High Sierra Topix

Emigrant Loop from Kennedy Meadows
September10-16, 2024 (7 days, 56.2 miles)

I was packed, had a Rush Creek permit and ready to leave the next morning for an 8-day loop including Thousand Island, Garnet, Davis, Marie, Lost and Alger Lakes. Last minute in the evening, I found recent reviews of hikes from Rush Creek. They were not encouraging. No water until far end of the lake, construction on the dam, blazing hot trail with little shade. The weather report was the last straw. In spite of a hot hike from the trailhead, the forecast for higher elevations was daytime highs barley reaching 50, below freezing night temperatures, gusty winds and obscene wind-chills. I went to bed agonized about doing this trip or not. I had a backup plan and map packets for an 8-day loop in Emigrant Wilderness, not my first choice but the forecast cold and windy weather would be moderated by lower elevations. The sunk cost of an unused permit was balanced by saving gas due to the shorter drive.

By morning I leaned towards Emigrant. It would take less than ten minutes to stop at Pinecrest for a free permit- no quotas, no reservations needed. I was now one of those irresponsible backpackers who fail to cancel or show up for their permitted trip. I was disappointed; the Rush Creek loop was spectacular. Having been in Emigrant in July the 8-day route was ridiculously over-ambitious in order not to repeat miles I walked in July. “The Plan” was: Lewis Lakes, Buck Lakes, off-trail down Cherry Creek to Lord Meadow and back up to Huckleberry Lake, off-trail to Peninsula Lake, Twin Lakes to Snow Lake and out over Big Sam and down Kennedy Creek, Kennedy Lake and out. I even toyed with going out to Sonora Pass and hitching back to my car. Surprisingly, the route I actually did was about the same total miles, but done in 7 days.

Day1. 9/10: Parking Lot to Lewis Creek plus drive
(7.1 miles, 5.2 hours, 2775 feet elevation gain, 805 feet loss)

I left town by 7:30AM and ran into what must have been an antique car convention and was stuck behind several of them ambling down the road at 40mph with nearly 20 cars backed up behind. Hwy49 was so busy that nobody could pass and the damned old cars never pulled over. Then I got stuck in construction into Sonora. Once past all the crowds, the highway nearly emptied. I quickly got a permit and was told that Summit Creek was flowing and fortunately it was the 2-week window between bow and rifle hunting seasons.

At 11:30 AM I was walking down the road the annoying half mile to reach Kennedy Meadows resort and another more than half mile dusty dirt road to the Wilderness Boundary. It was not has hot as the July trip but I still worked up quite a sweat. Water sources were limited, first being Grouse Creek where I refilled my water bottle, no treatment needed. The next option to camp where there was water was the Lewis Creek confluence at Summit Creek. I decided to go for it but it was quite agonizing. I set up at the first (illegal) campsite I came to, gathered water and popped in treatment tabs. After setting up and dinner, I ambled up the trail and realized that I was a bit short of where I had planned to camp. I saw a tent in the distance but no occupant.

I suspected that leg cramps would plague me, since foot cramps only 45 minutes from home forced me stop and walk around in a parking lot so I could drive. Now it was near dark and I was doing stretches avoiding getting in the tent. Although it was a relief to lie down, within a few minutes cramps started in my feet and progressed up my legs to the point I was screaming. Good thing nobody was near. Medical people say cramps are harmless even if painful. I was not going to die, but at one point I wished I would! After their usual time lapse, things calmed down. I had been through this many times. My pack was fairly heavy and I pushed it too hard. At this point the idea of going up to Lewis Lakes the next day was out the window; my pack simply was too heavy. I would reverse the loop and hope to pick up Lewis Lakes on the way back.



Day2. 9/11: Lewis Creek to west shore of Emigrant Lake
(7.7 miles, 5.8 hours, 1600 feet elevation gain/ 1085 feet loss)

I awoke refreshed as if nothing bad had happened. “Revised Plan1” included dropping a location or two and going directly to Emigrant Lake where I would have several options. I continued up Summit Creek. It was eerily empty, the wind whistled, the landscape was subtle pastels and Lunch Meadow was golden, not vivid green. Summit Creek was barely flowing. Shortly after I crossed the trickle of Summit Creek to get on the trail to Mosquito pass, two fellows were coming down. Later another fellow was going out. People leaving added to the sense of emptiness. In the past I had walked the Mosquito Pass Trail early season with miserable post-hole conditions. I really enjoyed it now, dry, pleasantly breezy, and all those wonderful granite slabs and cliffs. There is even a nice little lake on the extensive flat on top.

