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Hey everybody, back after a long absence. Late Aug. we will be going in Pine Creek and then just meandering around for awhile, maybe 7 days. Usual format is to do a few base camps and then day hike and scramble (as opposed to packing up each day). In the past I have camped in Granite Park and it was terrific, but I've never spent much time in Chalfant Lakes basin. Maybe that's a better base camp or at least different? Looks less travelled for sure. Tho after this monster water year, I'm worried that late Aug. will be a monster bug time, and so maybe Granite Park with less standing water and likely stronger winds, bugs maybe be less of an issue? Dunno.
Hey last year some of you old timers kindly welcomed me back. Our trip was most excellent going over Piute and simply blasting all over the place. Big new deal was this:
I bought completely new ultralight camping gear and it was a *game changer*. I also paid a lot more attention to the little things vis-a-vis weight. I even rubbed the little 'M&M' ink off of every M&M to save weight
This was a course change as I never worried about weight BITD. Then I hit my 60's and things started changing fast .
Both of those places are great, Chalfant offers more solitude, but IMO Granite Park is prettier and offers many more great photo opportunities. Mosquitoes will be an issue most likely in both of those areas. Basecamp in GP and go visit CL or the other way around for variety MK.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
On a smoky August 1, did take a couple info shots above that I could stitch together from above that canyon's headwall, Enjoyable looking basin with flowery turf meadows I love but difficult to compete scenically with Granite Park, IMO one of the finest areas in the range. Can even see a fish ring and no doubt there are good numbers of goldens given considerably less visitation.[/color]
Thanks to directing me to your trip report SSSdave. I too marveled at the incredible lupine field west of L Lake last summer, it was amazing! I was there a couple of weeks after you. We went from North Lake to Paris Lake day 1, and then just wandered all over upper French Canyon, Pilot Knob and west Humphreys Basin on the way back.
Thanks Maverick for the tips. We'll probably chill in Granite Park and day hike over to Chalfant to see what the bug situation is. We may end up over by Merriam Lk or who knows where in the Gables area. Fun to just wake up and play it by ear.
Here's a "cheers" from me to you all, taken at Paris Lk. on our first day last summer.
I prefer Granite Park. More centrally located for day-hike options and a better chance of a breeze to keep mosquitoes down. It is a climb (not particularly easy either) up out of Chalfant Lakes if you want to go to Italy Pass or Royce Lakes. I camped at the east end of Granite Park (11,600 elevation valley) where there are some sites with some scrub timber for protection. There are more trees down at Chalfant Lakes, and also more grassy wet areas. The area below Granite Park, at about 10,400, is a major wet grassy area, swampy much of the year.
Hi MK!
No argument from me: yes, I agree that little hop over the Chalfant ridge will keep you well off the beaten path, but heck, when my wife & I headed up to Granite Park early last September, we did not see another soul beyond Honeymoon Lake (and all the way over to Vee Lake), so it's not as if you'll encounter teeming masses. As Dave's photos show, one issue will be the impact of wildfires. I'm already thinking about alternatives for mid-August that will take into account smoke plumes. As you'll see in the accompanying shot down toward Granite Park from Granite-Bear pass last year, the high lakes were shrinking, but this year's snow should have reversed that (at least, temporarily). Also, the air was appreciably better relative to the period of Dave's trip: partly, it's the luck of the draw! Cameron
Hi MK, good to see you around. I was thinking about you this week because there was a buzz on one of the threads about the Barrett Creek route down to Deer Meadow. I haven't been to Chalfants, but that looks like a very good idea to me, unless fishing is a priority; bigger fish in the larger lakes in Granite Park. In addition, the Chalfants offer the possibility of a "wrap around the corner" exploration into an even more secluded subdrainage that I do in fact plan on visiting someday. It's good to see you getting a good long backpacking trip into the highest Sierra.
No backpack for me since 2015 and 2017 will be limited to a single 2 night Deso trip in a couple of weeks from now. I have not gone to the reduced packweight thing yet, but I am still needed as a packmule for my family.
I'm guessing I'll see you in Seattle for GSA in a few months.
I camped at the Chalfant Lakes in 2010 and I enjoyed having the basin to myself:
Granite Park is also stunning, though, and as others have noted this area offers more nooks and crannies for exploration. They're close enough to each other that you probably can't go wrong picking either option as a base camp, though the Chalfants offer a greater chance of solitude due to being farther away from the trail.
Granite Park vs. Chalfant Lakes basin?? Why vs? According to the USGS, Chalfant Lakes are part of Granite Park (see topo map below). Further, the entry is easy from the tarns west of the "H" in Honeymoon Lake, and the exit isn't hard with lightweight gear (only 800 not very steep ft) from the highest little lake to the tarn between the "T" and "E" in Granite Park. I don't know why people exclude this nice little playground from the main park just because it has a childproof fence on one side.
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