High Sierra Topix

TITLE: 60 Lakes Col

GENERAL OVERVIEW: Connects 60 Lakes Basin to Gardiner Basin

CLASS/DIFFICULTY: Class 2

LOCATION: Kings Canyon NP - HST Map

ELEVATION: 11,700 ft.

USGS TOPO MAP (7.5'): Mt. Clarence King

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: From 60 Lakes basin start on the west side of lake 3304 and head up the inlet on the EAST side. It may be hard to cross at first but it allows for easier travel further up. Follow the creek up on easy class 2 slabs and ramps until you get to several small tarns below lake 3435. From there talus hop up to the pass; there's no easy shortcuts, all simple looking ways end up cliffed out. Just bite the bullet and climb up. I haven't gone over the West side but it looks like more of the same. There are cairns and ducks on that side that may help, no confirmation on that though.

PHOTOS:


Looking west from the top of the pass.


Looking east you can see the tarn you should aim for before turning west up the pass.


Talus field from the top of the pass heading east.


Headed down to 60 Lakes on the East side of the creek.

Been a while since I went over - didn't take detailed notes nor good photos, and was without a full pack which always makes it easier. Recall the east side being a mix of talus and lots of tedious shelves. West side consisted of large boulders and talus, all relatively stable

Blackout! and I were there last June, very buggy and we did some really nice cross country from sixty to rejoin the jmt past dollar lake towards like baxter creek, I'll try and dig up some of her photos. Great area, lots to explore, fin dome, cotter and mr. clarence king. Lighting and thunderstorms changed our plans to bag some peaks.

I did 60 Lakes Col from west to east, so that's how I'm going to describe it. Starting from the outlet of Gardiner Lake, I was told to traverse the south shore. This definitely goes, but the north shore looked easier from afar, so YMMV. Moving east, the shoreline will go for about a quarter mile, then cliff out. Look to your right and grip-walk up bare granite until you gain the top of the ridge paralleling the shore. Continue along this for a few hundred feet until you can look down a chute that's lined with pines on its left side and takes you down to a flat plain below. Take this down - it's easy going - and then continue along the shore about another quarter mile. In mid-June of a dry year, there was a very steep snowfield with a sheer drop into the water at its foot. I was able to wade through the lake to get around this, only getting into the water about hip-deep (I'm 5'7"). After this, it's talus all the way to the col. It doesn't seem to matter how you proceed from here, just aim toward the low point in the ridge off to the southeast. It's all talus of varying size, so pick whatever way is easiest and make for the col. You'll really want to bend south from here, since the ridge loses elevation and gets less steep to the south. As you approach the low point, you'll find a relief from the talus in the form of a few granite ledges that make for easier walking, which carry you south and up a little toward the col. After a brief little chute running northeast, you'll come to a broad ledge that's basically on top of the ridge, but has a steep granite fin blocking the view to the east. Walk north along this ledge until you come out from behind the fin and can see down to the east. The east side of 60 Lakes Col is intimidating, and looks like it should cliff out. A cursory exploration reveals that a series of serendipitous ledges zigzag down the east side to flatter terrain below. This area definitely could be made into Class 3 terrain by taking the wrong route, but I was able to find and all Class 2 route descending ledge to ledge without any trouble. If it starts to get Class 3, backtrack a bit and find some ledges that connect. There was a pretty decent use trail and cairns at one point, but I lost it quickly and just made my own way, which was easy. After descending, continue due east over flatter terrain toward the tarn at 11,293', then angle north and down-drainage. I found it easier to stay on the east side of the creek for most of the way down, but I'm sure either side will go. Right before you arrive at Lake 3304 the terrain gets steeper, I crossed to the west side of the creek briefly, then crossed back to the east right before gaining the shore of Lake 3304. From here, cross the inlet stream right where it dumps into the lake and start north along the west shore of Lake 3304. You will find a use trail starting right at the inlet. Follow this until it starts switchbacking aggressively up the slope to a distressing and seemingly unnecessary height. At the very top it gets faint, but seems to run through a little channel between two whitebark pines and out onto a broad, grassy bench.
Follow this bench north until it gives way to a grassy slope leading back down to the shore. Coming over the pass east-to-west, finding the right spot to descend off this bench would probably be difficult, as the use trail kind of ends before gaining the bench. Look for a spot where you can kind of push through dense whitebarks and follow a little trench in the granite down to a cairned use trail below. My map approximates the spot, but isn't a GPS track.

After the bypass, it's easy grass and sand north, across the drainage again, along the east side of the next lake to the 60 Lakes Basin trail.

I want to add to the excellent descriptions above some pictures and a couple of notes on my experience heading east to west in late July 2024.

It is possible to find your way through the cliffs around the west side of Lake 3304. There is one 10 foot class 3 ledge, but the rest is class 2.

Short Class 3 section above Lake 3304

The rest is Class 2 - the Col is above the snow field center top

Here are some more pictures of the col and the surrounding terrain.

Easy granite slabs below the Col

Getting closer!

Grassy ramps below the west side of the Col

The short talus field just below the snow field below the Col

Snow field below the Col -- I went around it to the south (far side) on class 2 stable talus

Sixty Lakes Basin from the Col

Looking north along the ridgeline from the Col

I made the mistake of following the least steep terrain down from the Col. I wish I had angled more directly towards the north shore of Lake 3477.

Looking back towards the Col from the largest lake above Lake 3477

Looking back towards the Col from a tarn above Lake 3477

Looking forward towards Lake 3477

Looking back towards the Col from Lake 3477