Trip planning for HS Hotspring loop.

[AidanDawn2000]

Hi all!

I was raised camping (mostly by car) all over the American South-West and now that I have reached some semblance of adulthood (22), the freedom and capability it affords has me pinning for the wide and lonely vistas of my childhood's family vacations.
So, long story short.... 4x4 cars and gas are $$$ and walking is (mostly) free so my girlfriend and compatriots and I have been getting very into backpacking although this hobby currently leans more on enthusiasm than real experience (20 mile, two night trip in Hawaii and a 20 mile, one night trip in big sur).

We are well prepared in terms of gear (garage full top quality equipment courtesy of parents) and well prepared in ideology (environment related college major, was read Edward Abby as a bed time book at 9, and was taught to leave no trace since as soon as I was old enough to do so)


Areas we are looking for help:

Route advice:
After a very successful trip to Sykes hot springs in Big Sur the complimentary relationship between natural hot water and dusty sore limbs seemed obvious. So, when I noticed that a trail loop could be drawn connecting Iva Bell Hot Springs to (almost) Mono Hot Springs, it seemed like a fun adventure.

This the was the original idea but after researching, it seems there are some concerns around trail conditions (Silver Creek Trail and Saddle Mountain Trail)

So another route option would be:

Clarity on Permits
Bit confused here. I have read that if you come in from the more popular Mammoth resort start point the correct permit is the quote controlled one for Fish Creek. But I have no Idea about what permit is needed when starting from Lake Edison or if a permit is even needed (did not see a Lake Edison permit here https://www.recreation.gov/permits/2332 ... 2021-06-20

Avoiding lvl 5 mosquito swarms
I am avidly following the 2021 mosquito reports page on this board but if anyone had any wisdom specific to this area that would be great. It seems picking a trip date after the mosquito "bloom" has subsided but before our lovely new wildfire/smoke season starts is a fine line to walk.


Fishing as a supplemental food source?
By no means do I plan to relay on finding food but after the fun treat of eating wild fruit plucked from the side of the trail in Hawaii the possibility of non freeze-dried food as a suplimnet seems like a fun idea.
I know how to clean a river trout but would consider my angling abilities very limited and my experience with High Sierra lake fishing/fishing permits/license/legality non existent. Is fly fishing the only way to go or is there even a slim chance someone with traditional pole + lure could snag something edible along this route?

Thanks in advance!

Aidan

[balzaccom]

Permits for Lake Thomas Edison are issued in Prather at the ranger station there, part of the Sierra national Forest. They do not use Recreation.gov.

Very nice people, well accustomed to helping backpackers.

Fishing in the streams and lakes is available both for fly fishing and lure fishing. Fish tend to be smaller---7-12 inches in most cases, and limit is five. Five trout of that size will not get you many calories, as they are not fatty fish.

[grampy]

Permits for Lake Thomas Edison are issued in Prather at the ranger station there, part of the Sierra national Forest. They do not use Recreation.gov.

Very nice people, well accustomed to helping backpackers.

actually, Sierra N.F. wilderness permits DID switch to reserving on Recreation.gov, as of this spring. Can’t tell you whether they still have true “walk-in” permits - they might or might not; perhaps someone else can fill in this detail ?

[balzaccom]

Permits for Lake Thomas Edison are issued in Prather at the ranger station there, part of the Sierra national Forest. They do not use Recreation.gov.

Very nice people, well accustomed to helping backpackers.

actually, Sierra N.F. wilderness permits DID switch to reserving on Recreation.gov, as of this spring. Can’t tell you whether they still have true “walk-in” permits - they might or might not; perhaps someone else can fill in this detail ?

My bad. I assumed that since the OP couldn't find them, they hadn't moved over. They are indeed available through recreation.gov under Sierra National Forest Wilderness Permit....

[AidanDawn2000]

Permits for Lake Thomas Edison are issued in Prather at the ranger station there, part of the Sierra national Forest. They do not use Recreation.gov.

Very nice people, well accustomed to helping backpackers.

actually, Sierra N.F. wilderness permits DID switch to reserving on Recreation.gov, as of this spring. Can’t tell you whether they still have true “walk-in” permits - they might or might not; perhaps someone else can fill in this detail ?

My bad. I assumed that since the OP couldn't find them, they hadn't moved over. They are indeed available through recreation.gov under Sierra National Forest Wilderness Permit....

Just didn't know what to look for.... Thank!

[maiathebee]

Seems like a long way to drive (and walk) to visit Iva Bell, depending on where you're starting from. East side has a lot of hot springs too. Many more, in fact, than the west side. I much prefer Shepherd's, Wild Willy's, Crab Cooker, Buckeye, Travertine, Benton, etc to Mono, both in terms of drive time for access (Kaiser Pass road is garbage and takes forever) and in terms of spring quality overall. If I were you, I'd drive over 120 and hit up eastern Sierra hot springs, then do a loop out of Reds or Duck Pass down to Iva Bell. Permits might be harder to get since Inyo trailheads are much more popular (perhaps an indication of bang for your buck and quality?), but you can probably swing it with paying attention to cancellations and being flexible about where you start. Lots of ways to get to Iva Bell on an east side entry, especially if you are open to point-to-point with hitching.

[wildhiker]

Also note that the Goodale Pass trail heading north from Lake Edison, which you use in both your mapped alternatives, is still closed until July 26, as per the latest Forest Order on the Sierra National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/sierra/). This is due to hazards from last year's Creek Fire, which burned into this area.
-Phil