High Sierra Topix

The realization that it would be 8 months until a possible early spring trip to the high country in 2023 motivated me to try for one more short sojourn before the weather got too cold and the nights too long. With the usual dipping and drooling through HST trip reports plus some advice from members (thanks @kpeter !) I decided on the Sabrina Basin and Lamarck Lakes.

I was pleasantly surprised by the much reduced traffic getting from home to the east side v. the nightmare of car congestion accessing my usual west side trail-heads. It was a much less frazzling drive. At times it felt like I had 395 all to myself.

Pic 1. Desert car-camp spot
With an overnight stop in the desert sleeping comfortably in the back of my car I was able to be at the Sabrina Lake trail-head by 8:30 the next morning. First up was Blue Lake, a few Emerald Lakes, then Dingleberry which was going to be my base but it was still so early I pushed on to Moonlight Lake. By early afternoon clouds were building and I wondered if this was going to be another dud forecast trip with wetness predominant instead of blue skies.

Pic 2. Clouds again
The morning dawned clear at my campsite just below Moonlight Lake – the falls were dry but there was plenty of gurgle in the outlet stream a short hop to the west. Picture peak loomed with Hungry Packer Lake just below it which was my first stop on the day’s exploration loop.

Pic 3. Picture Peak
Pic 4. Hungry Packer Lake
Pic 5. Hungry Packer Lake
I then traipsed over the ridge past Moonlight to Echo Lake nestled up against the main Sierra crest and Clyde Spires. Finding flat ground for a tent sure looked to be a challenge at Echo.

Pic 6. Moonlight Lake
Pic 7. Echo Lake
On the way back I mildly scouted in vain for any camping spots around Moonlight Lake and came up rocks. Apparently there are some places but as good as zero compared to the plethora of choices along the outlet creek heading down to Sailor Lake and Topsy Turvy. After a forage around those two lakes I headed up to Midnight Lake, then back to camp as the wind was picking up.

Having covered far more ground than I thought I would this soon into the trip and not being overwhelmed so far I decided to head back the next day and explore the Lamarck Lakes and maybe even try for Lamarck Col.

It was another long and windy night in the tent from 7:00 pm to sunrise around 7:00 am. I was on the trail just after 8:00 and soon ran into hikers and a startling number of dogs. Apart from one very large group – who I suspect took up the full 15 reserved permits quota, there were 7 hikers with dogs out of maybe 10 overall. Only 3 were leashed (two pit bulls on ropes fit to tie up a ship) but none barked at me and the owners were all very considerate. This is more dogs than I have seen in all my west side backpacking trips combined, so I guess it is a “thing” east side and the thread on this in the Topix Campfire section made a lot more sense.

The Piute Crags are an impressive sight with their angled light and shadow plays, and the start of fall colours added zest to the hike down to Sabrina.

Pic 8. Piute Crags
Pic 9. Fall colours starting
Getting up to the Lamarck Lakes was a bit of an uphill slog after the 2,000 ft. prior elevation drop to Sabrina, but the terrain felt more remote and to my liking. The skies were finally clearing though once again the wind picked up mid-afternoon and made cooking supper at my campsite above Upper Lamarck Lake too tedious to consider.

Pic. 10 Upper Lamarck Lake
Another looooooooong night, with plenty of time to fuzz through mindless hours spilling over trivia - like the names of passes for instance.
The “Foot” passes. I mean really. Did Lucy and Millie hop over those crazy ridges on one foot??? In my imagination I see a blonde Lucy and dark Millie each with a single big Donald Duck foot hopping up cliff faces from rock to rock, quacking with delight at each completed skip.
And what about “Pyra Queen”! Now there’s a name to kindle visions in the night. A fiery Norse-like goddess with a crown of sparks, hurling flaming javelins at Pterodactyls that dare to intrude from their roost to the west.
I won’t even tell you what “Snow Tongue” conjures up!
More to the point though “Lamarck Col” had gripped my imagination as has been mentioned so many times here on Topix. It had taken on an almost mythical significance and even a generated one of my ‘trail dwaal’ ditties:

It’s breathtakingly stark
not too bad of a lark
but best do Lamarck
before it gets dark
or it may leave its mark
by putting you in Park.

