High Sierra Topix

Hi, thanks in advance for all the help. I am here to ask for some advice on a future backpacking trip.

What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 1- Minimal hiking

What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
- Class 1 terrain/trail hiking
- Class 2 terrain/pass/x-country


What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Big Mountain scenery
- Photography
- Fishing is number 1


When is your trip?
August 2024

How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead?
3 days and 2 nights

How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
8-10, but I was also very interested in hiking into somewhere and setting up a base camp to do day hikes.

Have you hiked at elevation before? Any prior issues with Altitude Sickness?
Yes and no.

Do you have a route logistics preference: loop, out and back, point to point (which may require 2 vehicles or hitchhiking)?
Loop or out and back

Is there a particular area in the Sierra that your most interested in (Yosemite, SEKI, western sierra start or eastern start ect.)?
Eastern sierra higher elevation.

Have you hiked in the Sierra Nevada before, if yes, where? Please list a few of your more difficult hikes, so we can then recommend routes based on your experience level.
Yes I have been to mammoth around 8 times or so and have done a day hike on the river trail to Garnett from Agnew meadows which was around 18 miles round trip.
Will you be hiking with a dog?
No.

I have been to the sierras multiples times and have been camping multiples times but this will be my first time backpacking so I am excited but I am seeking advice. I was very interested in something like mono pass to pioneer basin from mosquito flats and checking out the lakes back there but I really want some good fishing and that is my biggest need for the trip so I wanted to check in on that as well. Thank you al!

I would certainly recommend Mono Pass to you. One day up and over the pass, and you can camp either at 4th Recess (golden/rainbow hybrids), with its wonderful waterfall, or down in the canyon by the creek, or continue up to explore Pioneer Basin. If you don't like the fishing in one place, go to another.

A second option would be Piute Pass, (where you could even camp at Golden Trout Lake) and explore that area as well, from Muriel and Goethe to Desolation Lake. And from there you could hike down into the canyon and fish Piute Creek, too.

Both good options. Both have decent fishing, and lots of room to explore. Sounds like you have more than one trip in your future!

Read the threads in the Fish Hole Topic Section.
Ed

I would second the nomination for Piute Pass with fishing options in the Humphreys Basin-Glacier Divide area.

That having been said, if fishing is no.1 (ahead of big mountain scenery etc), some of the classic Desolation Wilderness areas be they Meeks Creek or Glen Alpine, are viable too, although in August some of the lakes may not fish as well (midsummer slump for lakes of somewhat lower elevations). See also recent post on Thousand Island Lake which has everything (big mountain scenery plus fishing). Green Creek or Virginia Lakes to East Lake also offers good fishing, good alpine scenery, etc. Some of the west flank in Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness offers good backpacking and fishing prospects from highways 41 and 168 respectively although August may be suboptimal for fishing because the most storied fishing lakes are not super high elevation (most are below 10k elevation). In spite of that I will be going out of 168 (Wishon Res. area) for a 10-day trip (but headed into trailless interior Kings Canyon) in mid-late August.

Thank you for the suggestions, I really appreciate it and will keep you updated !