2019 River/Stream Crossing Reports

[maverick]

Posted on ESHB by Kevin Warner:

George Lake outlet crossing on the Sabrina Basin trail today. Snow got heavy around 10K feet. Never seen this much water,even 2 years ago. Be safe out there guys.

[Wandering Daisy]

I decided not to do this crossing. It was marginal. Just over my risk tolerance. I think the flows are decreasing, but with no way to know for sure, I did not want to get stuck.

Rangers had done the crossing a few days prior. A trekking pole measurement was crotch deep on me (5'4") at the start, probably deeper mid-stream, current but no surface waves. Another 6' fellow also decided against it.

[Stoaty]

McGee Creek on 7/6/19: We hiked up 2.5 miles to the first crossing of the creek. The flat log where hikers usually cross had 3-10 inches of water running over it and the entire log was wet. Water was very fast. Would be suicide to cross there. The crossing for stock 50-100 yards downstream was better but not great. Backpackers were crossing, but most of the day hikers (including us) thought it was too deep and fast to be worth the risk to hike another mile up the trail. One female day hiker told us she had crossed over and back to test the water. Water was up to mid-thigh for her and the current was strong; she felt the crossing was sketchy and decided not to go across with her companions.

Hilton Lakes trail (starting from Crowley Lake end) on 7/7/19: No problems for the first 3.6 miles and 1900 feet of elevation gain. The stream crossing at that point was 2 feet deep at the edge and probably 3 feet in the middle. Water was moving fast. We decided not to cross. About 20 feet downstream there were a bunch of small logs about 4 feet in diameter laid across the creek. However, the logs were wet and slippery in some places so we decided not to cross. Many people would find this crossing OK, but as we are almost 65 years old (although 50 years backpacking experience) and a slip looked likely to cause some injury we decided not to risk the crossing.

[Jimr]

George Creek, down a bit from the picture above, but not by much. Inlet stream into Dingleberry lake, at 6' tall, it was knee deep crossing above the rock line. I saw many people walking the rocks when the water was ankle deep. Don't do that folks! If your feet/shoes are going to get soaked anyway, cross above the rocks in the wonderful decomposed granite bottom. There is no reason to risk a slip and fall when your feet are going to get soaked anyway. Stream crossings going to Topsy Turvey on trail; both stream crossings are swift and knee deep. Easily doable if you're experienced with short, swift stream crossings

[nhrpolitic13]

Burnt Corral Creek was the highest I've ever seen it (which isn't saying much) - but was easily forded on stones or bushes, with only minimal wetting of mid-boot on Thursday, 7/4. It was easily forded without wetting on Sunday, 7/7.

Post Corral Creek was knee-deep, cold, but easily forded on Thursday, 7/4. It was notably lower (an inch or two) to upper-calf on Sunday, 7/7. Peak flow for Burnt Corral and Post Corral is clearly past.

Flemming at N.F. Kings was high flow, but broad and multi-channeled. The first (deepest and fastest flowing) section was relatively easily crossed on a solid log several feet above water-level, and the second channel, which would otherwise have been fordable, was easily crossed on double logs at creek level.

Flemming at Flemming Meadow/Rae/Red Mt. Basin junction was slightly above-ankle/low calf height and easily fordable on 7/6. Still some snow in the basins around, but peak flow also most likely past.

[tomba]

In Emigrant Wilderness out of Crabtree trailhead.

Upper West Fork Cherry Creek crossing, between Piute Lake and Gem lake: 7/4 afternoon above waist, 7/5 morning crotch deep. Current not too swift. We (and others too) crossed the creek about 50 meters south from the trail crossing, near a small willow "island".

Buck Meadow Creek trail crossing south of Gem and Jewelry lakes, 7/5 noon: swift water; I reached upper thigh deep place but it seemed to get deeper further. I deemed it too risky to cross, at least for my wife.

Lower West Fork Cherry Creek crossing, above confluence with Buck Meadow Creek, 7/6 morning: mid thigh deep, somewhat swift, but OK.
We met a couple that didn't cross the creek the previous day in the afternoon, when water level was higher, because it was too dangerous. They camped near the crossing and crossed the creek the next morning at the same time as us, when it was much safer.

Piute creek was fine.

[Wandering Daisy]

Duck Lake outlet, 7/18, can hop rocks.

Stream from Ram Lakes and Glen-Glenette Lakes that flow into Purple Lake, two wades, swift but mid-calf to knee deep (I am 5'4")

Virginia Lake PCT crossing, no flow but wading required. Mid-calf if you can stay on the submerged rocks to the side, thigh deep in the middle of the trail.

Second hand information: Fish Creek (trail that goes down from Purple Lake). One group with a dog turned around. Another group with 2 dogs crossed but said it was very difficult, roped their dogs across.

LOTS of wet and muddy trails.

[Love the Sierra]

Courtright to Red Mountain Basin
Post Coral was a piece of cake. About knee deep, I am about 5’3, but slow calm and warm.
Fleming at Fleming Meadow, possible to walk across, dry on rocks.
Wet muddy trails and climbing out of Post Coral, the trail was a creek itself flowing just under ankle height. Gaiters worked great.

[Bradg]

Summit Creek to Lower Relief Valley impassable in the afternoon (7/22) (Kennedy Meadows N.)
A group was going to bushwack a quarter mile upstream to where the stream braided to try and make it across...

We found the stream or runoff from Mosquito Pass impassable on 7/23
We stayed on the east side until it braided and were able to cross right at Emigrant Lake.
Coming back two days later in the morning it would have been ok.

A group we saw at Emigrant Lake reported that the had crossed N Fork of Cherry Creek, but only at trail crossing nowhere else. They had come from Pine Valley via Blackbird Lake.

[kpeter]

Sabrina Basen 7/23-7/26

George Lake outlet stream crosses the trail to Blue Lake. People were picking their way across on wet rocks with difficulty. I just waded with Crocs--it was less than knee deep and an easy wade.

Outlet to Blue Lake. Most people crossed on the log jam. A couple of the logs were unstable and you had to test your logs and pick them with care. Extended poles would help. I waded at the standard crossing. It was knee deep, swift, but relatively easy. It was very cold.

Crossing above Dingleberry. Photo is include. This was thigh deep on this 5'7" body. The normal stepping stones are all submerged. About half of the people we met turned back and about half crossed.

The safest way to cross is to wade across close to the stepping stones on the upstream side. The stones have collected sand on their upstream side and so the footing is perfect for wading. The main problem is that it is such a long crossing (I would guess over 50 feet) that the cold water has ample time to cause you pain or cramping before you can finish. I wore insulating socks which seemed to help. My brother stood in the water until the pain came and then went numb before he began to cross.

DSC04191.jpg

Baboon Lake outlet. I turned back and this was a disappointment since I wanted to explore the rest of the Baboon Lakes, and without crossing you are restricted to a corner of only one lake. There is a log jam. The water was so high that the logs were floating, and most of them were unstable. Downstream a short distance the stream is narrow enough that a young long legged person could probably jump across. But the jump would have been uphill onto snow, and I did not trust myself.