High Sierra Topix

I was looking for an area without bear can requirements, so that I could travel extra light for a short trip. I have done a fair number of trips in the Emigrant Wilderness, and had not been into the Mokelumne Wilderness for a long time, so I started looking at the map and realized that off to the west of Kirkwood there was an area I had not only never been to but never even looked at on the map. So, I decided to go there. The trailhead I picked was Allen Camp trailhead near the south end of Silver Lake. I drove up the night before so that I’d have a night sleeping at some altitude, and slept in my van at the trailhead parking. There were no other vehicles at the trailhead, either when I arrived at night or in the morning when I got up and started walking at around 6:40. The trail for the first few miles is open to motorcycles as well as hikers, horses and cyclists, but I saw none of the above as I made my way uphill through a thick forest of mostly Red Firs. There were some snow patches almost immediately but nothing of significance until after the first junction with the Granite Lake Trail. Right near that junction was a nice granite outcrop with views of Silver Lake, Thunder Mtn, and the Crystal range in the distance, and I stopped there for breakfast. Weather was perfect, blue sky and mild temperatures. A few hours later, I stopped for my second lunch (I call it that, I like to stop late morning for half my lunch and then a couple hours later for the second half) at Cole Creek Lakes. There was some snow in patches around the lake. With plenty of good “slab beach” rocks, I would say that in August when the weather and the water have both warmed up, it should be great swimming, and it looked like some decent campsites could be found. As a lunch spot it was great and I gave my feet a short round of cryotherapy – very refreshing. After reading for a while I started off again, making my way back to the main trail by way of the tiny third lake. At the junction with the trail to Long Lake, I veered off to the southwest. My intention was to shortcut through a saddle that has a couple little lakes in it, west of the rise that has Munson Meadow on its top, and thus avoid the up and down I would have if I stayed on the trail to Munson Meadow and turned there onto the Tanglefoot Trail. If all went well I was hoping to get to Mokelumne Peak to next day, via the tanglefoot trail and some XC. Though already I was wondering, because following these trails given their condition and the amount of snow was more like XC than trail walking, and sometimes slower. At any rate, I did my best to follow a contour from the junction I had left, and in many ways this was easier than trying to follow the trail I had been on. The undergrowth in the forest was not bad, and the sidehill not steep, so I just picked a rock and aimed for it, then picked another, etc. Soon I reached the very gentle saddle and the little lakes – whether I would call these little lakes or big ponds I’m not sure , but pretty either way. In a week or two these will be mosquito hell I am sure; and then after the bugs die down they would make a nice shady retreat from the heat, with plenty of flat areas to camp, and almost certain privacy, as I doubt many folks pass this way. But – as I was leaving the pond/lakes, I saw two ducks – of the trail marker variety – so somebody comes here sometimes. And in fact, on some maps there is a trail that talks a route something like the one I took, starting precisely where I started, and either tying into the Tanglefoot trail, or supplanting it – depending on which map you look at. Though there is no sign of it at back at that junction. Regardless, I did not attempt to follow those ducks, instead just aiming due south with the expectation of crossing the Tanglefoot trail and getting onto it. Now usually, when I know I am going to cross a trail at roughly right angles, I can find it pretty easily if I pay attention. This did not turn out that way. Making things less clear is the fact that I crossed several creeks, one quite substantial, that are not shown on the map, so there is no indication of where the trail may be in relation to those creeks. So kept my eyes peeled and went slowly forward, and after crossing the largest stream the shape of the land began to look wrong for where the trail was supposed to according to the map, so I turned around and tried again the opposite direction for a while, thinking I must have crossed it somehow. Well, eventually I did find the trail – or rather, I found signs of it. A blaze here, a cut log there, even some faint bits of tread, and one tree with blaze on one side and an arrow carved in the other. But nothing continuous. I thought I had it for sure when I found the arrow, but after searching fruitlessly for any sign of the trail in the direction that the arrow pointed, and finding nothing within a hundred feet in any direction, it became clear to me that following the Tanglefoot trail such as it is, would be more work than just going XC to get where it goes – and that would take more time and energy than I was willing to put in this weekend. As it was around dinnertime by this time, I sat down to eat dinner, and then found a nice flat spot for my bedroom. The roaring creek helped lull me to sleep.

