most northern Tyndall campsites

[dwightliv]

All

We will overnight at Tyndall mid this September, backpacking north-bound. We'd like to climb Forester Pass early, when it's cooler and we are fresh. What nice campsite areas are farthest north there, ones with water?

Thanks

Dwight

[TurboHike]

Last summer I camped very close to Forester Pass, just shy of the lake at 12510. When the JMT crosses the outlet stream of this lake, leave the trail and head northwest for about 30 yards. There are several established campsites, which can be seen from Google earth.

I was solo last year and the only person there for the night. I broke camp at 7:30 am and was at the pass about an hour later... had it all to myself! The switchbacks are totally in the shade at that early hour. Pic below is my tent; the notch is Forester Pass.

[stevet]

Ditto @TurboHike. And if there are crowds, just about anywhere between Lake 12510 and Lake 12590 and south of the connecting creek you'll find spots to camp. BUT, if you end up choosing a largely virgin spot, tread lightly and leave no trace.

Forester Pass Staging.png (264.79 KiB) Viewed 141 times

[dwightliv]

Hey, thanks so much. I was hoping the little lake by the trail might have some sites.

[SSSdave]

As I've noted numbers of times on this board to the recent couple years on this board frequent requests for campsite information along trails, (New social thru hiker thing?) in the vast majority of areas of the High Sierra, there are endless usable pristine perfectly eco harmless locations to set up a tent if one simply explores around a bit away from trails, unless one is expecting one of those many right beside a trail (Actually not legal but apparently NPS/NFS doesn't care.) rectangular camp spots that has been meticulously smoothed out flat. (And I'll add, often with an edge of small pretty stones neatly laid out on the perimeter. ) Even at legal distances, I rarely camp near trails, much less lake edges and never in one of those trailside or lake edge villages.

The notion it is an eco sin to create new spots for tenting was only needed to be publicly proclaimed because so many in this era ONLY apparently ever look for sites they can actually see from along trails. Like it scares them at night when monsters lurk to be away from where others walk. (Bears greatly approve of that habit.) And no, I do not construct those smooth flat rectangle sites as a bit of uneveness I find trivial. Now where finding sites does tend to be an uncommon issue is:
1. in talus
2. dense continuous forest or brush
3. Where trails run across long mosquitoey meadows.
4. up switchbacks, steep terrain
5. In some uncommon geologies of jagged metamorphic rock. For example Glen Alpine Creek basin at Desolation or above Saddlebag Lake is particularly awful.

[michaelzim]

dwightliv...
I was just there, doing the same thing. However, was being threatened by rain from the south so needed a campsite asap and also wanted less exposure. Chose to camp at the end of the trees that peter out going northward a few miles south of Forester. Just off to the right/east of the JMT-PCT as the trees end you will see a couple of sites downslope. Not bad either. A little distance from the trail so some privacy and also shade. Water was from a spring creek about 100 yards back (south) that crosses the trail west to east. No telling if that will still be flowing in September though. If the rains keep up it may well be!
It took me (old guy) 2 hours to reach the top of Forester Pass from there the next morning.

Best ~ Michaelzim

[SSSdave]

Downsized to 2000 from 9600 pixel SO02789-02718-3x1v.jpg full image.
(mouse select to enlarge)

100% crop from SO02789-02718-3x1vy.jpg above of Forester pass zone. Note switchbacks below pass. I camped just below this tripod location in the frame bottom foxtail pines.
(mouse select to enlarge)