Trip Report - Around the Ritter Range
Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:48 pm
Late August, 2022, took a trip that ended up going around the Ritter Range, though had planned a different route. Our group was slow, and I lost a day due to a severe attack of vertigo (cured thank god by the Epley maneuver). So we changed the route.
Hiked to Thousand Island via the High Trail - my favorite route. The lake was ridiculously crowded (been there several times, but this was the record crowd). Then took off for North Glacier Pass which I have done several times. I think the easiest route is to the left. You can get higher without boulder hopping, but the upper part is a nastier traverse to the slot. This time I tried middle right and then left near the top, which I think is more annoying.
Getting around Lake Catherine is a pain. Drop down promptly and walk west along the shore. It is still unpleasant boulder hopping, but a higher line is harder and unstable. I was going to camp at one of the Ritter Lakes. If you follow the Lake Catherine outlet stream to the point it begins to drop steeply, go left into a grassy cleft. It leads over to the lakes, but there is nice camping in the grassy areas with a great view down canyon.
The next part of the high route is complicated. Stay right on the rocks as the stream descends, then move right and up onto lighter rocks as you approach the waterfall. Go most of the way up to the crest of the whiter rock, and head downstream. There are numerous ways to get down the flat bench area a few hundred feet below you. We kept dropping and then traversing right on the rock. It may be possible to head right immediately at the top of the whiter rock, and go down the drainage area on the other side, but I did not explore it. You want to get right anyway for the next leg. There is grassy slope climbing up further right, and we left the rock at its apex and down the grass to the bench. This same slope extends up into the unexplored drainage mentioned above, which led me to suspect this other route. You then head right to the steep creek that tumbles down the steep slopes in a rugged cleft, where you turn left to go down. There is probably an easier way down even further right. I could see that route further down, but not the connection over to the top of this second cleft.
The cleft with the stream is difficult. Stay left further down.
There is a great use trail (probably built by long gone prospectors - there is mining debris) that leads off to the far right from the flat area at the bottom of the cleft. It drops you off at the base of a maze of granite formations. Go up the far right and up to get to the highest grassy area, then back left to the gap where you see Lower Twin Island Lake. Go over the top of the granite knobs on your left to the stream crossing at the outlet. You cannot get there along the lake shore. I camped here. It is a magical area, with pika everywhere.
The route from here to Bench Canyon is a lot easier. The traverse from the south end of Upper Twin Island Lake over to the tarn is moderately tricky. Stay high as you will crest above the tarn and drop down to it. There is a difficult talus section just before you reach the drop off down to Bench Canyon.
We dropped down Bench Canyon on the right in a steep chute once you traverse right - my understanding is that there is also a good route on the left, but could be harder to follow. The confluence of Bench Canyon and the North Fork is gorgeous. The hike down to Hemlock Crossing on the trail is very nice. We continued from there south and eastward around the bottom end of the Ritter Range over to Granite Stairway, and then down the creek to Devils Postpile. Nearly all of the trail from Hemlock Crossing to two miles before Granite Stairway has been destroyed by fire. It is now a cross-country route. I hiked this 50 years ago when the Meadows along the route still had cattle. Some of the fences are still there, but no trail. You start seeing the trail again at the East Fork of Cargyle Creek.
The burn section was sad, and I wonder if it will ever truly recover since these lower altitudes are also drier now.
The High Route in the Upper North Fork of the San Joaquin is amazing, and something I always wanted to do. My trip 50 years ago took me to Hemlock Crossing, but then west over Isberg Pass.
Hiked to Thousand Island via the High Trail - my favorite route. The lake was ridiculously crowded (been there several times, but this was the record crowd). Then took off for North Glacier Pass which I have done several times. I think the easiest route is to the left. You can get higher without boulder hopping, but the upper part is a nastier traverse to the slot. This time I tried middle right and then left near the top, which I think is more annoying.
Getting around Lake Catherine is a pain. Drop down promptly and walk west along the shore. It is still unpleasant boulder hopping, but a higher line is harder and unstable. I was going to camp at one of the Ritter Lakes. If you follow the Lake Catherine outlet stream to the point it begins to drop steeply, go left into a grassy cleft. It leads over to the lakes, but there is nice camping in the grassy areas with a great view down canyon.
The next part of the high route is complicated. Stay right on the rocks as the stream descends, then move right and up onto lighter rocks as you approach the waterfall. Go most of the way up to the crest of the whiter rock, and head downstream. There are numerous ways to get down the flat bench area a few hundred feet below you. We kept dropping and then traversing right on the rock. It may be possible to head right immediately at the top of the whiter rock, and go down the drainage area on the other side, but I did not explore it. You want to get right anyway for the next leg. There is grassy slope climbing up further right, and we left the rock at its apex and down the grass to the bench. This same slope extends up into the unexplored drainage mentioned above, which led me to suspect this other route. You then head right to the steep creek that tumbles down the steep slopes in a rugged cleft, where you turn left to go down. There is probably an easier way down even further right. I could see that route further down, but not the connection over to the top of this second cleft.
The cleft with the stream is difficult. Stay left further down.
There is a great use trail (probably built by long gone prospectors - there is mining debris) that leads off to the far right from the flat area at the bottom of the cleft. It drops you off at the base of a maze of granite formations. Go up the far right and up to get to the highest grassy area, then back left to the gap where you see Lower Twin Island Lake. Go over the top of the granite knobs on your left to the stream crossing at the outlet. You cannot get there along the lake shore. I camped here. It is a magical area, with pika everywhere.
The route from here to Bench Canyon is a lot easier. The traverse from the south end of Upper Twin Island Lake over to the tarn is moderately tricky. Stay high as you will crest above the tarn and drop down to it. There is a difficult talus section just before you reach the drop off down to Bench Canyon.
We dropped down Bench Canyon on the right in a steep chute once you traverse right - my understanding is that there is also a good route on the left, but could be harder to follow. The confluence of Bench Canyon and the North Fork is gorgeous. The hike down to Hemlock Crossing on the trail is very nice. We continued from there south and eastward around the bottom end of the Ritter Range over to Granite Stairway, and then down the creek to Devils Postpile. Nearly all of the trail from Hemlock Crossing to two miles before Granite Stairway has been destroyed by fire. It is now a cross-country route. I hiked this 50 years ago when the Meadows along the route still had cattle. Some of the fences are still there, but no trail. You start seeing the trail again at the East Fork of Cargyle Creek.
The burn section was sad, and I wonder if it will ever truly recover since these lower altitudes are also drier now.
The High Route in the Upper North Fork of the San Joaquin is amazing, and something I always wanted to do. My trip 50 years ago took me to Hemlock Crossing, but then west over Isberg Pass.