R06 TR: 6/11-6/13 2024 Family 2xovernighter: Poore L. & Ebbetts pt1 of 2

[giantbrookie]

I've done a lot of backpacking with family members, especially Dawn, over the past few years, but the entire family has not gone backpacking together since 2015 when we all backpacked to Woodchuck Lake for two nights. That got Lee to swear off backpacking trips until we took a two-nighter together in the fall of 2020, whereas Dawn started the father-daughter backpack tradition in 2017. After 2015 Judy didn't go backpacking until she went on two trips with me and Dawn in 2020. Back in 2015, Dawn was 9 and Lee was 13. Whereas both Lee and Dawn are vastly stronger than they were in 2015, they requested an easier trip, given that they hadn't been out yet this year. Every year we see a lot of folks asking for guidance on a first trip with kids and such. Although the kids are now young adults and experienced hiker-backpackers, the trip is a good example of a trip that would work well for first-timers. The trip also illustrates the advantages of time-of-year (early season) as time-of-week (midweek resulting in fewer people in backcountry). I realize that the latter means taking three days off instead of one, but, in addition to smaller crowds, this can also mean securing a wilderness permit which might not be available for the usual Friday to Sunday 3-day trip slot.

Originally, we planned a "traditional" backpacking trip of two nights to a Mokelumne Wilderness destination but I received a report that although the lake could be seen as thawed on the satellite view, the road to the trailhead was closed. After receiving that message, I checked back on the satellite view and could see the road covered by snow in several places. I then discussed options with the family and we decided on an unusual "double overnighter". We'd hike into Poore Lake out of Leavitt Meadow (Poore is just outside of Hoover Wilderness) and stay a night, hike out drive to the Ebbetts Pass area and do a very short hike into another place (just outside of Mokelumne Wilderness) where we'd camp the second night.

We did not get a particularly early start from the Bay Area on Tuesday morning so we did not hit the trail out of Leavitt Meadow until about 11 am or so. By then it was fairly warm with little breeze. Dawn and I took the lead while Lee hung back to stay with Judy. Dawn and I would wait in various shaded places for them to catch up and we had two actual rest stops, including one at the trail split to Poore where clouds of mosquitoes quickly found us. Dawn and I met an outgoing group of two men and two boys with backpacks and fly rods. We said hello and continued in opposite directions. Lee spoke with them and found that they had intended to camp and Roosevelt and Lane Lakes but the mosquitoes were so intense they bailed. I assured them that Poore was much breezier than Roosevelt and Lane so that I expected the mosquito situation to be more tolerable there.

After taking the Secret-Poore trail you have to take another unmarked fork to go to Poore, but I failed for the 3rd consecutive time to take a 2nd unmarked right fork and wound up at Secret Lake. I backtracked a bit, did a bit of off trail sidehilling then got back on the correct trail to Poore. 0 for 3 in the last two years going in, whereas it's easy to follow the trail coming from Poore. Dawn went with me to Poore on a dayhike in 2022, and both Dawn and Judy dayhiked there with me last summer. Even without the minor route mess up (not as badly messed up as 2022 and 2023) my family complained that I had made the hike sound much easier than reality. I think most folks do better if you tell them to expect worse.

Upon arrival at Poore I picked an open high-ground campsite in the sage. As promised it was breezier than along the main trail, but the breeze would let up at times and the mosquitoes would swarm. We set up two tents. Lee said that Dawn shouts in her sleep and I snore, so that he and Judy would have one tent while Dawn and I would have another. In working at REI, Lee has overseen upgrades of our equipment and with my faithful Quarterdome 3 aging (keep having to patch little holes) he got me the new Half Dome 3 plus (same weight as Quarterdome 3 but even more roomy) and he bought a second one when we decided on the two tent configuration for this trip. In the past (2015 as well as Dawn, Judy, me trips) I'd pack in a large 4-person tent that accommodated everyone. As things usually work out, the wind really picked up right as we pitched the tents. I had mine securely set up but Lee hadn't staked his down fully yet when the wind picked it up and had it tumbling toward the lake (which was actually pretty far away). In a replay of her save of my tent at High Emigrant Lake in 2021 (unstaked because I was taking it down), Dawn alertly sprinted after the tent and grabbed it right at the lakeshore. Although the tumbling badly damaged the tent Lee made it livable with some temporary engineering.

Evening family selfie with Poore Lake in background.

The family enjoys the usual freeze-dried dinners with a good breeze still putting ripples on the lake and keeping bugs away.

We enjoy breakfast in the morning; although the air is still, the mosquitoes have not really awakened yet.

This distant view of our campsite shows the visually interesting backdrop of Mt. Emma above Poore Lake.

The stiff breezes kept the bugs away and although thunder boomed over the ridges on both sides it did not rain, so the family enjoyed a leisurely stay, except for couple of hours in the evening when the wind died down. Folks enjoyed various camping aspects including photography and tending the campfire (Judy really gets into this). The tent sites were not optimal owing to choosing relatively small high-ground flat patches so we did not sleep especially well. Overall I gave the stay a better grade than other family members--I'd say two stars out of four whereas I think they'd assign zero. Noteworthy, however, was that we did not see a single person during our time at Poore. During our hike out, once back on the main trail we met two guys on mountain bikes headed for Poore (backpacking actually) and we also had to step aside for a group on horseback (apparent daytrip up the trail). Whereas there had been a half dozen cars at the Leavitt Meadow trailhead parking the morning before, our car sat alone there upon arrival. About a third of the campsites in the campground were occupied.