Once to Emigrant Lake the inlet was bone dry and lake access well down the trail on the north side. Three tents (the last people I would see for four days) occupied the feasible campsites near water. There were no legal campsites along the norths shore as I eventually reached the west side. Emigrant Lake is long! Reaching the other side there was only an overused horse camp. So down the shore I went (not easy with complex terrain) towards the outlet, getting dead-ended several times. After much ado and wasted time, I found a campsite up on a hill. Most campsites were on the shore and illegal.

First order of business was collecting water, popping in treatment tabs, and solar warming it to save on gas since I only had a medium gas can for eight days. Then back to the lake for a wonderful bucket bath. The water was amazingly warm. I was too tired to fish and wanted to eat up the food that was stuffed in the bear can. It was a lovely evening, relaxing and NO cramps!

Day3. 9/12: Emigrant Lake to Letora Lake
(7.1 miles, about 5.8 hours, 925 feet gain/ 1380 feet loss)


I had come so far that it made little sense to go back nearly 2 miles to the inlet. Well, “Revised Plan 2”! I would get back on the original counter-clockwise route as if I had dropped down from Lewis Lakes. It took 20 minutes to return to the trail now that I knew how to do it. The trail dropped, crossed and followed the mostly dry Meadow Creek to upper Buck Lake. Just before the lake, there was a fence with an impossible gate. I took off my pack and carefully shoved it though the wires then rolled under. This was not the only horrible gate I would have to deal with. It was too early to stop at Buck Lakes, although they are a favorite location of mine.

I stopped for a snack and photos at Lower Buck Lake, where I would have camped if on my original route.
The trail which continues to the Wood Lake junction has been recently maintained and easy to follow with plenty of obvious cairns. Thanks to whoever did all that! Curse on whoever put up another horrible impossible to open gate that I had to again squeeze through. I heard voices behind me but never saw the people.






The trail down to Cow Meadow Lake looked like it had recently been washed out in several places, but thankfully was repaired and cairned. The plan was to camp at Cow Meadow Lake, fish, then either day-hike the North Fork of Cherry Creek Canyon the next day, or backpack down to the upper end of Lord Meadow. I was envisioning big granite walls; instead it looked like a tree-choked canyon. The bigger issue was the unknown difficulty and hot lower elevations. The North Fork of Cherry Creek really deserved more time to enjoy or struggle with difficulties. Actually camping in the canyon was really what I wanted to do. While eating lunch at Cow Meadow Lake, I changed gears to “Revised Plan3”. I would camp at Letora Lake and tomorrow go via the trail to Huckleberry Lake where I could then see if I was up to finding a tough off-trail route that I had looked at on Google Earth that went to Fern, Peninsula and Big Island Lakes.

The trail continued up with plenty of nice shade and a fresh breeze, and I made it to Latora Lake in an hour. I headed for the east side of the little bay mid-southeast shore where I camped before on the west side. Terrain is complex and I became rim rocked and had to backtrack a few times. After nearly an hour I arrived and found a great campsite. The tent set on the plush but dirty forest floor, with a godsend adjacent long rock to be my clean table for gear. I then walked down a sloping slab to the lake, bathed and washed clothes. Fishing for a short time was a bust; not a bite.

Getting photos was more productive. I walked nearly all the way to the east end of the lake with its complex bays and peninsulas. Back at camp I cooked dinner in the shelter of the long rock slab, watching ducks land on the lake. Sunset photos ended a very nice day. I put the rod away just as the sun went down and for a brief 10 minutes it was a fish feeding frenzy. At first I thought it was just bugs on the water. But the next morning there was an exactly same feeding frenzy at dawn. The very same phenomena happened two years ago on this same bay, but I then watched it from the opposite side. Even if I had fished, I doubt I could have caught anything since all the activity was well out of my reach of casting.

