High Sierra Topix

Great report, needs more watercolors

Great photos, great report, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing your trip report and including a beautiful watercolor too. I agree that Taboose Pass does not deserve its reputation as a nasty pass. Although I think the road to the trailhead is a contender for getting its own bad reputation. Regarding the comments on the ledge system to get down part 2 of CCP, I’m glad I’m not alone in considering that one of the more challenging parts of getting down. Maybe it will feel easier the 2nd time that I do it. That area around Lake Basin, Dumbbell, and Amphitheater is so hauntingly beautiful that I am already planning another trip back. Twelve days – that sounds luxurious. That terrain really pushed my limits hiking it in 6 nights/7 days, so I’d like to add some more in the future and be able to explore a bit more as well as have some shorter days to just take it all in. The food is the thing that gets me. I have the mid-size Bearikade and that length of trip results in it being absolutely stuffed – I feel like I should slap a label on it that says “warning, contents under pressure”. I don’t fish, but it sounds like you weren’t relying on being able to catch fish, mentioning it as a protein supplement. Any tips on getting that many days of food stored for that length of time? I do go solo, so that might be a contributor to bear can space for me.

What an inspirational report, doing this level of trip on a new hip! Dumbbell Lakes in particular is a very special place, that since my youth I thought of as a walled sanctuary when gazing at the topo map. The trip there with my wife in 1993 remains our favorite backpacking trip of all time. When we crested over Cataract Pass and looked down into the basin it really felt like we were entering an isolated mountain paradise. Glad to hear the northern lake still has nice fish in it too. Thanks so much for this report.

Great trip report. I really enjoyed following your journey. Your narration was wonderul. I especially like the "moments that slows everything down as you enter a different time zone, a geologic deep time, offering a different way of experiencing the mountains." and "There’s something about passes that never tire. It’s such a powerful, almost euphoric feeling stepping through one basin, like a giant door deep into time. " The photos and decriptions captured what it's like to be there.

KT5519 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 14, 2024 7:56 am Thanks for sharing your trip report and including a beautiful watercolor too. I agree that Taboose Pass does not deserve its reputation as a nasty pass. Although I think the road to the trailhead is a contender for getting its own bad reputation. Regarding the comments on the ledge system to get down part 2 of CCP, I’m glad I’m not alone in considering that one of the more challenging parts of getting down. Maybe it will feel easier the 2nd time that I do it. That area around Lake Basin, Dumbbell, and Amphitheater is so hauntingly beautiful that I am already planning another trip back. Twelve days – that sounds luxurious. That terrain really pushed my limits hiking it in 6 nights/7 days, so I’d like to add some more in the future and be able to explore a bit more as well as have some shorter days to just take it all in. The food is the thing that gets me. I have the mid-size Bearikade and that length of trip results in it being absolutely stuffed – I feel like I should slap a label on it that says “warning, contents under pressure”. I don’t fish, but it sounds like you weren’t relying on being able to catch fish, mentioning it as a protein supplement. Any tips on getting that many days of food stored for that length of time? I do go solo, so that might be a contributor to bear can space for me.

KT5519 - After much thought, we went for the Bearikade Blazer https://bearcanisters.com/canister/bearikade-blazer/, as it offered better volume for a small cost differential in the overall investment, which was pretty steep. Perhaps you could sell yours and get that size, there’s good demand for used Bearikades in good condition. We love longer trips and being able to soak it in and have rest or lighter hiking objectives on those days. we eat super well in the backcountry and have found 3 keys for food efficiency on longer Sierra trips.

Calorie density - we aim for each ounce being 150 cal or more. This means carrying olive oils, trail butters, pesto and the like. Just carry them on like toiletries, as if you are flying, so they don’t leak in the non-pressurized luggage compartment-- haha. W/o fish we make it on 18 oz per person per day. YMMV and Skurka recommends between 18 and 24 oz, depending on habits, density, and exertion level.

Repacking and compact food storage - remove all the store packaging and use compact zip locks, this saves a lot of space and you’d be amazed at how much less waste you need to carry out which is another bonus. You can also bundle like dinners in one bag. we use about 5 or 6 go-to meals and repeat these on longer trips. Tortillas are flat and pack easily too . Corn don’t mold-over as quickly as flour.

The Blazer capacity – it easily holds 10 days of food for 1 person. We carry the first two meals separately in our pack to save Blazer space and hang the second the first night if necessary. For fish, it is a supplement, and we allow for 12 ounces of on-trail fish which is subtracted from our allowance of 18 oz per day, so that makes 3 lighter dinners of 7-8 oz, and typical diners of about 10-12 oz. DM if you want to chat more about food.

Thanks for your summer posts about your descent from Cataract Creek Pass (very helpful) and continuing down Cataract Creek to Palisade Lakes. Each year we find them somehow just beyond reach. Next year!

