R01 TR: High Sierra Trail to Black Rock Pass Loop 6/22-6/25/2017

[HikingEagle]

Hi all, this is my first trip report, so please let me know how I can improve.
The plan of this trip was to take the High Sierra Trail up to Kaweah Gap, drop into Big Arroyo and bag Eagle Scout Peak (since it was myself and two other Eagle Scouts), trek up Big Arroyo Trail to Black Rock Pass, and then down to Redwood Meadow, and then up to the HST and back to Crescent Meadow, all in 4 days.

Crossings/Pass highlights: Construction on Hwy 198. HST Clear of snow to Hamilton Lakes, with all crossings to the Kaweah Gap very doable with water shoes, highest was just above the knee during late afternoon. Beyond Hamilton Lakes requires crampons and an ice axe, especially to cross Hamilton Gorge. Black Rock Pass requires the same. Big Arroyo river crossing to via Big Arroyo trail is difficult but doable. Middle Fork of the Kaweah River below Bearpaw is a difficult and risky crossing from the eastern trail. For crossing depth reference, I am 6’ tall.
The route: https://caltopo.com/m/DR0V

Day 1: Crescent Meadow (HST trailhead) to Lone Pine Creek
We decided to head up from Orange County early instead of using a campsite in Lodgepole I had booked. Unfortunately, due to traffic and construction on the road into Sequoia, we didn’t end up getting on the High Sierra Trail until 1100 after picking up our reserved permit instead of our goal of 0900.
The plan was to take what the maps said is about 14 miles of the High Sierra Trail to Hamilton Lakes, but the Ranger, trail markers, and later my GPS said it was 17 miles. Mehrten Creek crossing was up to the knees briefly in a pool above the lower falls during midday. The 9 mile creek crossing was knee high for us midday, with a nice log to prevent you from being washed down stream. We got our boots wet at Buck Creek Crossing stepping onto the bridge. Buckski has good photos of how those crossing were for us. http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... =1&t=16119

Crossing Mehrten Creek.

9 Mile Crossing.

Due to the late start, we ended up spending the night at Lone Pine Creek around mile 14.5 since we were tired out and the running out of daylight.

[HikingEagle]

Day 2: Lone Pine Creek to Old Big Arroyo Patrol Cabin
The planned itinerary for day 2 was from Hamilton Lakes up Kaweah Gap, bag Eagle Scout Peak, and then continue onto lake 10476 of the upper Little Five Lakes. Unfortunately we were 3 miles behind due to our late start yesterday, an issue that would only get larger as the trip continued.

Crossing lower Hamilton Creek with infinity falls.

On the trail early, the crossing of lower Hamilton Creek was knee high, and reportedly from others on the trail, crossing the creek just below upper Hamilton Lake is quite mild. We however picked a spot that was deeper than it appeared but clear of obstacles and got crotch deep. The HST was clear of snow up to Hamilton Lakes, with large glaciers on the Eastern edges of both Upper and Lower Hamilton Lakes.

Hamilton Lake.

Lower Hamilton Lake.

Past Hamilton Lakes, we continued and came across a few downed trees and patches of snow that required microspikes, but overall the trail was clear until the ascent to Precipice Lake after the tunnel. The tunnel itself was clear of snow, but Hamilton Gorge had about 15 feet of ice/snow in it, with about a 5’ ledge off and onto the trail. We had to rope up with spikes to get across very delicately, and I really wished I had brought an ice axe like I had originally planned.

Looking back at the Tunnel and Hamilton Gorge.

Looking down Hamilton Gorge.

Everything after a ¼ mile from the Gorge was basically snow for the rest of the day.

From the rim of Precipice Lake looking back.

With microspikes we made it to Precipice Lake and switched to snowshoes, a decision I should have made earlier. The whole trip could have been done without the snowshoes, but they made it a lot easier. By the time we reached Kaweah Gap, we knew we had ran out of time to get to Eagle Scout Peak, and while descending Big Arroyo, we noted that the snow was beyond our experience level to try and bag the peak. Bummer.

Completely frozen Precipice Lake in the background.

Looking towards Nine Lakes Basin from Kaweah Gap.

Big Arroyo from Kaweah Gap.

Eagle Scout Peak with route up full of snow.

Solid snow bridges to cross Big Arroyo River available if taking the HST and following the GPS only trail and wanting to stay on the far side of the river. As we were going to Little Five Lakes and Black Rock Pass, we should have stayed on the right of the river and avoided crossing again at the Old Big Arroyo Patrol Cabin, where we spent the night after a 11 mile day.