Day4. 9/13: Letora Lake to Lower Twin Lake
(7.6 miles, 6.9 hours, 1545 feet gain, 1225 feet loss)

I was up early to witness a dawn fish feeding frenzy that also lasted only about 10 minutes, before dead calm. After a few morning reflection photos, I packed up and left and reached the trial in 20 minutes. The trail down to Huckleberry Lake has also been significantly maintained since I was here a few years ago. It is a cleaver, unique, beautiful trail; not obvious at all. Again I was thankful for all the new cairns that marked the trail. Just short of Huckleberry Lake inlet I ran into another horrible gate but managed to open and close it.

The “plan” was to check out a route from the east side of Huckleberry Lake up to an unnamed lake on a flat gap and then down to Fern Lake. I had a great view from the trail while above Huckleberry Lake. It looked pretty vegetated. Although it likely would work, it also could end up a dead-end. I had come down an alternative route in 2008 but it started below the outlet from Huckleberry Lake. There was little point in even going up if I could not reach Peninsula Lake to camp with enough time to day-hiked to the upper lakes. Another rock in the gears of the plan was the latest In-Reach weather forecast- a good chance of ugly weather before the trip ended. I may need to bail out early.

So now it was “Revised Plan4”; take the trail to Lower Twin Lake. I had recently been on the trail up the East Fork of Cherry Creek and knew it was easy, well maintained and would be quick. As for the trail up to Twin Lake; that was an unknown. If the weather forecast changed more favorable, I could day-hike to Peninsula Lake from Lower Twin Lake by a route that was reasonable when I did it in 2008. (I cannot confirm if the photos below are sunset or sunrise)



At first there was not a sound walking up the bone dry East Fork. Then gurgling could be heard as the trail went through what appeared to be springs from the hillside and grasses became green and the trail wet. The forest all along the trail was healthy with a variety of trees. Several deer crashed through the vegetation. The opposite wall was impressive as was Sachse Monument. Nearing the Twin Lakes junction the trail crosses the creek twice, each time it was so low that I could just step on rocks. Last time I was here I had to wade across.
The trail to Twin Lakes turned out to have plenty of new cairns, but not much maintenance. It was hideously steep in places. I followed the cairns as well as weathered horse poop, regardless of map location. A few times I was a bit worried if this trail actually went to Twin Lake. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached Twin Lake in an hour. I now was in Yosemite NP at the head of Kendrick Creek.

In 2008 I easily followed the trail on the map to Lower Twin Lakes, then a use-trail to the outlet, and off-trail to camp at Peninsula Lake. Well, there is no longer a trail to Lower Twin Lakes. I took a horrible route following rogue cairns that lead to numerous dead ends. After much agony I reached the inlet and found a nice camp. After setting up I searched for any trail that would get me to the outlet if I were to day-hike the next day. It was a mess of downed trees, huge rocks, dead ends. I fished for a bit and even that was very difficult to get around. For the moment, I gave up on fishing and poked around the inlet finding all sorts of little ponds, interesting huge rocks and huge downed tree trunks.

To save on fuel, I had spent the entire afternoon solar heating water in my cook pot and moving it regularly into sunshine as the tree shade moved. Just as I was carrying the pot to the cook site, I tripped over a dead log, landed luckily in soft duff, but the pot flew out of my hands, spilling water all over the tent. So much for saving fuel; I now had a cold drink with dinner. Being skunked at fishing may have been a blessing since cooking the fish uses more fuel. Water would now have to be heated from the cold lake water.

I went into the tent early. Again checking the In-Reach weather forecast, which now predicted gale force winds and 70% chance snow on Monday. This was the death nail in the plan to day-hike to Peninsula Lake. “Revised Plan5” became a bail-out plan. The only question was which way to bail after I reached Bigelow Lake. After calculating miles and elevation gains, it appeared that heading out via Snow Lake and Brown Bear Pass was the best option. If the weather report cleared up I could keep the original plan to go over Big Sam and down to Kennedy Lake. In spite of this worry and the wind howling in the trees it was pretty calm at my tent. Overall, it was a nice day.

Day5. 9/14: Lower Twin Lake to Bigelow Lake + wrong pass boondoggle
(6.1 miles, 5.6 hours, 1490 feet gain/ 570 feet loss)

The goal for this day was to minimally get to Snow Lake and ideally, the lake in Grizzly Meadow or High Emigrant Lake if weather was good. I left about 8:30AM and bumped into a rusted old typical metal sign used by Yosemite near the inlet to the Lower Twin Lake. Rather than trying to find a trail I simply followed the clearest path staying well to the southeast and easily made it back to Twin Lake, avoiding the complex rocky and brushy northwest side. The continuing trail to Black Bear Lake also had plenty of new cairns but lacked them in overgrown meadows. It took a lot of stopping, looking for cairns, which made travel slow.

