High Sierra Topix

Dear High Sierra Topix community,

Thank you for all the information you have shared on this forum. I have read through a lot of posts in preparation for an upcoming backpacking trip next month and want to express appreciation for all that you have shared.

I have a couple questions that I'd seek your opinions on.

My wife and I have planned a trip in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park for the second/third week of June (about two weeks from now) that we are excited about, but don't have a good plan B trip yet.

So I have two questions: 1) what do you think of the itinerary below for this time frame; and 2) what are your suggestions for a plan B trip, especially given snow/ice at high altitudes and any dangerous creek crossings?

Our interests/abilities/constraints:

Timing: Second/third week of June to be comprised of up to 5 full days and 2 half-days (to be split with drive time from the Bay Area). Dates are not flexible.

Interests: Being close up to big mountain scenery--whether from atop it or below it looking up. We live on the East Coast, so getting up into the Sierra is a rare treat. Definitely want to be in high (or high-ish) mountains that we can't get out east. We have never backpacked in the Sierra before, so anything would be new and exciting.

Terrain preferences/abilities: We will have one vehicle, so a loop is preferred or somewhere where a public shuttle is available. Western Sierra access is preferred to Eastern Sierra since we will be coming from the Bay Area. We would prefer to stay on-trail almost all of the time and avoid any snow/ice areas that require skills or equipment. Dry passes are fine. We are moderately fit, but haven't hiked in Western US mountains in years, so we're not too ambitious about trying to make big miles each day. No prior issues with altitude sickness.

Level of backpacking experience: a few <weeklong trips in the Colorado and Wyoming Rockies and Appalachians, almost always on-trail. A few 14er summit day hikes in Colorado.

Our planned trip:

We've put in for permits at SEKI to hike the Mineral King area High Sierra Trailhead >Bearpaw Meadow > Black Rock Pass via Redwood Meadow/Cliff Creek > Big Arroyo > Nine Lakes Basin > Bearpaw > Wolverton. The SEKI NPS website says that snow is present on the High Sierra Trail beginning at about 9,500' presently. Given our aversion to snow travel that requires skills/equipment, do you have any thoughts on what this route is likely to be like in a couple weeks? Is it preferable to do in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction? I was thinking counter clockwise to that the haul up Black Rock Pass will be uphill vs downhill (for preference of our knees).

Plan B trip:

In case it is still snowy up there in a couple weeks, I was looking at some lower altitude hikes in the Sierra. I've plotted tentative routes in the Yosemite National Park (although not sure their high points are low enough for our skills/lack of equipment).:

• - Cathedral Range loop from Tuolumne Meadows > Tuolumne Pass (~10,000') > Merced Lake > Cathedral Pass (~10,000') >Tuolumne Meadows (optional extension down Little Yosemite Valley and/or back via Pinnacles)
  
  - Mono Meadow > Illiliouette Creek > Clark Range/ Red Peak Pass (ranger says this may require snow/ice equipment)> Merced Lake > Little Yosemite Valley > Mono Meadow
  
  - Chiquito Pass > Fernandez Pass (10,200') > Isberg Pass (10,800') > Clark Range/Red Peak Pass (11,200') > Merced Pass > Chiquito Pass (seems like this might be too high?)
  
  - Also saw this loop route through Emigrant Wilderness: Emigrant Lower Loop (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail ... lower-loop), but it seems the mountain scenery is a bit less spectacular than Sequoia or Yosemite

I have seen early season recommendations for Golden Trout, Cottonwood Pass, Jennie Lakes, and Emigrant, but they seem (via brief Google image searching) to not have the big mountain views I was hoping for. I looked at Tehipite Valley too, but I think we're going to save that for another trip. But really, I know all these places are delightful.

Any thoughts/opinions are welcome.

I'll be happy to post a trip report afterward.

Thanks.

I'm planning to do the Mineral King loop (Glacier Pass > Black Rock Pass > Lost Canyon > Franklin Pass) this weekend (with crampons and ice axe for the passes). I'll let you know how it goes!

Thank you for the information, Dave and jhfowler.

Dave, I'll keep Bubb's Creek in mind. The SEKI trail conditions webpage indicated last week that Bubb's Creek was clear of snow until Junction Meadow, so good to know that it's clear up to Bullfrog and Charlotte Lakes too.

jhfowler--hope you have a great trip!

It is not just the snow, but the stream crossings. I do not think there is a bridge across Middle Fork of the Keweah if you plan to loop via Hamilton Lake. Hamilton Lake, Keweah Gap and Nine Lakes basin is definitely "big mountain" scenery. Not much "big mountain" scenery up Bubbs Creek unless you can cross and go up to Reflection Lake. This is a difficult crossing at peak flows. I think your planned route is a bit too much for five days if done from Mineral King.

Hamilton Lake is one of my favorite late June trips, but it is an in-and-out, not loop. I have made it a loop by going in to Hamilton Lake, then to Little and Big Five Lakes, return to Hamilton, x-c through Tablelands and out. Not sure you want to deal with off-trail.

Yosemite is more "big canyon" than "big mountain". But it is where you find the best clean pure granite cliffs in the Sierra. I plan to go down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne in a few days from now. I would not do Emigrant or Desolation in spite of their closeness. There generally is more snow north than south Sierra, and end of June you get into the dilemma in these areas of soggy ground and horrible mosquitoes. To avoid mosquitoes at the end of June you have to go higher.

