Big Pine Creek North Fork to 7 Lakes in Late June 2023

[Wandering Daisy]

I would stick with NF Big Pine. You may have to scale back the trip, but it will be absolutely beautiful. Camping at Third Lake is up on a south facing rocky bench that should have a few dry spots. Base camp and then day-hike. I would definitely take micro-spikes. Upper lakes may still be frozen. I have gone in early season in the past for climbing- all the snow is actually easier to walk on than endless talus. We climbed Thunderbolt and a few other peaks.

Regardless of where you go inquire about washed out bridges. After the 1997 storms I hiked from Tuolumne Meadows intending to do the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, to find that the bridge at the bottom of Waterwheel Falls was washed out. But even though I had to turn back it was still a good trip. Some bridges also may be flooded in the afternoons. Plan to wade.

There are a few side streams on the trail up to Third Lake but I cannot recall which ones have bridges.

[kpeter]

Here is my trip report for Big Pine Creek from 2013.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9842&hilit=mack

The trail in the vicinity of the Lon Chaney cabin gets very close to the stream in a shady canyon. There could be quite a bit of snow in there.
Then the main trail crosses back and forth across the Black Lake outlet stream before getting to the Black Lake intersection. My guess is that is the stretch which could be trouble if the melt is in full swing. If you get past that, however, you might consider taking the side trail up to Black Lake if there is too much snow down near the main stream, since the trail to Black Lake misses an extra crossing and also is mostly on a south facing, sunny slope.

On the other hand, while the main trail crosses the Black Lake outlet stream repeatedly, it never crosses the First Lake outlet--and that is the stream that drains a much larger area. When I was there during a dry year in August, the Black Lake outlet was nearly dry, but I do not know if it has times when it becomes impassable.

[torpified]

By accident, I did one of the plan B trips kpeter endorses---an out-and-back to Lake Vernon with a Wapama falls detour---a few years ago. I loved it! Here's the TR: https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... ed#p156123

(If I were you, I'd still go to Big Pine Creek, though!)

Do please post an account of what you do, no matter what it is. As another person from away, I particularly appreciate the perspective of folks who didn't grow up, and consolidate their impressions of reasonable behavior on the part of the surface of the earth, mere hours from Yosemite Valley!

[Wandering Daisy]

2020 trip reports may not be relevant this year. June 1 2020 the snow was basically melted. In the peak year (82?) there still was over 100% of the average April 1 snow remaining. This year's melt may be different than historical peak snow, but 2020 still was a very low snow year, so be careful to extrapolate those conditions into this year's.

[gardn128]

Awesome feedback, thanks everyone so much for weighing in. We're going to think it through as we haven't done any winter camping/hiking on our own so we're thinking about trying this trip another time and doing something more vanilla until we get some more experience.