A bright blue morning saw me heading off to see the Col for myself, but with just a day-pack as making a few days of it by going over to camp on the exposed Darwin Bench was a bit more than I was up to for this trip.

I was surprised at how well used the trail to the pass was but the terrain was indeed breathtakingly stark. Very beautiful with its wilder and wider expanses.

Pic 11. Looking east on Lamarck Col trail
Pic 12. Breathtakingly stark

CONTINUED BELOW:

CONTINUED:


Pic 13. Last scramble to the Col
Pic 14. Lamarck Col circa 12,900 ft.
Pic 15. View west from the Col – Darwin Canyon
Pic 16. View east from the Col – no more glacier
I was glad I had not slogged up there with my full pack and gear as Darwin Canyon sure looked like it lives up to its reputation as a boulder and talus field. Getting to the Bench where I presumed there were more campsites would have taken some time and the wind was still active up on the crest.

The Col is a great day-hike but dry as a bone. No water in that tarn at the top, which supposedly even had a small glacier in the not too distant past when John Muir was around…AND WHO LIVES TODAY!!!
I swear, a short ways back down I just about choked when I met a grizzled old guy who looked the epitome of an ancient John Muir. A brillo brush beard of solid white. Totally weather beaten visage and hands. An ancient small duffle-sack over one shoulder with a funky thin blanket bedroll dangling from the end of it. His shoes, well, past century in a floppy style of beaten up material (leather flaps???) I could not fathom being of use. Really…a true vision, so bizarre I was speechless and had to keep turning around to see if my ‘trail dwaaling’ had careened off into psychosis. Indeed, he slowly trundled off into the west, no doubt heading over the Col into God’s Country.

Pic. 17. Lower Lamarck Lake
Pic. 18.
Lamarck Col was definitely the highlight of my trip and it reminded me that I like the less travelled areas, but not if too inaccessible. I need more and more trail time to acclimate these days so the “tough nuts” places may have to wait until next lifetime. Meanwhile there is a looooooooong fall, winter and spring to get through before next year’s ventures can take shape. Lots of planning and ditty time!

Best ~ Michaelzim

Looks like a great way to wind up the hiking season, thanks for sharing

Great report. I love the fall foliage pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Some lovely photos. Such a shame the Moonlight Falls were dry--I've never seen it without the water, and can't really imagine the place without. I love that ridge between Moonlight and Hungry Packer, and you got your fair share of nice images there. Love the color of Moonlight. Nice to get another view of the Lamarcks, which are moving up my bucket list.

Some very nice pics of a place I have been to a lot. Thank you for sharing the TR.

Texan

I don't recall ever seeing a picture of Lamarck Col without the snowfield, thanks for the TR.

Michael,

I'm seconding freestone: the dearth of snow in any of your photos is remarkable. In spite of that, the lakes still look pretty healthy, so maybe the monsoonal moisture this summer helped. Let's see what this winter brings, besides musings about norse goddesses and Millie and Lucy (yes, they had to be superhuman to have hopped those ridges).Cameron

What a nice "double backpack" to wrap up your High Sierra season! I love your musing about pass names, too, especially Pyra Queen. Fun. Best wishes for pleasant off season daydreaming (about next year).

Hey Michael, looks like you're having another stellar summer season. Congratulations on getting into such beautiful and rugged places.

We really enjoyed your photos per usual, and your creative writing is a delight! I have two ideas about the John Muir lookalike. Might it be that Muir has such appeal to our mountaineering society, that some cultivate a Muir-esque look and style, if only subconsciously? Our hiking partner Carleton is a great naturalist, and also happens to look a bit Muirish. I've met quite a few snowy bearded backpackers out there too, though none with Muir period appropriate gear. My second idea is that you either met Daniel Arnold-- the auther of Early Days in the Range of Light, who experiments with early period gear, or someone inspired by him to try it too. I used to always use pretty out of date gear myself, ie, wool shirts and sweaters, and frame packs, but it sounds like your Muir apparition guy went a lot farther back than that. Cool meeting.

p.s. We out at the same time, and also were blasted by the wind! 40-50 knots!