Arising fairly early the next morning, I decided to visiting a number of the lakes in the area instead of trying a forced march to and from Mokelumne Peak. My first step would be to get up to Munson Meadow and get back on that trail. Eschewing any attempt to find and follow the Tanglefoot which supposedly goes there, I just took off up the hill, which was easier, despite some manzanita bashing, than trying to follow the elusive trail. I stopped for breakfast most of the way up the hill, with a nice view of the Peak. After breakfast, I strolled on up the hill and made contact with the Munson Meadow trail. Turning right I followed it for a bit and came the eponymous Meadow. Which was rather underwhelming, particularly since it had just recently melted off and so was more of a bog than a meadow. A rather weathered signpost indicated “Camp Irene 4” in one direction – straight ahead – and off to the right, ”Moraine Lake 8”. The elusive Tanglefoot trail in all its glory. Even here it did not look like much. No sign of any tread, and a tree down across it just 20 feet or so from the start. I walked to that log and saw absolutely no sign of a trail beyond it, and felt like I had made the right move in giving up on that trail. Next I headed back the way I had come, following the faint rail, and encountering numerous downed trees. In one area, there were four or five big trees completely uprooted, and all blown down in the same direction – that must have been one heck of a storm. Of course, in the same area there were other trees blown down in the opposite direction, so that at one point there was a three foot diameter trunk down across the trail from either direction. If a trail crew ever gets in here, I think it will be a matter of re-routing rather than cutting these whoppers.
Before too long I was back in familiar territory, at the junction with the trail to Long Lake. I had though of having my fisr lunch there, but on inspection it did not attract, so I retraced my steps the main trail, and soon found a nice dry shady spot for my first lunch. After that break I continued along the trail to the junction with the trail to Black Rock Lake. This trail was very faint but had pretty good ducks, so I was able to follow it without too much trouble, and reached the creek crossing where a shallow wade took me across. From there, more good ducks got me up to Black Rock Lake – quite nice, with granite slabs above one one side and a meadow running up from one end. I stopped here for my second Lunch. After lunch I headed off XC towards Beebe Lake , starting off up the slabs from where I had nice views of Mokelumne Peak – and soon discovered the best marked route I had been on the whole time, here where the map showed no trail at all. But it was a pretty obvious route, given the terrain and the destination, I found it going just the way I was taking. Not that it was absolutely clear the whole way, but any time It faded out, I soon found myself passing another duck without looking for them. Beebe Lake turned out to be the nicest lake I had been to, looked like once the snow was gone there would be plenty of good campsites, lots of nice kitchen rocks. The lake still had a fair amount of ice on it, but that looked like it would go fast. I lounged and read, I had dinner, I lounged and read some more, then found a flat spot and off to bed

I was up and going a little before 6. In theory there is a trail to Beebe Lake from the jeep trail on the main ridge. I found some ducks near the lake, but then there is a big meadow and that was almost completely snow covered, so I just headed where I knew I wanted to go, aiming for a little saddle in the ridge on he west side of the valley, and from the saddle I went up the ridge (not the route of the trail) towards the knob that is due south of Devil’s Hole Lake. I stopped for breakfast once I got into the sun above the saddle. Once again, nearly perfect weather. After breakfast I wandered up the rounded ridge through Lodgepoles and some red firs, with patchy snow, and soon I was at the top of the knob and back to views of Thunder Mountain and Thimble Peak. From here it was mostly retracing my steps back to the trailhead. I stopped once again where I had breakfast the first day near the junction with the Granite Lake trail. And here, just before the junction with the Granite Lake trail, I saw tracks. It looked like someone came just a short distance past that junction, saw the extent of the snow, and turned around. Looked like a couple of people. Could have been that morning (it was around 11 at this point) or the day before. But I did not see anyone, and my van was still the only vehicle at the trailhead.
All in all, a very pleasant weekend, and I had the entire area to myself. It looked to me as if the last visitors to any part of the area I covered had been on snowmobiles earlier in the spring. It was fun to visit a new area and discover some nice spots that look like they do not get a lot of visitors. I think if I came back in here I might just ignore the trails, and go where I felt like going. They would be somewhat easier to follow without the snow, but most of the terrain and vegetation is conducive to off trail travel and I always find searching for signs of a faint trail less enjoyable than navigating without one.
I had almost no bug issues – there were some around, but until the last evening none tried to bite – and then only a few. But I expect it will get bad soon, given all the water everywhere from the snowmelt.

Interesting trip route. I was surprised that a lake (Beebee Lake?) was still partially frozen. I poked around all that area early season many years ago, ending up dropping down from Beebee Lake to the Summit Creek Trail but could not get to the Mokulumne River because I could not cross a high running side stream. I think I camped at Beebee Lake. I may have come up Horse Canyon trail. I almost had forgotten all about that trip! Your trip report reminded me. The trails were not well maintained even back then. There are also some nice day-hikes from the ridge west of Silver Lake -lots of low angle granite slabs. I do not think many people use this area.

We've been doing traio work in that area over the past few years. I know there's another crew going into Munson Meadow this year, too. We chip away at things, bit by bit, but as you note, there is a ton of work to be done, and not a lot of people doing it.

It is a great area if you like to get into the Sierra and not see many people!

It is beautiful country. I have the feeling that more folks used to go there, but not so much anymore. I think that is the case in many areas in the Sierra, apart from the most popular routes. Seems like use is much more concentrated now where thiry or forty years ago folks were more spread out, more exploring and less following the crowd.

Thanks for this nice report. I did a backpack trip into this same area with my wife and son from July 5-7 back in 1996. We did a similar route to yours, without the diversion towards Mokelumne Peak. We also had some snow patches - enough to keep the jeeps off the jeep trail - but probably not as much as shown in your photos. All the trails on the map were easily followed then. We also went up to Beebe Lake cross-country and camped there. Some of the worst mosquitoes we have seen! My wife and son refused to get out of the tent and I had to cook dinner in the swarm. This is before I had the sense to buy and bring a headnet. And we saw no one else on our trip.
-Phil

Phil - I can easily imagine that when the bugs are bad in there, they would be really bad. I think the time to go would be in late August after the skeeter peak, and when the lakes were at their most swimmable.