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

[aaron_in_sf]

I did a version of this itinerary over a week last summer, the bottom few thousand feet are a bit of a slog.

In and out via Rush Ck and going to the Marie Lakes first and most of the way up to Donahue as I love that stretch of the JMT, then south to Garnet, then on to Ediza/Iceberg/Cecile, then back to 1000 Island and out past Agnew. A funny bit of back-and-forth but with opportunity to mostly make a loop if you take some of the xc recommendations. I wish I had been a bit more adventurous.

One thing I didn't do is go down through/to Minaret, or up to Nydiver, though i did go up to the top of the creek to the scree basin below Banner and poke around. Epic spot.

I do love that section of the AAW.

[zakios]

The trail mostly disappears around the outlet of Iceberg Lake. If you are planning to go from Iceberg to Minaret, it's a lot of choose your own adventure rockhopping along the shores of Iceberg and Cecile. The initial descent down from Cecile towards Minaret required a spot of downclimbing and was not obvious to find. Keep far left (east) hugging the hillside and you'll find a small notch to scramble through. We took off our packs, and dropped them a few feet to a flat spot and shimmied down. Granted, it could be we missed a more straighforward route.

I took my 60 yr old mom there in 2021, and this segment was a lot more than she bargained for. Doable, ultimately, but do beware that CalTopo and Harrison maps show a trail there that doesn't really exist in any coherent way. If you feel comfortable with that kind of travel, it's a Ridiculously Beautiful Place and absolutely worth visiting. The bonus is when you get to Minaret, you'll be in the most secluded perfect little corner of the lake.

Our itinerary was a taxi from Mammoth to Rush Creek TH > Thousand Island via Spooky Meadows > Ediza > Minaret > Devils Postpile, where we took the shuttle back to our car at the Mammoth visitor's center.

[Wandering Daisy]

There is a use-trail from Cecile to Minaret Lake that is quite easy. It is NOT the route in Secor's guide. You head for the small pond shown on the map below. Then a good trail starts.

The difficult part is Iceberg to Ceicle- if snow, it can be very dangerous. Without snow, not bad until the headwall which is quite steep. In 2010 (high snow year) I went over it in mid-August, and the entire slope was snow.

Route Ceicle Lk to Minaret

Ceicle_toMinaret.JPG (229.66 KiB) Viewed 143 times

[hikerchick395]

Ha...Dave...that made me laugh. (Backpackers hike in 8 miles and can't go 200 yards to find a decent campsite.) These are the same people who can't park a few hundred yards from the trailhead either.

Do not discount the ice/snow between Cecile and Iceberg. I went in September 2019 and it was frozen solid. Easier to find suitable route going up from Iceberg to Cecile than going down from Cecile to Iceberg (which I did,) as it is easier to see from below.

[Lumbergh21]

Be prepared for alternates to your proposed route. I'll echo what Wandering Daisy said about the route from Iceberg to Cecile. In 2019, an above average snow year, I turned around at Iceberg Lake due to the snow field that was still there on September 6. I saw a handful of people slowly make there way across it, but I wasn't willing to risk it. If you slip, the runout is the lake and/or the boulders along its shore. Someone slid to their death a week or two before I was there.

[c9h13no3]

This thread may prove useful.

[SenorNeiltz]

I was able to book High Trail for Friday, July 7 with no warning about possible road closure/shuttle disruption. Planning on hitting Thousand Island, Garnet, and Ediza.

I did book a back-up trip for Friday, July 7 out of Rush Creek because of this thread--it actually looks a little more fun? Thousand Island, Ediza, then last night at either Summit or Clark Lake. It's kind of a figure 8 loop.

I'll definitely cancel whatever one I'm not using closer to the date. Is there anything to worry about snow-wise early July, high snow-year, on either route? Not planning any cross-country.

[c9h13no3]

Is there anything to worry about snow-wise early July, high snow-year, on either route? Not planning any cross-country.

There is an unbridged crossing of the outlet of Ediza (GPS 37.68723, -119.16153), which can be hard in high flow. It is much easier just to rock hop over the north shore. It is also shorter, a very minor inconvenience. However, it is class 2 in places, and more like a cross country route.

[wildhiker]

I was able to book High Trail for Friday, July 7 with no warning about possible road closure/shuttle disruption. Planning on hitting Thousand Island, Garnet, and Ediza.

I did book a back-up trip for Friday, July 7 out of Rush Creek because of this thread--it actually looks a little more fun? Thousand Island, Ediza, then last night at either Summit or Clark Lake. It's kind of a figure 8 loop.

Interesting that Recreation.gov lets you book two separate reservations for separate trailheads on the same day in the same wilderness area, when it is obvious that you can't be in two places at the same time. Seems like people could really take advantage of this to game the system.
-Phil

[Wandering Daisy]

Be sure you cancel one of the reservations once you decide which you will use. Cancel far enough ahead so that it goes back into the "walk-in" slots.

Personally, I prefer to use the "walk-in" time period as back up instead of booking two reservations. And yes, I too am surprised that the reservation system allowed this. It would be one thing if other permits were automatically released if not used, but the way it is on an "honor" system, let's hope most backpackers are honorable.