Local knowedge needed - 1000 Island, Ediza, Minaret, Rosalie loop from Agnew Meadow

[narc1370]

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=22738

[sbennett3705]

No reason you can't take the Rush Creek trailhead. It works fine. And you can make a loop, going up through Waugh Lake and back down via Clark Lakes... Thousand Island Pass between Waugh and TIL, has wonderful views.

I revised the itinerary based on the insightful feedback, comments welcome!

Rush Creek to 1000 Island Lk
1000 Island Lk to Nydiver Lks via Ediza Lake use-trail (avoid people and bugs)
Nydiver Lakes to Minaret Lake use-trail-scramble
Minaret Lk to Rosalie Lk or possibly small campsite over Shadow Creek
On to Garnet Lk. (west side)
Garnet Lk. to Rush Creek

[kpeter]

Thanks all for the great advice.

If Agnew/Postpile has unknwon shuttle access, is there any reason I couldn't start from the Rush Creek trailhead? Seems it's around 9 miles to 1000 Island Lake and +1000 ft elevation gain vs. Agnew, but doable. Any thoughts?

That is exactly what I suggested, and I have done it myself when quotas were full elsewhere. Rush Creek trailhead is at Silver Lake. Very workable solution but of course a lower trailhead leading to more first day effort. I took the trail south of Agnew lake as the most direct route to Thousand Island, and it was quite steep--coming in via Clark Lakes, which were pleasant enough but nothing special.

Others hike along the northern sides of the reservoirs and come in via Island Pass--a much longer route but you see some different terrain. If you take WD's advice you would probably head that way to explore Marie and Davis lakes.

Your proposed itinerary is hard to judge without knowing your abilities and preferences better. It would be too grueling for my out-of-shape 64 year old body coming from sea level, but if you are in shape and acclimated you could certainly cover that ground. If I were designing this trip for myself, this is what I would do, given my limitations.
1) Silver Lake (Rush Creek) to Clark Lakes via Spooky Meadow.
2) Clark Lakes to western end of Thousand Island Lake (1/2 day.) Set up camp and then dayhike up to North Glacier Pass.
3) Thousand Island Lake over Garnet Pass and then Whitebark past Nydiver to upper Ediza Meadows. The biggest and most difficult day.
4) Dayhike from Ediza past Iceberg to Cecile, look down on Minaret Lake.
5) Ediza via trail to north shore of Garnet Lake.
6) Garnet Lake back to trailhead.

If Whitebark Pass is too much, and who knows how long snow will hang in it on the north side this year, then you would need a different plan. I have hiked over the hump from Garnet just east of point 3267 (Garnet Peak) where the little ponds show and then SSW down the green strip to pick up the Nydiver Lakes outlet (and the remains of an unmaintained Nydiver Lakes trail) and hence back to the Ediza trail. If taking the Garnet Peak route, you have to be careful to come down to the SSW of the ponds and not SE or you will cliff out and be stuck or worse. Alternatively could could always work your way to the east end of Garnet and pick up the maintained trail. All those options add time and energy but are workable.

The route I described is in my TR here, although that overall trip had a different entry and was quite different from your itinerary:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11465&p=86559&hilit=3267#p86559

[Wandering Daisy]

I would not call the route from Thousand Island Lake to Ediza Lake a "use-trail". The "use-trails" you refer to are difficult to find or missing in places. Better to plan on cross-country travel and if you bump into a use-trail, follow it as long as it goes where you want to go. The area near Ediza Lake has a rat's maze of "use trails", not one distinct trail.

The JMT is quite beautiful and if you travel very early in the morning, there are not a lot of people. Thousand Island Lake is a big lake and if you camp near the outlet, getting to the far side can take a bit of time (the far side can also be really swampy early season). Whether you take the off-trail route or a trail route depends on your goals. Is the challenge of off-trail more important than more time at your destination?

As I have mentioned before, I like to split the difference and take the trail from Thousand Island Lake to the cutoff where the use-trail around the north side of Garnet Lake starts just before you drop down to Garnet Lake outlet. (there is no sign, but the use-trail is quite obvious). Then go around Garnet Lake on the use-trail, and over White Bark Pass to Nydiver Lakes. Although you can traverse from White Bark Pass, the views are best from the upper lake at its shore. I prefer to drop to the shore and then go back up over to the tarn below Mt Ritter. I like to camp at Upper Nydiver Lake- there are fantastic sunrises. From the tarn there is a pretty obvious use-trail to Ediza Lake, where it then splits into many. I would go down the south shores of Ediza and pick up the maintained trail. It is hardly worth it to try to short-cut to the trail.

Legal camping at Ediza Lake is on the side opposite the maintained trail and most established sites have no really good views. I am not sure how far off the trail you have to get. The meadow is very buggy until late season. Less bugs at Nydiver Lake and Iceberg Lake.

The snowfield and route up to Cecile Lake from Iceberg Lake does not get sun until nearly 9-10AM. I had to wait at Iceberg Lake for over an hour once until the snow softened. But an hour at Iceberg Lake is really a treat! If snow conditions are dangerous, just retreat and go back the JMT. You could even go up to Rosalie Lake (it is quite a climb). The south side of Shadow Lake has good camping but not sure if it is legal.