As much as you want to go in the west side, it is not that much farther to go over Tioga Pass (very scenic) and then south on 395 to access east side areas. The drive up to Mineral King is VERY slow. Not sure it is much faster than getting to Bishop. If you can get into Minarets, you get a fine loop and very scenic mountains. But the road down to Agnew Meadows had been damaged and not sure if it will be open by the time you want to go. You would need to check on this. The Palisades are definitely "big mountains" and the east side route up NF Big Pine Creek to First-Seventh Lakes have great views. Earlier reports say the trail is dry to Second Lake. Third Lake is really scenic, and even if you have to walk on a bit of snow, the views are great. Very good camping at the outlet of Sixth Lake. Sam Mack Meadows gets you right up to the glaciers. You will likely find dry places to camp but will have to deal with walking over snow.

Bottom line, is that in late June, you cannot get into the "big mountains" without dealing with walking on snow.

Thank you, Wandering Daisy. This is very helpful.

I had also looked at Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and thought it would be a great hike, but the ranger I spoke with said that since a bridge or two is out, the trail would involve dangerous crossings. Can you hike the canyon without crossing the river? Maybe she assumed I'd need to cross since I said I'd like to go up Rodgers Canyon as well.

Csc, here's a plan B:

Courtright Reservoir (Maxson Trailhead) to Red Mountain Basin (specifically Disappointment Lake). All on well defined trails. You can dayhike to other lakes in the basin. The only significant creek crossing is Post Corral. Camp in the meadow the first night just after you cross the creek. Note: the meadow you encounter right after you cross Post Corral Creek is NOT the actual Post Corral Meadows. Also, there will probably be very little if any snow in Red Mountain Basin because it's been a drought year.

I agree with SSSDave that your planned loop is way too ambitious for 5 days, especially because you say that you are "not too ambitious about trying to make big miles each day" and have never hiked in the High Sierra before. Also, there can be dangerous snow filled chutes that you have to cross on the HST above Hamilton Lake in early season.

And in-and-out on the HST to Hamilton Lakes offers enough side-trips to fill up 5 days and definitely has big mountain scenery looking at the Great Western Divide. The park will let you change your itinerary if you have the HST permit - they just care about how many people start on each trailhead each day. If the snow is melted out on the HST above Hamilton Lake, you can even extend your in-and-out to Nine Lakes Basin to get really high. Otherwise, in the Hamilton Lakes area, you can head north to camp a night at Tamarack Lake in its cirque - you might even head part way up the Elizabeth Pass trail for views. On the way back, I would depart the HST at Mehrten Creek and take the side trail up to Mehrten Meadow and then east to camp at Alta Meadow where you have outstanding views & sunset colors on the Great Western Divide. On the way back the next day, you can take a side trip on the trail to the top of Alta Peak, and then head out over Panther Gap (great views the whole way) down to Wolverton and then down the trail to Lodgepole, where you can catch the free shuttle back to Crescent Meadow (verify with Sequoia Park that the shuttle is running by the time of your trip).

Based on the satellite view that SSSDave mentions, the John Muir Trail over Cathedral Pass will likely be snow free or just patches by mid-June. Assuming the YARTS buses are running (check http://www.yarts.com), if you can get the permit to start from Tuolumne Meadows heading south on the JMT towards Cathedral Lakes, you can do a great one-way downhill hike through a granite wonderland to Yosemite Valley, using the bus at the start or end of the hike to complete the trip. I like to park in the Valley (after getting my wilderness permit) and take the late afternoon bus back up to Tuolumne Meadows to camp the first night in the backpackers' section of the Tuolumne Campground (check with Yosemite Park that it will be open by mid-June). That helps me acclimatize since the Meadows are at 8600 foot elevation. Then you can hike on the JMT to Cathedral Lakes and Sunrise meadow, take a detour over Sunrise Pass to Sunrise Lakes and then south up and over Clouds Rest, with an amazing 360 degree view, and then back down to the JMT at the camping area at the Half Dome trail junction. From here, you can make it all the way down through Little Yosemite Valley and past the great Nevada and Vernal Falls to the Valley in a half day with plenty of time to drive home. Or, loop back on the JMT to Tuolumne Meadows to avoid the bus shuttle. Good scenic campsites are at the Cathedral Lakes, Echo Lake (just a short cross-country jaunt through meadows downhill south from Cathedral Pass), the Sunrise Lakes (I like the middle one - you drop cross-country over open slopes from the trail to camps at the outlet area), and the JMT/Half Dome trail junction (once you get over Clouds Rest). Crowded, and thus in my opinion inferior, campsites can be found at the Sunrise High Sierra Camp area and Little Yosemite Valley.

Wherever you are in the High Sierra in mid June, there will almost certainly be mosquitoes, so bring a tent with mosquito netting, clothes to cover up, repellent, and headnets!

-Phil

Very helpful suggestions, Dave, rightstar, and wildhiker. Much appreciated. I am checking out all these options.

Good idea of making the High Sierra Trail to Hamilton Lakes an out-and-back with spurs. I think this will be our new plan A. I was looking at Tamarack Lake earlier and thinking that would be a nice excursion if we had more time--but if we don't try to do the loop, then we will!

wildhiker--how many days do you take on the Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley route? I'm wondering if it would it make sense to add a couple extra days by making it a loop back via Vogelsang as an option. Or if Cathedral Lakes trail permits aren't available, then going out via Vogelsang and returning by the JMT route you described.