Loop suggestion including Feather Pass

[Matthewkphx]

I’m looking for an easy low mileage loop option that includes Feather Pass. I’ll be entering over Piute Pass in mid-July and plan to cross Humphreys Basin and descend Carol Col then go up to Merriam Lake. I was thinking about making a loop with Feather and Ruskie Passes but photos of Ruskie look too much like class 3 to me for my comfort level. Is there another easier pass in that area so I can do a quick loop?

Backup Q: maybe suggest another off-trail loop that gets me over some other passes appropriate for a noob like myself. I could stick around Humphreys Basin and go down Carol Col and then up Star Col or Steelhead Pass but doesn’t look as interesting. I’d rather get north of Merriam Lake…

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

[GGC23]

Here are some potential ideas, all of which have their pros and cons:

1) By going Carol Col --> Merriam Lake --> Feather Pass, you're on the Sierra High Route. So you could continue on the High Route by heading to White Bear Pass, then to Lake Italy, then to Italy Pass. After going through Granite Park on the east side of Italy Pass, you'll find yourself on the Pine Creek Pass trail, which will connect with the Paiute Pass trail. None of this is harder than class 2, but you did ask for a "quick loop" and this might be too long of a trip. You could also head in this same general direction but shorten things by crossing Granite Bear Pass --> Granite Park, instead of White Bear Pass.

2) Instead of heading to Feather Pass, after you get to Merriam Lake, cross the Merriam-Royce Saddle to Royce Lakes. Descend the Royce Lakes basin into French Canyon, then pick up the Pine Creek Pass trail back to the Paiute Pass trail. This is shorter than option #1, but it cuts out Feather Pass, which it seems you want to include.

3) I've heard of others crossing what the HST map calls "BeaRoyce Pass," which is on the ridge between Bearpaw and Feather Peaks, just northeast of Feather Pass. If you went over BeaRoyce Pass after Feather Pass, it would dump you into the Royce Lakes Basin, just like option #2, but you'd get to include Feather Pass. But I have never been over BeaRoyce, so while this looks good on the map, it could be a terrible idea in reality .

[Matthewkphx]

Thank you for responding.

1) My original plan was to do this but go west from Lake Italy and return via the JMT. It’s more miles than I want to do, I’m out of shape this year and want to keep the miles down. Also I’m not sure how far I will get off-trail…

2 and 3) how’s the scenery in the Royce Lakes basin?

[GGC23]

Honestly, Royce Lakes isn't my favorite place. It's kind of high and stark...lots of granite but not a ton of greenery. But it has plenty of tall, impressive peaks rising around it, so you definitely get that isolated, moonscape feeling, which is pretty fun.

[Matthewkphx]

Gotcha. It does look pretty desolate on Google Earth. I prefer my granite with some meadows and trees.

[maiathebee]

Shorter miles on cross country passes is not easier than trail walking, so if you're out of shape I'm not sure that's the right direction to go as far as trying to not get tired. There's a reason that experienced backpackers only do half as many cross country miles per day as they do trail miles. It's just harder all around.

If you're out of shape, just stick to Humphreys Basin and Puppet area. Plenty of fun to be had and nice scenery there. Go over Piute the first day then walk down the canyon to the junction and turn right up French Canyon. Go as far as you feel like it that day, then camp. This gives you an easier trail day to start and get your legs under you. The following day continue up French Canyon to the lakes in its head. It's really beautiful up there and plenty of stuff to explore. Choose a lake and camp. The next day, move camp to Puppet Lake. Swim, enjoy, hang out. The next day go up and over Puppet Pass to Desolation Lake for your last night. From the saddle of Puppet you can easily scramble up the peak to the east for good views as a side trip. Then Desolation Lake out over Piute on the last day. Save Feather Pass / Bear Lakes Basin for when you're in better shape or coming in from Pine Creek.

[SSSdave]

Feather Pass is more efficiently part of a loop out of Pine Creek not Piute Creek unless one is a hike all day what else is there backpacker. Entering via Piute Pass, there is more than enough close by to keep a person busy for two weeks. There are 6 lake basins on the north side of Glacier Divide alone. For instance Packsaddle is beautiful with few visitors. Humphreys Lakes receive some of the best unblocked sunset light in the range. The basin proper has lots of lakes to explore and or camp at though will suggest camping at about 11k north of Golden Trout Lakes to remain in timberline and meadows. Then a day down in flowery Hutchinson Meadow and loop back up the beautifully green French Canyon to its bench lakes where there is a week's worth of places to explore. Southeast L Lake is my favorite to base camp at.

[Wandering Daisy]

Did I miss something? I cannot find how many days you plan to be out. With enough days you can cover a lot of miles, even with low mileage. And what is "low mileage" for you? There is reference to you being a "newbie"? How difficult of off-trail travel are you up to. There is a LOT to see staying on trails and easy x-c without big passes.

Merrium Lake is wonderful, The upper lakes are also wonderful. I happen to really like Royce Lakes. Particularly early season when there is ice still on the lakes. I doubt this will be the case this year.

If going in Piute Pass, Muriel and Goethe are worth a visit. I like the southwest side of Humphreys Basin better than the Desolation Lake side. Humphreys Lakes are nice, but Desolation, Lower Desolation are not very scenic in my opinion.

It does not make a lot of sense to me to run over Feather Pass and not spend some time in Bear Basin. I agree with those who say you are trying to see too much in one trip. If your focus is Merrium, Bear Basin, Royce, Granite Park, then Pine Creek is a better trailhead.

Lots of trip reports you could look at here that may give you some more ideas. I would do a trip report search and start reading.

[maiathebee]

Here's a trip report from something sort of similar to what I suggested, though on this trip we went the opposite direction from what I described above. https://plutoniclove.com/2019/05/26/hum ... iute-pass/

[stevet]

Not sure what you mean by "low mileage"...are you referring to daily miles, or a total loop? How many days do you have? And as others have noted, Feather Pass without visiting Bear Lakes...please don't.

My buddy and I did a Piute Pass loop including Feather Pass, opposite direction, in 2011. We camped night one below Lamarck Col, then Evolution Lake, at the bridge upstream from Aspen Meadow, Marie Lake, VVR, Upper Mills Creek Lake, Bearpaw Lake, Puppet Lake, and then exited over Piute Pass to North Lake.

Cut out VVR (no water taxi this year) and you can make this loop in 7nights, 8 days. Cut out Lamarck Col, can do it in 6 nights.

In roughly the same time you should be able to "lollipop" it...night one at Desolation, then Merriam, over Feather to Bear Lakes, over Dancing Bear and Italy Passes to Granite Park, then to Royce Lakes, then Hutchison Meadow/French Canyon, then over Piute to North Lake.