With Devils Postpile closed, there might be a lot of people trying to get Rush Creek permits. You may need a Plan B and then see if you can pick up a cancellation near the start of your trip.

[brianA]

Here's my two cents. Daisy is correct. Thousand Island, Davis, Marie, and Waugh Lakes might be a better choice for this trip. Minaret Lake is a long way from the Rush Creek Trailhead (Silver Lake). You could visit Emerald, Ruby, Garnet, Ediza, and Shadow as a day trip from T.I. Then do the Minaret Loop in 2024. Two trips are better than one. Plus a second trip to T.I. is great. You never know what colors the sunrise will bring. Sometimes you get yellows, sometimes pinks, and sometimes blues. All exquisite for photography. The more chances the better.

Some random thoughts on Rush Creek.

The Rush Creek Trail is harder than you think. I thought the same thing. Only a thousand extra feet is doable. And that was with a daypack. Second hardest hike I've ever done.

They say it's illegal to use the railroad tracks to short cut the switchbacks, but many people still do that. I did not. Maybe that's why it was harder.

When you get to Agnew Lake, there is a legal short cut to the left through Spooky Meadow up to the Clark Lakes. If you do that you'll miss Gem Lake. But you can catch it on your way out, by either taking the cutoff at Clark, or looping around Waugh.

During a normal season, one must get to the Rush Creek Trailhead, northeast of Silver Lake, early to get a parking spot. I got there at 6am, and got the last spot. My guess is that since the Agnew Meadows Trailhead, and the whole Postpile Trail network will be closed, Rush Creek will be a zoo.

[sbennett3705]

Thanks to all for the guidance! Based on kpeter's advice I'm thinking of this route: https://caltopo.com/m/2VVGU/P3NG5451CJV8S8HF.
I'm liking Rush Creek to Clark Lakes via Gem Lake for day one (more shade the Spooky Mdw approach). I'm hoping for low snow by the end of August, and that my fitness is up to the task. I negotated Hilgard Pass above Lake Italy with a full pack (really exposed!), so so I'm thinking I can do the off trail stuff. If not, I'll just bail out to Garnet and relax. Thanks to kpeter - looks like a really enjoyable loop.

[kpeter]

Glad that is helpful, sbennett. If going that route, I would strongly recommend you study Whitebark Pass to be sure you will be comfortable with that kind of cross country pass. There are many threads about it on this site. There is a picture of it from the Nydiver side in the trip report I linked. It is a Class 2 and a bit of a scramble. The pass from the western end of Thousand Island to Garnet is entirely different, low, solid, safe.

I also agree that the climb from Silver Lake up to Clark Lakes is quite steep and exhausting. Some people make it all the way to Thousand Island in one day going that route. I probably could do that at the end of a season when I am acclimated and in good shape, but I tried it at the beginning of the season one year and had to stop from exhaustion in the Clark Lakes vicinity. You, of course, might well have a different experience depending on your own factors.

Here is an outside trip report with photographs going over Whitebark. You can find a lot more descriptions and photos by searching HST.
https://jimmyjamhikingclub.com/2018/09/ ... cier-pass/

[sbennett3705]

Thanks kpeter. The link looks very insightful.

Agree on day 1 which is why I'll stop at Clark on the way up. It's 7mi. @ 3,000 ft.gain. My training hike is San Jacinto (10,800), 10 mi. @ 2,500 ft. gain. Franktly, the decent is worse for my my knees than the way up.

I'm good with class 2, not class 3 with a full pack. We'll see. It appears if Whitebark is too tough I can walk over to Garnet Lk. and lick my wounds.

Just love the board, what a helpful and knowledgeable group - many thanks!

[Harlen]

Hi sbennett,

I think entering the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin from the Rush Creek TH can be a great way to go. Here are my two or three cents of advice if you do go in that way.

* There are great campsites, and outstanding views from Summit Lake-- up on the ridge, on the southern side of the lake.

* On the way in to 1000 Island Lake via Rush Creek TH, we try to make it to Clark Lakes, where you can also find nice open camping with views of the Ritter Range.

* If you do make a circular trip, heading up Rush Creek, then down into the Middle Fork of the the SJ, and back around; we would highly recommend a campsite up on Island Pass, which you can reach from either Waugh Lake, or 1000 Island Lk. It's has another of those big wide views.

View across Summit Lake from the east side. Camping on the south ridge, seen here across the lake, gives you really wide views of the Ritter Range.

View of Ritter and Banner, and points south from Island Pass.


* Finally, if you choose to do a day hike/climb, one of my favorite viewpoints in the Sierra is the top of Volcanic Knob:

Cecile and Iceberg Lakes from VK.

You can sometimes find a dog up there.

We hope you have a great trip wherever you go sbennet. Best of Luck, Ian.

[SSSdave]

Just like everywhere in the high country, even though policies advise against such, the vast majority of campsite and where groups choose to plunk down are right beside and in view of trails and use routes or along lake edges. Due to lakeitis, most people after walking with heavy packs 8 miles to reach destinations, can't be bothered to walk more than another hundred feet beyond to find secluded camp spots. After all, saber toothed marmots are not just rumors. There are plenty of great locations in the Ritter Range to site primitive camps with isolation beyond say 200 yards from trails and use routes. Study maps at caltopo dot com and then explore those zones after arriving.