2024 HST Meetup

[tomba]

I am coming. One person. Got a permit from Italy Pass. Arriving to meetup area late Thursday.

[maverick]

Alright, great news!

Make sure you waterproof your tents, another wave of monsoonal moisture, after this weekend, is possibly due in next weekend into the following week, be prepared.

[Penstemon]

Newbie here… I just nabbed a permit out of Bear Diversion. I missed my high-elevation shakedown in June due to an injury, but hopefully will be able to plod my way up to Vee Lake by late 7/25 or 26 (U+1F91E)

[maverick]

Hi Penstemon,

Great, I'm looking forward to meeting you!

[Bishop_Bob]

One week ago, I went through the Bear Lakes Basin from Feather Pass to Hilgard Branch via White Bear Pass. Trip report is underway, but I thought I'd drop a note here to say that I encountered no obstacles along this route. Whatever snow there was could be bypassed on its flanks. From Black Bear Lake, I got a good view of the west face of Granite Bear Pass and it looked bone dry. The south face of Dancing Bear Pass was also dry. I didn't get a good look at Italy Pass.

My attendance at the meetup is uncertain, but I'm hoping to make it.

[maverick]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the info; I hope you can make it.

[BardoPond]

Depending on how early we're able to start on Friday, we might try to make it to Vee from Bear Ridge. Otherwise we'll get there Saturday morning.

I was thinking of spending the next night at Lake Italy to make a sort of loop (two-ended lollipop?) with a Bear Diversion exit.

Am I guessing right that Dancing Bear Pass would be a tad bit gentler than White Bear? As well as reaching Big Bear from the SW coming from Vee?

The thicker lines are my tentative routes:

[cgundersen]

Bardopond,
Having ascended WhiteBear pass a couple years ago, I concur with the writeup in the xc passes that it's easier route finding going up versus down. But if you are good at picking your way around little cliff-out zones, it's not bad and will save you lots of time relative to Dancing Bear. If you do opt for Dancing Bear, I'd strongly encourage you to traverse into the use trail shown by the dots on your map. Otherwise the talus around Jumble lake will convince you that it deserved its name.Whoever engineered the use trail gets a big thanks in my book! Cameron

[cgundersen]

Hi Mav,

I'm still on board along with two pals who recently arrived at SFO from Perth, Australia. Joy is 95% sure she is not joining in (still haunted by mosquitoes from the last 2 days of our June trip). However, if the air quality crashes, we'll punt.Cameron

[BardoPond]

Bardopond,
Having ascended WhiteBear pass a couple years ago, I concur with the writeup in the xc passes that it's easier route finding going up versus down. But if you are good at picking your way around little cliff-out zones, it's not bad and will save you lots of time relative to Dancing Bear. If you do opt for Dancing Bear, I'd strongly encourage you to traverse into the use trail shown by the dots on your map. Otherwise the talus around Jumble lake will convince you that it deserved its name.Whoever engineered the use trail gets a big thanks in my book! Cameron

Thanks! I guess I will scope it out and make a real-time call. Given my partner hasn't done as much XC, we might still go with the longer, easier route. Great point about the use trail, I'm not sure why I ignored it.