High Sierra Topix

What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 3 - Numerous backpacking trips, some x-country travel
Have backpacked in the sierra numerous times, rockies, washington, South America (patagonia/peru). Worked as a wildlife bioloigsit doing offtrail surveys using gps/compass.

What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
Class 2 terrain/pass/x-country

What is your main interest?
Big mountain scenery, remote areas

When is your trip?
First week of august

How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
8-12 miles per day, no layovers

Have you hiked in the Sierra Nevada before, if yes, where?
- Rae/60 Lakes Basin (SEKI) - 4 days solo
- MT Langely (SEKI) - 2 days
- Emmigrant Wilderness - 5 days solo
- Tahoe area - numerous peaks
- Yosemite - Mt Dana, Mt Gibbs

Hi All,
First post on HST, you guys are awesome! Looking for some info for a trip I am planning in August. I am looking to head into the Ionian basin, entering via Black Giant Pass and exiting via Goddard Creek Pass down to Martha Lake. I have been able to find good info on Goddard Creek Pass and Black Giant Pass, they both seem like relatively straight forward class 2 passes. However I am wondering if anyone has any info on traversing Ionian Basin between the two passes. I have included an image of my mapped route. I am comfortable with class 2 and easy class 3 terrain, because I will be solo I want to avoid any unecessarily difficult or dangerous terrain. Particularily concerned about the section going up the creek entering chasm lake. It looks steep on the topo and I have not been able to find any information about it. Overall thoughts on the safety and difficulty of this route/region greatly appreciated! GAIA Link:
https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.6/- ... tent%22%7D

Interestingly I’ll be starting from south lake late July and into August and doing a very similar route. I’ll be exiting at north lake via Lamarck col however. I plan to enter Ionian basin at black giant pass and exit via Wanda pass though. From what I understand it’s important to traverse that creek on its west side and stay there until you reach chasm lake (this will be my route). If you do this from my understanding it’s nothing too eventful.

Awesome, I'll be looking for your trip report if you post one. Thanks for the info!

I did this exact route, albeit in the other direction, a few years ago. Your intended route looks good. The key in the Ionian Basin is to go around the lakes on the correct side because some of them will have hidden impassible cliffs if you choose the wrong side. It looks like you've planned the correct side (or at least, the side that I used) for all the lakes.

Don't worry too much about the chute above Chasm Lake. It's narrow but easy, stable class 2. We had some difficulty becuase the bottom of the chute was filled with rotten snow that was not safe to walk on, so we had to hike more along the sides of the chute, which was less stable but not dangerous. Overall, I'd say that the chute felt no different than the other terrain in the Ionian Basin.

YMMV, but I honestly didn't enjoy the Ionian Basin that much. The whole place felt inhospitable and unfriendly, and I didn't find the stark, all-rock environment to be that pretty. I'm glad that I checked it out, but I probably won't be heading back.

Here was my route (travelled W to E) through Ionian. The only trouble I encountered was wanting to stay too low in the area just east of Goddard Creek Pass. After crossing the isthmus between the 2 lakes at !2,000+ climb to the spot I drew the X and stay high at about the 12,200' contour over to the pass.

Miles,

I got back a few days ago from a trip (TR just posted) in which my wife and I managed NOT to get into Ionian basin because of nasty snow cups. They will be gone by the time you head out, and it should be awesome. I concur with the others that your route looks like it avoids most pitfalls, but as I just experienced, the mountains always offer a few surprises. Hope it's great! Cameron

Thanks everyone for the advice! Looks like my route should be pretty good based on your info. Now I am even more stoked and confident for this adventure.

The Ionian Basin route you're planning for August looks adventurous. Black Giant Pass and Goddard Creek Pass should be manageable, both being class 2. The traverse through Ionian Basin between them can vary; typically class 2 with potential for some easy class 3 sections. The creek up to Chasm Lake might be steep but doable with your skill set. Safety-wise, solo hiking always adds an extra layer of caution, so being prepared for remote conditions is key.