As we hike out behind us is the classic view down the W. Walker River valley toward imposing Tower Peak at the northern border of Yosemite.

We relocated to the Ebbetts Pass region and whereas there were three other cars parked there nobody was going past the reservoir. We crossed the spillway on the somewhat scary floating log and proceeded up the short mile-long trail. On June 4 when I dayhiked there it seemed as if about half of the distance was over snow patches. By early afternoon of June 12 as we hiked in almost no snow remained across the trail. Our destination features huge campsites that are more spacious than those found in roadside campgrounds. We picked one of the highest and most open sites to get a consistent breeze which we had the entire stay. Mosquitoes were largely absent. Temperatures were cooler and more pleasant owing to being 1500' higher elevation than Poore. The family richly enjoyed camping activities including setting up a truly luxurious living space. They voted it among the top 3 backpacking campsites they've camped at (Lee gives it the no.1 rank). Lee would say that trip, and particularly that campsite, reminded him that he did in fact enjoy this, instead of it being a means-to-an-end (ie for fishing). The time-of-year and day-of-week matters hugely, though. During our visits last year (dayhikes on 8/9 and 8/11) Lee and I encountered a large number of people including multiple groups camping. Both of our destinations are outside of wilderness areas so there is no quota. Whereas Poore never seems to attract many people, a destination only one mile by trail from a major road does.

The Ebbetts Pass region has the classic volcanic moonscape mixed in with the usual granitic terrain of the Sierra.

Judy always enjoys tending the fire in places where we're allowed to have one.

The sunset glow on thunderclouds over Highland and Silver Peaks made for a great evening view.

We enjoy the campfire after sunset

[giantbrookie]

Our luxurious campsite on the second and last morning of the trip

The family with the lake in the background

The trip concluded with a visit to Cutthroat Brewing Company in Markleeville for lunch. CBC is Lee's and my choice for favorite eatery in the Sierra. Dawn and Judy experienced it for the first time and came away duly impressed. Overall the trip was a huge success with everyone and it is highly unlikely we'll go another 9 years before we do this again. Next week I'm off solo to Kaiser Wilderness where I will scout out a place that I think may eventually get family votes for "best campsite"; it's a place I dayhiked to in 2022.

A meal at Cutthroat Brewing Company is always worthwhile if you find yourself passing through Markleeville (or detouring there, as in this case).

Fishing did in fact take place, of course. All family members caught fish. Dawn was the scoring leader at one lake and me at another. Although the lakes are easily reachable by dayhikes, and we've dayhiked to both several times in the past, backpacking offers the advantage of being at a lake earlier in a day than one can usually reach it by dayhiking and later in the day than one stays if they're hiking out. At this point we've had two consecutive dinners of delicious fish, prepared by Chef Lee and we have a third for tonight, plus two dinner's worth vacuum packed in the freezer.

Judy catches two nice brookies of 13 and 14".

Although none of us caught that many each, our collective keep of red-meated 12-14" brookies was two family dinners worth (here about to be wrapped in "fish towel" for pack out).

Dawn getting in some fishing; she gets the 2nd most fishing time in the Sierra each season among family members.

A sampler of cutthroat running 15-16.5".

[TahoeJeff]

Killer family overnighters to a couple of classic lakes!

[John Harper]

Wow, what a great family, looks like so much fun! Those are some decent fish too, you know how to do it.

John

[Fly Guy Dave]

Very nice TR and pics. Nice to have the whole family involved in the venture. Lots of tasty trout as a bonus. I imagine that the Cutthroat Saloon (Brewing Company now) has become a bit gentrified, no? The last time I was there it was kind of seedy, and there was an impressive collection of ladies undergarments hanging from the ceiling. Klassy! (yes, I meant to spell it that way).

[giantbrookie]

I imagine that the Cutthroat Saloon (Brewing Company now) has become a bit gentrified, no? The last time I was there it was kind of seedy, and there was an impressive collection of ladies undergarments hanging from the ceiling. Klassy! (yes, I meant to spell it that way).

Yes, I think this is true of all of Markleeville and the gentrification aspect has a major foodie theme, including one restaurant, Stonefly, which is on the pricey side (looked at menu but not eaten there). I never stopped by the Cutthroat back in the day, nor Markleeville in general until about 2017 when the family had coffee and breakfast across the street; by 2017 the resort-oriented transition in Markleeville had already taken place.

[texan]

Great family trip to one lake I have been many times. Used to catch rainbows out of there, wonder what happened(Poore). Thanks for sharing.

Texan

[giantbrookie]

Used to catch rainbows out of there, wonder what happened(Poore).

Texan

I have wondered the same thing. You look at the inlet and that looks like really good rainbow spawning habitat. Whereas the brookies have taken over the lake, I wouldn't be shocked if a large rainbow is caught every so often. I guess the test would be to visit it right at ice out and check out the inlet area.

[windknot]

Thanks for the report! Great to see the entire family back out there again together.

[Harlen]

Great trip and great documentary photos and write-up. We felt like we were there with you all. We just returned from a trip with much smaller fish. We'll get to one of those yet. Congratulations on the full family trip. Lizzie and Ian.