High Sierra Topix

Hi Guys - Been lurking for a bit over the years, and wanted to post a TR (and hopefully many more to come).

First day's hike in was a drive to the end of the 4x4 short route 31E301 (by the way, Tom Harrison has a lot of these roads labeled differently from the Forest Service). Took us about 2 hrs from the start of the road to Coyote Flat in Bishop - nice mix of open gravel roads, massive erosion, and 10" pointy boulders to keep us on our toes. Eventually, the road fades out at the northeastern edge of Green Lake just below the Hunchback. The last section before this is forested with some up and down, but there weren't any snow patches like I've seen in past reports, and this was first week of July.


You can faintly see the steep trail down to Green Lake

After a calm night (I would have a tent stake blown out the next night for the first time in my life), we hit Cloudripper. The hike is straightforward - we headed for the plateau above Green Lake, crossing the trail from Green Lake to N. Fork Big Pine Creek. After the first plateau, another similar climb follows to the saddle north of Vagabond, crossing west of Vagabond Peak, and down into a saddle below Cloudripper. The hike up from here is easy Class 2, but the last few feet before the summit block required Class 3.


Thunder and Lightning Lake from the way up to Vagabond


The first plateau with the saddle north of Vagabond Peak up top


The saddle between Vagabond and Cloudripper


Summit Block


View from the top. Awesome perspective on Palisade Glacier and Temple Crag.


View to the west - Ruwau & Long Lake. Margaret Lake perched above.

Looking forward to seeing this area again later this year, with a trip planned through Bishop Pass, looping back around to Green Lake... fire gods willing. Thanks to all for the content on HST, happy to be participating.

Cool report and great photos -- thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the report and pictures. Beautiful views from up that high.

Impressive trip with nice clear skies. Thanks for posting.

Gone to Green Lake many times via South Lake TH but didn't know a 4X4 road was so close. Thanks for sharing the TR.

Texan

BigTubs, are there any reasonable camping sites (trees, water access) near that southern terminus of 31E301?

That's definitely one of the areas that seldom shows up on HST posts, so thanks for covering some new turf. I had done a short trip to Thunder and Lightning years ago and the most dramatic recollection is that it produced some of the most impressive echo phenomena of anywhere I've been in the Sierra (and I only indulge in areas where I'm pretty sure I'm not destroying the tranquility for others). Thanks for a delightful report! Cameron

ironmike wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:25 pm BigTubs, are there any reasonable camping sites (trees, water access) near that southern terminus of 31E301?

Ironmike, not really.... That whole area is super exposed and the only nearby water source is Green Lake. There's a few stands of I think whitebark pine krummholz-style, the biggest of which is on the west side of where the road ends, overlooking the lake; there was a group camped there, but it looked like a decent windbreak. There's another much smaller stand up the hill a bit on the east side where it at least gets taller than tent height, but there's only a flat spot enough for a single tent.

cgundersen wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:38 am That's definitely one of the areas that seldom shows up on HST posts, so thanks for covering some new turf. I had done a short trip to Thunder and Lightning years ago and the most dramatic recollection is that it produced some of the most impressive echo phenomena of anywhere I've been in the Sierra (and I only indulge in areas where I'm pretty sure I'm not destroying the tranquility for others). Thanks for a delightful report! Cameron

Thanks Cameron, I love a good echo! My buddy from this trip and I were at Echo Lake in Yosemite last year and it definitely lived up to the name, although I'm sure we disturbed a few folks.

Cool you got to Thunder and Lightning, we didn't see anyone down there on our hike. I'm hoping to stop by in September on a Bishop Pass loop.