High Sierra Topix

Hi,

I’m thinking about attempting Haeckel Col in late July. My hiking partner and I have little off-trail experience but we’ve got solid navigational skills and conservative judgement. We know Sabrina Basin and Evolution Valley and would like to connect the two. We will have the time to take it slow and plan to camp near Midnight Lake the night before so we can get up and over the Col early in the day.

I’m seeking opinions about whether this is a bad idea for a couple off-trail noobs like us.

I’ve carefully printed the directions and photos from the threads describing the approach and descent here. It doesn’t look particularly difficult.

We will be traveling light with total pack weights around 20 pounds each.

My experience leaving Sabrina basin over Haeckel Col was a little rough. Cold winds were raging and perhaps distracting but the talus/scree at the very top of the descent was unusually mobile. My partner got a little bloodied. On the plus side Fiske bowl at 11450' is a particularly excellent campspot. I'd say your low pack weight gives you an advantage dancing on the rocks. For me, the destination is worth it.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I sometimes bring really thin full finger goatskin gloves as the ultimate in mosquito protection (I don’t like DEET OR Picaridin on my skin). It sounds like those might be a good item to bring as hand protection for that talus/scree.

I haven't been there myself, but in the Cross Country Passes section of this website there's a good detailed write-up of Haeckel Col, with pictures and a video. Also the link provided right after the video link is helpful.

http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... =31&t=9225

Haeckel Col is not for off trail backpacking newbies given the degree of difficulty. There is certainly class 3 at the top even with the very best route finding and being off just a hair will make the 3rd class more difficult (and add more of it). I think I missed the perfect route (or maybe I didn't) and had fairly athletic class 3 moves on both sides of the crest (but the east side move was harder).

That’s not the answer I was hoping to hear but I’m glad you shared it. Thank you.

I will echo Giant Brookie's assessment. Just in case you needed an added opinion.

Like I said earlier: this is not the answer I was looking for but I’m grateful to you for sharing it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I can get a walk up permit for Piute Pass when I get to Bishop in July. If that doesn’t work out then we can work on our off-trail skills in Sabrina Basin. Thanks!

Hi Matthew,

I am looking at Haeckel Col for a trip this August. Did you end up going in 2018 and if so, how did it work out?

Thanks,
Rick

Hey Rick, I did not go into Sabrina Basin in 2018 or 2019. I still want to try this route out and would be very interested to hear about your experience if you head up that way this summer. Stay safe and have a good summer!