Snow bridge over Big Arroyo River if taking HST onward.

[HikingEagle]

Day 3: Big Arroyo Patrol Cabin to Fork of Timber Gap Trail and Cliff Creek

We had a difficult time crossing Big Arroyo River toward Black Rock Pass, it took a lot of weaving and searching across the area where the river splits around an and through an “island” for shallower and slower areas to cross, but we made it getting wet to just above the knees. Of note was a ton of bear scat throughout that “island”. We headed up Big Arroyo Trail and instantly hit firm snow that we used microspikes on all the way to Black Rock Pass. It was tiring as we constantly were going up and down the mounds created through the trees.

Big Arroyo Trail through the trees.

Almost all of the Little Five Lakes were completely frozen over. Poor looking weather was coming up behind us as we made our way through Little Five Lakes around noon, but we pressed on as we were just now reaching our goal campsite of the day before.

Little Five Lake at 10430.

Looking up to Black Rock Pass from near Lake 10,750'.

The up to Black Rock Pass was tough, very steep, and making me wish for that ice axe again. We got to 11,600 feet before the bad weather really got us, and we hunkered down against some rock outcrop and got pelted with pea sized hail for an hour as lightning was striking the ridgelines around us. Not sketchy at all.

Hunkered under a foam sleeping mat just below Black Rock Pass in hail.

After it cleared, we got up to the Pass, and started down, going off trail to go straight down the mountain instead of following the trail straight into a large wall of snow.

Looking over Little Five Lakes from Black Rock Pass.

Looking into Cliff Creek drainage from Black Rock Pass.

View down the slope with wall of snow on the right.

Spring Lake and Cylamen Lake. From the right: Needham Peak, Sawtooth Peak, North Sawtooth Peak, and Empire Peak.

Wrapping around to Pinto Lake area we finally got away from intermittent snow fields and raced down to the fork of Timber Gap Trail to get at the campsite with 1 minute to spare before sunset for a 14 mile day.

Pinto Lake.

[HikingEagle]

Day 4: Timber Gap Trail fork to HST trailhead at Crescent Meadows
Hitting the trail early, we knocked out the first 4 miles to Redwood Meadows where we wanted to spend the night prior (still 3-4 miles behind) in good time despite the many downed trees. (note, Tom Harrison maps say that segment is 3.2 miles while the trail markers and GPS say 4 miles.)

View of Moro Rock, with Crescent Meadow (our end goal) somewhere close to the right of it.

Redwood Meadow (but Giant Sequoia trees)

We took a right at the first fork to head up, crossing Granite creek with ease at just above the knee depth in the morning, and then crossing the bridge over Eagle Scout Creek. The Middle Fork of the Kaweah River was almost passable at the crossing, with easy knee height for 3/4 of the width, but the last few feet across looked quite deep, had that deeper blue color and was moving rapidly with rolls. No thank you.

Trail crossing of Middle Fork of Kaweah River.

We backed out and bushwacked it upstream and around a bend to what looked like shallower and smoother waters. Plenty of footprints telling us others had done the same. Crossing was mostly knee high with a few steps up to mid-thigh, fast, and required very stead foot placement and leaning in with trekking poles. Getting back to the trail was tough through the brush, but we made it with some scratches. Not sure if upriver was the best choice, may have been better off downriver. I guess I will have to do it again and compare sometime. The ascent from Redwood to Bearpaw was surprisingly not as steep as expected, but still a grind. Buck Creek bridge crossing was a good 3 feet lower than when we were inbound and had to get our boots wet to cross the bridge. We then pounded out the last 11ish miles to the trailhead, crossing a lower 9 Mile Creek Crossing that was knee high. The east portion of Mehrten Creek with the waterfall that we had crossed via wading previously we jumped over on the rocks, and then got calf deep for the western portion. We got to the trailhead around 1900, making it an exhausting 22 mile and 13 hour day.

View back from Seven Mile Hill with Little Blue Dome in the foreground and Sugerbowl Dome in the background.

[Wandering Daisy]

High daily miles even in good conditions! I hiked out from Nine Lakes to Crescent Meadow in 11 hours/21 miles a few years ago and that did me in; and the trail was dry all the way. That last day was a killer. Great report and photos. Gives a good idea of what to expect. I always wondered if there were a bridge over the river below Bearpaw Meadow. Guess not.

[SSSdave]

Difficult adventure well done men!
Are prime material for Marine boot camp

was atop Eagle Scout Peak, July 6, 1988,
David