upper lake on Glacier Ridge

This photo above is one of the upper lakes, but not sure which one.

Looking down my route

The photo above is a view down the route I took. I do not think it is the route you refer to.

upper lake

One of the upper lakes, again, I am not sure which one exactly.

[maverick]

First lake looks like Lake 10004, second is Lake 10601, and the third is the lake NE of Lake 10601.

[maverick]

rightstar76 wrote:

And to the mountain gods: please no thunderstorms or forest fires that week.

We totally agree on the "no fires", but disagree on the thunderstorms!

[rightstar76]

Wandering Daisy, no need to be sorry. It's an act of generosity to post pictures. So thank you for sharing them. The wildflowers are beautiful!

Maverick, I thought you might take issue with me asking for no thunderstorms. Clear skies aren't the best conditions for dramatic photography. So I revise my request to the mountain gods: a few mild thunderstorms with clouds at sunset.

[maverick]

Thank you.

[oldranger]

I day hiked up there July 8, 2006 from a campsite south of Ranger Meadow, getting to upper Deadman from Tablelands via the pass east of Lonely Lake. It was not a bad day-hike but at the time I recall being glad I did not haul up a pack.

I started up about quarter mile south of the south end of Ranger Meadow, about 100 feet above the actual meadow. Based on the time on the photos, I got up there in about 1.5 hours, and about 4 hours visiting all the lakes except the uppermost. Got back to my camp mid-afternoon. So, yes, if you were to camp in Ranger Meadow you could easily go up for the day. Of course it would likely take more time with a pack if you wanted to camp up there.

OR, do you think a day-hike/fishing outing to Josephine Lake would be do-able from the meetup site?

Here are a few photos from that trip. Sorry but the photos are not that great. But you will get an idea of the area.

16_TBL_GlacRdgLk1.JPG
I think the photo above is the lake at 10,000 feet. Do you think that is correct?

19_TBL_GlacRdgLk2.JPG
This photo above is one of the upper lakes, but not sure which one.

24_TBL_FlowersGlacRdg.jpg
The photo above is a view down the route I took. I do not think it is the route you refer to.

22_TBL_GlacRdgLk5.JPG
One of the upper lakes, again, I am not sure which one exactly.

Daisy, I'm sure you could handle a day trip to Josephine. But fishing has always been a bit spotty and the rainbows probably average about 10". Personally it is not a lake I would target specifically for fishing.

[giantbrookie]

OR, do you think a day-hike/fishing outing to Josephine Lake would be do-able from the meetup site?

Daisy, I'm sure you could handle a day trip to Josephine. But fishing has always been a bit spotty and the rainbows probably average about 10". Personally it is not a lake I would target specifically for fishing.

I agree that going to Josephine and back on a day outing shouldn't be an issue if based at L10005 or the next one down. Whereas it is not a lake that one would plan a long trip to for its fishing, it is the only lake with fish on Glacier Ridge so far as I am aware. My visit was in 2002 and my notes say that I caught 18 rainbows running 9-12" and averaging 10" in about 40 casts with strikes on every cast. The fish were very numerous then (2002) and from the progression of reports I've heard going back to the late 70s I'd guess there would be even more fish this coming summer (2019) with a somewhat smaller average size--ie the population has been increasing with time and the average and top end sizes have been decreasing.