High Sierra Topix

Hello friends.

Thanks for the feedback in my last post. I think I have a much clearer idea of what we might wanna do. I'm still weighing all the different options and I know no matter what we choose we will still end up having a blast. I have never been past Moose Lake but would like to see some of the terrain beyond the Tablelands into KCNP. That being said, one of the possible scenarios that have come up in my mind was to make a dayhike from Lake 11,200 on our 3rd day into the backpack.

Set camp at Lake 11,200 on Day 2. Rise early the next day and downclimb to Big Bird Lake via Tablelands Pass > Up Deadman Canyon > Horn Col > Pterodactyl Pass and back to Lake 11,200. We could do the same but in a counterclockwise direction.

My question is: 1.) How tricky is this and would it be easier to go clockwise or counterclockwise? 2.) Can this be done as a dayhike?

We are about level 2-3 hikers with varying degrees of off-trail experience and capable of doing 10-12 miles on a trail. But of course, hits involves quite a bit off trail travelling. I'm also a bit concerned about the downclimb (or climb up) from lake 11,200 to Big Bird Lake via Tablelands pass but this previous thread http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... ss#p112932 and lots of Google earth and satellite views later I think I have a pretty good idea of how we would manage it. Would just hate to get cliffed out and have to make a GIANT U-Turn, especially if we did the counterclockwise version

Here is planned itinerary for Day 3.
https://caltopo.com/m/MNQP

Yeah, this a doable in a day (what isn't?). There are some cliffs, just go around them.

But dropping down to Deadman and then climbing 500' back out seems a little silly, when what you actually want is probably the view from Big Bird Peak & to hang out at the lakes below. I'd probably just do two out & backs. Explore the lakes below in the morning, and then watch the sunset from Big Bird peak (because there's less mosquitoes up there!).

I haven't done the route from Lake 11200 down to Big Bird Lake, but the trail up Deadman Canyon and then cross-country over to Horn Col, Lonely Lake, Pterodactyl Pass and back to Lake 11200 is very straightforward. If I tried this loop as a day hike (which I wouldn't - too much for me), I would do the drop down to Big Bird Lake first because it is likely to be the most challenging and if you have to turn around, you still have time to go back to Lake 10200 and then over to Lonely Lake and Horn Col. However, you have mislocated Pterodactyl Pass too high on the ridge on your map. It is about 1000 feet further south on a less steep section of the ridge. Here is a map showing the routes I have done through that area.
-Phil

Wildhiker, thanks for the heads up on the location of Pterodactyl Pass. I have updated the location on Caltopo. I do agree with your call that going down from Lake 11,200 to Big Bird Lake would be the best option as far as difficulty goes (with the option to turn back) but what attracted me to the counterclockwise option is that we would be descending the longest straight line stretch from Horn Col all the way to the vicinity of Big Bird lake and could make fast miles vs slowing going up towards Horn Col. I can't know for sure but it does seem like the counterclockwise has less overall ascent than the clockwise direction. Ultimately though the decision might boil down to how easily we think we can cross Tablelands pass though I'm leaning towards the clockwise method

The mislabeling of Pterodactyl is probably my fault. I think I misidentified it in a photo in your other thread, even though I've been over it myself! Sorry!

Dropping from 11200' to Big Bird is not difficult. You move a little to the north to avoid 'cliffs'. The two lakes before BB are really pretty. In fact you can easily traverse north at 10800' (off the caltopo map above) to the long stretched out lakes without names that are quite spacious and wild feeling. (Although the descent to the canyon is easiest from BB.) Walking around BB lake is a bit tedious with brush and boulders at the west end.

Definitely doable. I haven't done that loop exactly, but others like it in the tablelands and it is possible. ymmv

Trailguru wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 11:53 pm Wildhiker, thanks for the heads up on the location of Pterodactyl Pass. I have updated the location on Caltopo.

the OpenStreetMap and/or TF Outdoors layers in Caltopo have most common cross country passes on them now and they should be near the right spot. might be useful for setting up routes like this.

The in house map here on HST is the best source IMO. It has passes marked and most are linked to posts with descriptions.

http://www.highsierratopix.com/high-sierra-map/map.php

TarpTent, which I've bought for years, and have been impressed with, (in particular the Stratospire 2), has moved some production to China. I doubt this has any negative impact on their stitching quality (perhaps even the reverse), but does diminish the value of the product in my eyes. Zpacks I believe still makes their top dollar products in the USA.