Fviolich wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2024 5:54 am Repacking and compact food storage - remove all the store packaging and use compact zip locks, this saves a lot of space and you’d be amazed at how much less waste you need to carry out which is another bonus. You can also bundle like dinners in one bag. we use about 5 or 6 go-to meals and repeat these on longer trips. Tortillas are flat and pack easily too . Corn don’t mold-over as quickly as flour.

Repackaging is key, including those pre-made meals (e.g., Mountainhouse). For those meals, I bring along the empty pouches, which I pack up along the inner side of the bear can. The pouches are convenient for cooking the meals. They're also convenient as a means to carry trash because they're more heavy-duty than ziploc bags.

I have the smallest Bearikade and have found this sufficient for a 7-day/6-night trip. Of course, all food for the first day isn't packed into the can.

Bishop_Bob wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2024 7:20 am

Fviolich wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2024 5:54 am Repacking and compact food storage - remove all the store packaging and use compact zip locks, this saves a lot of space and you’d be amazed at how much less waste you need to carry out which is another bonus. You can also bundle like dinners in one bag. we use about 5 or 6 go-to meals and repeat these on longer trips. Tortillas are flat and pack easily too . Corn don’t mold-over as quickly as flour.

Repackaging is key, including those pre-made meals (e.g., Mountainhouse). For those meals, I bring along the empty pouches, which I pack up along the inner side of the bear can. The pouches are convenient for cooking the meals. They're also convenient as a means to carry trash because they're more heavy-duty than ziploc bags.

I have the smallest Bearikade and have found this sufficient for a 7-day/6-night trip. Of course, all food for the first day isn't packed into the can.



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So glad you brought up trash, using trash to carry out trash, making sure everything you bring in goes out, packing it tight, double bagging stinky wet stuff, even including other hiker's trash. Here's our entire 12 Day trip of trash in a 1 gallon ziplock trash bag, our last morning, before heading down the Taboose Pass trail. We'd probably generate several 13 gallon kitchen bags at home in the same amount of time!

Since this post is getting into the food part of a trip, here is what I do. I can get 9-day food in my Bearikade Weekender. But I have to re-pack everything as others have suggested, and trade quick cooking for less bulk.

For breakfast, Malt-o-meal takes less room per calorie than oatmeal. If oats are your thing, steel cut oats pack smaller. Although a bit heavier, dried fruit (like raisins) pack better than freeze-dried. For dinner, couscous has become a favorite both for packing down small and cooking quick. Quina is another small packing food. Thin noodles and instant brown rice also pack well. Corn grits, dried refried beans and cheese is one of my new favorites. I also take a bit of instant potatoes for a small side dish when I catch a lot of fish. Lunch and snacks- dried fruit are all squishable without turning to dust, almonds pack well, cheese sticks. My new favorite are sesame snaps (available at Winco). A lot of "trail bars" do not pack well and have too much sugar.

Although freeze-dried foods save weight, they add bulk. Quick cook or instant foods are quick, but again add bulk. My reasoning is that carrying a bit more fuel does not take up room in the bear can. Other gas saving tips are; when first in camp, get water and solar heat it, get a wind screen for your stove if you do not already have one (and cook in wind shelter), and use pot cozies. For example, steel cut oats take about 2-3 minutes boiling, then put in a cozy for 10-15 minutes.

Go for a lot of fat-almost twice the calories per pound as protein or carbs. For the length of most trips, a 40-50% fat diet is not going to kill you. Olive oil is great! High quality aged cheese is good. Nuts in everything. Not for everyone's taste I take a small tube of anchovy paste. I do not obsess too much about protein. I take Nido (or full-fat dry milk if you can find it) instead of instant fat-free. I add spices and a bit of sugar to Nido for drinks- it works either hot or cold.

All that said, I am not a foodie- food is fuel for me, I do not need fancy stuff. I also like to cook from scratch instead of dumping water into a FD meal. I do reward myself each night with a square of 72% dark chocolate!

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Calorie density - we aim for each ounce being 150 cal or more. This means carrying olive oils, trail butters, pesto and the like. Just carry them on like toiletries, as if you are flying, so they don’t leak in the non-pressurized luggage compartment-- haha. W/o fish we make it on 18 oz per person per day. YMMV and Skurka recommends between 18 and 24 oz, depending on habits, density, and exertion level.

Thank you for taking the time to share those tips. Calorie density is something I need to work on - I think I recall your pesto leaking incident! Pesto sounds like an amazing backcountry treat. The larger Bearikade is worth a look as well; I've had mine awhile, wow, the cost sure has gone up. Maybe more repackaging will be the first thing I try; I do some but not enough; definitely room for improvement there. Nut butter packets saved me on the last trip; there was more than one midnight bear can raid when I woke up starving.