All packed but where to go?

[Wandering Daisy]

I am doing a 6 day trip in a few days, but as usual, I have half a dozen options. Does anyone see problems with any of the following.

Pioneer Basin from Rock Creek TH. Did this trip in similar conditions in 2017 but did not fish. This time I want to fish.

Marys Lake - Duck Lake- Purple - Virginia- Tully- Hortense- back to Virginia- off-trail to Ram Lakes, and out same route.
Rock Creek - up to Morgan Pass, Morgan Lake, then Treasure Lake- out and then overnight into Hilton Creek Lakes.

Glacier Lodge - 1st through 6th Lakes, 4 days- and overnight up at East Lake on way home.

Courtright into Red Mountain Basin. Worried about mosquitoes here.

Vernon Lake Loop plus Jack Main Canyon. My previous experience is that N. Yosemite is very buggy now.

I would like to avoid mosquitoes and do some fishing. Snow is not a problem; I will just take crampons. Creek crossings are a concern. Did Emigrant the last two trips, so not going there. Desolation is out because I have been there too many times recently and their fees are annoying. I do not want to go too far south, because if the mosquitoes are bad I will just come home so an 8 hour drive is too much if I decide to bail out. I am trying to keep things in under 5-hour drive from Sacramento.

I am also open for other suggestions.

[kpeter]

I am headed for Sabrina next week. My hope is to move as high as necessary to stay above the mosquitoes. I have no idea if it will work.

Then in early August am heading out of Courtwright to Red Mountain Basin. Am also concerned about mosquitoes, but I can't delay any longer since my season will be over. It will be whatever it will be.

I would think that Vernon would just about be at peak Mosquito season just now. They were barely starting when I left there about 4 weeks ago, and I usually find it takes 6 weeks for them to ease.

[SSSdave]

As I reported yesterday, the latest High Res satellite image does show most of the sunny south facing Pioneer Basin as melted out though nearby land does show a fair amount of snow and would be no serious creek crossing.

Looks like my next short trip is likely to be to Halfmoon in Desolation but will wait till later this month to allow that now mostly snow free zone to green up with some flowers. A short group trip I was going to do early August over Duck Pass has now been moved into early September when I expect conditions to be much more aesthetic. Am still preparing to do a 10-day over Shepherd Pass into the Upper Kern after the August 18 Rolling Stones concert, however will need to see how my body, especially my right foot that has easily become sore, does during the interim. Before then am still looking at what to do in early August that may be at least a week long.

[Wandering Daisy]

I am leaning towards the Duck Lake trip or Big Pine Lakes because I have not been in those two areas for some time. As much as I would like to do Pioneer Basin, I was just there in 2017 under very similar conditions. I think it is a bit early there to fish, and fishing would be the primary reason to do that trip.

I originally planned on doing a one-way from Marys Lake to McGee Creek, but there is a LOT of snow on McGee Pass. Ram Lakes are just beginning to thaw. Tully Lake is still frozen but may be opening by the time I get there. I am leaving Wed, so have another day to decide.

I have done early season climbing from Third Lake (Thunderbolt and Cloudripper) and that area is really pretty, but fishing is not that great. It is well melted which also means possible mosquitoes. I have always wanted to visit Thunder and Lightning Lake. Has anyone done that from Seventh Lake?

[texan]

I have been to Thunder and Lightning Lake from Green Lake. The fish in Thunder Lightning were small brookies and lots of them. Green Lake had nice rainbows.

Texan

[Mike M.]

WD, it seems to me just about anywhere you go this week will involve lots of mosquitoes. I love Pioneer Basin, but it will be swarming with skeeters-- you can count on it. I wonder what McGee Pass and the surrounding area might be like? I assume Tully Hole will be a mosquito factory and swampy, but the lake basins on both sides of the pass might be fun to explore and they have the potential to offer a respite from the skeeters. The red rock of the Sierra crest here is especially photogenic with snow in the foreground.

Looking forward to your trip report --

Mike M.

[c9h13no3]

I'd go McGee pass, snow keeps the skeets away.

[tlsharb]

Purple, Ram, Virginia, and Duck could be really good right now. That would be my pick.

[gary c.]

Purple, Ram, Virginia, and Duck could be really good right now. That would be my pick.

I agree on this trip except for Tully Hole and Hortense. I've never been to Hortense but while Tully Hole was really pretty the skeeters were god aweful in a normal year and the climb down and back up would not be worth the trip.

[giantbrookie]

I think you best bet is your Virginia-Ram et al. All lakes are thawed except the Franklins. I'm not sure about crossing the creek to get to Hortense. I forget whether or not there is in fact a bridge there (funny because I was just there last summer but was on other bank). If no bridge then Hortense will probably not be an option.