High Sierra Topix

Yellowhammer camp:

I did a similar trip a couple of years ago (http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... =1&t=11426). My two cents:

Camp Yellowhammer is well worth a visit. I prefer Big Lake to Pingree. There is a superb campsite at Big Lake on the west side with a beautiful view of the lake and a fire pit built such that you can recline on the rocks as you warm yourself by the fire -- a sort of chaise lounge arrangement. The nearby swimming hole is excellent too, as long as you are willing to jump the eight or ten feet off the rock to make use of it. Follow the use trail to find this campsite. All the other campsites I saw at Big Lake were soggy and mosquito-infested.

The chief feature of this area are the endless, polished, granite slabs. The large one between Pingree and Big Lake is called the Golden Staircase because it is stained brown by runoff.

That you Pietro for the link to your trip--I shall make good use of your information. And Balzacom, I've been reading your site and getting more ideas. You've been a great source of information for me over the years.

I've been puzzling over the crossing over W Fork Cherry Creek, and I wonder if it would make more sense to cross to its East side at the normal Pine valley ford (on the trail that goes on to Wood Lake) and then turn south to cross Buck Meadow Creek separately and continue down the East bank of W Fork Cherry Creek to join up with the use trail to Rosaco. If I try to cross at the normal Rosaco use trail crossing it will mean crossing the stream swollen with the entire flow of Buck Meadow Creek added, as opposed to crossing two lesser streams. Has anyone done it this way?

I suppose this would be very similar to not taking the Rosaco route at all, but using the use trail that departs from Bell Meadow half way to Wood lake.

I got back on Wednesday , I had no problem crossing the W Fork of the Cherry about half way down over a couple of logs. I then camped at beautiful Rosasco lake, then on to Hyatt Lake.

Thank you for that information, Justm, that is reassuring. I leave early tomorrow a.m. for 4-5 days wandering in southern Emigrant. At this point it sounds like a glorious trip, but I have steeled myself for the thick of the mosquitoes. Perhaps they will pick me up and carry me over Cherry Creek!

when you come upon the trail sign that says , camp 100 ft from the creek, go a little further until you see the creek get slow and wide. The trail will be right by the creek this at that point. You'll see a large tree across that portion of the river. Go just past that and you'll see the river cuts back, there's a section of smooth rock . Head across that way and you'll see the large, easily crossed log from there.

justm wrote:when you come upon the trail sign that says , camp 100 ft from the creek, go a little further until you see the creek get slow and wide. The trail will be right by the creek this at that point. You'll see a large tree across that portion of the river. Go just past that and you'll see the river cuts back, there's a section of smooth rock . Head across that way and you'll see the large, easily crossed log from there.

Thank you Justm. Was this the tree? Your directions were quite good. However, I chose to wade since it was hot and wading looked fun. This log would have saved me the 15 minutes needed to change in and out of my wading gear, and cost me a cooling off in the shallows!

I don't think that was the one. There must be a few different spots to cross. I'm glad you had a great trip !!!