High Sierra Topix

Introduction:

This trip was intended to be a relatively simple in-and-out to take my daughter, who is home from college, back to the wilderness. She is a strong athlete but has only been on a few trips with me--she tends to go on a trip every other year. She enjoys the scenery, the companionship, and the ability to explore and play around a destination, but she is as averse to mosquitoes and other discomforts as most relative beginners. Since I could not plan this trip that far in advance, the best reservation I could get was for McGee Creek, and since I had not been there before I hoped the trip over Labor Day would be a success. I put the trip off until as late in the summer as possible (in fact the latest trip I have ever been on) to try to minimize the mosquito issues. Unfortunately, this was not to be.

Logistics:

Fairly straightforward. The permit through Inyo was not hard to obtain as McGee is less popular than many of the other trailheads. Driving to the trailhead was simple--the turnoff is about a dozen miles south of Mammoth and is paved as far as the McGee campground, and is only a bit further along a gravel road past the pack station to a paved trailhead parking lot with bear boxes and outhouse.

The hike in:

The trailhead is at 7874 in the McGee valley with sage on the hillsides and aspen along the creek, while Big McGee is at 10479, making it a solid 2600 foot elevation gain over about 7 miles--a substantial exertion for a first day. We started at 7:30 am and were able to cross the first couple of miles through open sage before the sun hit. The trail starts west and then curves 90 degree to the south, climbing steadily but not too steeply. It becomes more pleasant when it hits the aspen in the vicinity of Horestail falls, which descend from springs on the western slopes of the canyon.

The trail climbs gradually and then crosses the creek in an gravelly stretch on a large log that was leveled on top. The log has broken but at this time of year it was still high enough for a safe crossing. The log no longer quite reaches the opposite shore and has been supplemented with a smaller log. We scurried across with no real concerns. Having reached the opposite shore, however, it was a bit confusing finding our way to the main trail. The floods last winter scoured away a few feet of river bank on the far side, necessitating that the trail be moved, and getting up the sheer bank from the crossing and onto the new trail took a little reconnoitering.

Once back on the trail we climbed past a delightful beaver pond before crossing back across the stream on another, smaller leveled log at about 9200 feet. After this crossing a sign kept us on the main trail when a spur broke off in an unmarked direction, but which I think was an old trail leading over toward the Scheelore Mine. After coming back to the creek, the trail ascends steeply, pausing at an intersection where you can ford the creek (it was knee deep) if you want to branch away to Steelhead Lake. After the Steelhead intersection the trail enters its steepest pitch, switchbacking up through rockwork leading through a narrow notch to get to the first unnamed lake at 9944, a grassy forested lake with a serviceable campsite immediately beside the trail.

From 9944 the trail moves through a meadow and then begins the last steep pitch to get up to the meadows and plateau on which Big McGee is located. Once on top the trail ambles through lovely meadows and spectacular views for half a mile or so before emerging a little above lake level. Camping at Big McGee is limited, since the lake is down in a hole surrounded by cliffs, talus, and snow. A use trail comes down to the ridge along the NE shore of the lake, where there is one large tentsite and several smaller sites strung out. All of them access the water from the same use trail that descends to the lake just before the talus field starts. Sadly, at this critical access point, the floor of the lake was littered with decaying spaghetti from some idiot who rinsed his dishes directly in the lake. I was told that there are many other fine camping spots on the western peninsula of the lake, but to access these you must take the trail around the cliffs first, and that they were wetter, greener, and most prone to mosquitoes. But if insects and energy were not a problem, I would give the NW penninsula (closer to the inlet) a try. When we arrived at the lake, the best site was taken and we took a site up the hill. By nightfall every tent pad was occupied. It felt like a motel.

Nevertheless, the lake is truly a beauty, and we enjoyed it whenever the breezes could keep the swarms of mosquitoes away. Dayhike to Little McGee and out

The mosquitoes were sufficiently fierce that my daughter and I decided to depart the next day, head for a motel, and do some dayhiking instead of backpacking. But before we packed up we decided to take a dayhike to see Little McGee Lake. The trail was delightful, moving through green meadows filled with flowers before emerging into red shale talus and curving around to the side of this half frozen lake. There was a lot of dirt on top of the ice--and in a location that doesn't make sense for a rockslide. It must have come down on the ice before the first snow, and then was exposed when the snow melted but the ice underneath still remained. Having enjoyed our morning dayhike, we came back to camp, lunched on udon noodles, and then headed out. The journey out took less than half the time as the hike in, due to the steady elevation decline.

I agree that there is tight camping if you want to be on the shores of Big McGee Lake. But if willing to camp a bit away from the lake, there is wonderful camping (including a few nice large established sites) in the beautiful and very scenic meadow to the west. It is then a short walk to the lake to fish. You can get water from the stream that runs through the valley.

The camp host at McGee campground, said that the horse packers have built a new trail that is quite high above the drainage, to replace the section that washed out by the log bridge. They evidently also put a log across at the second (higher crossing).

Too bad about the mosquitoes. What an odd year it has been.

Here is a photo of the meadow west of Big McGee Lake

So sorry to read about your mosquito experience at McGee Lakes, you did at least have some great wildflowers showings. Really hope your daughter did not get turned off by this experience.

kpeter,
Super photos and yes, it looks like the protracted wildflower bloom is matched by the lengthy bug season. Shucks! But, from the perspective of "morons in the wilderness", the cache of spaghetti in the lake takes the cake. Can't we detour these folks to Vegas? Or, California Adventure? Or, Dennys? Or, am I being too kind?
Cameron

Wandering Daisy wrote:I agree that there is tight camping if you want to be on the shores of Big McGee Lake. But if willing to camp a bit away from the lake, there is wonderful camping (including a few nice large established sites) in the beautiful and very scenic meadow to the west. It is then a short walk to the lake to fish. You can get water from the stream that runs through the valley.

The camp host at McGee campground, said that the horse packers have built a new trail that is quite high above the drainage, to replace the section that washed out by the log bridge. They evidently also put a log across at the second (higher crossing).

Too bad about the mosquitoes. What an odd year it has been.

Thanks WD. I fully agree and we saw some great potential camps in the meadow. The mosquitoes were so bad that we were trying desperately to keep away from the wet meadow and get some of the breeze coming off the lake. But it probably failed--it could not have been much worse in the meadow as it turned out.

The campground host was correct that the horsepackers built a new trail higher up in the shale above the creek to bypass the area that was washed out. The horses appear to ford the stream further downstream and bypass the whole area on the new shale trail. But for backpackers crossing the log, you have to find your way along the embankment and then up to the new shale trail--or onto the old one for that matter. It is not very difficult. However, if the creek were six inches higher then all bets are off. The improvised repairs to the bridge currently deposit you onto a very narrow band of shore that is barely above stream level with 1-2 feet of clearance between the stream and a sheer bank considerably over one's head. You have to walk about 20 feet along that narrow path, and it all would be underwater with only a slight rise. That crossing will become a wet crossing much of the year.

By the way, in reviewing my post I noticed that I had not sufficiently emphasized the amount of snow that is still up there. I am convinced that if there is an October snowstorm that quite a bit of that snow will last through the year. Shocking, really, to see this amount of white in September:

Really enjoyed reading this report. My first time up that trail was only a couple of years ago to sample the fly fishing, and the amount of snow remaining this time of year is surprising. Might take a packraft the next time I'm in the area -- Big McGee looked like a fun lake to explore when I was there last.