I should have taken a photo when I first reached Black Bear Lake since the trail climbed high above the lake and no clear view was to be had. I took a few mediocre photos. Black Bear Lake is back in Emigrant Wilderness and the square post indicating a trail to Bigelow Lake pointed to no trail at all. I ended up staying high and walking the ridge to the north past a small pond before intersection a well-defined trail. Shortly I was at Bigelow Lake and stopped for lunch.

The map I had ended shortly east of Bigelow Lake. The map showed a trail to Snow Lake and another on the north shores of Bigelow Lake. I crossed the dam and there was no junction. I stupidly stayed on the trail along the lake thinking the pass in front of me went to Snow Lake. On the top I looked down and there was NO SNOW LAKE!! Well, maybe it was down over the next ridge. Over THAT ridge I could see Dorothy Lake in the distance; I was looking into Jack Main Canyon. Back up the pass and down to the dam I went, wasting two hours. There was plenty of time to get to Snow Lake over the proper pass, but my confidence was shattered. I would simply have to walk a bit farther the next day, after I had rested and regained my confidence.



Bigelow Lake was beautiful and inviting. I found a great campsite and then fished and day-hiked thoroughly enjoying myself even if I got skunked fishing. I found the perfect little bathing area with a big dead log with branches to hang clothes on. My campsite was behind trees that protected me from wind, making cooking supper a lot easier. After supper I got a new In-Reach forecast. The forecast was even worse. As much as my tent was comfortably wind protected, the howling wind and forecast kept me worrying and I slept poorly.

Day6. 9/15: Bigelow Lake to Grouse Creek
(12.8 miles, 8.8 hours, 1545 feet gain/ 3735 feet loss)

I got up before dawn and packed up quickly. I decided to just bail out over Brown Bear Pass as quickly as possible, minimally reaching Sheep Camp, ideally farther. As it turned out, the forecast changed and the bigger but not as cold storm was not to come in until Wednesday or Thursday. Sometimes I am not convinced that having access to the In-Reach weather forecast is desirable. I missed a chance for one more day and exiting via Kennedy Lake. On the other hand, easy to say that going over Big Sam to Kennedy Lake would be fine when I was sitting comfortably down at Grouse Creek at 7300 feet.

I had scouted a bit the previous day and I dropped over a small ridge near camp and immediately spotted the trail below. I angled towards the trail, not losing much elevation. The old trail now has many cairns that are very helpful, especially near the top where the route is quite cleaver. I left the trail after dropping part way to Snow Lake, since the trail went into a lower meadow which I suspected would be brushy. I preferred to stay higher in the open forest and rock benches. When I reached the outlet dam I had to backtrack to get by some wet areas. Soon I ran into a big horse trail. Unfortunately the morning light was not right when I reached the outlet of Snow Lake and by the time the trail reached the end with better lighting, the trail was well above the lake. I should have stopped and taken the time to go down and take a photo.

I was off my maps and a bit worried that I could be on a wrong trail. As big as the trail was, it just had to be the main trail. Soon I hit the junction with the trail from Bond Pass and took a break. From there the trail was well maintained and with signs. In fact some of the trail used to be a road. Grizzly Meadow and lake was stark but pretty. Here I met the first people since Day2, a couple who were headed over Bond Pass and Upper Piute Meadow. Once I dropped to Emigrant Meadow Lake the wind was howling. Three backpackers were trying to take down their tent which was blowing in the wind like a kite. I hid behind a big rock and had a snack. I continued to Brown Bear Pass wearing three layers plus my outer rain jacket, hood up. It was cold!


From my trip in July I remembered to stop a bit off the trail at a wonderful spring fed stream coming off Molo Mountain. This actually is the source of Summit Creek. The water was delicious and did not need any treatment. The terrain down to Sheep Camp is very beautiful. I love the rock slabs and cliffs and some formations that reminded me of the rock on Conway Summit. I stopped at Sheep Camp at 12:30PM for lunch and got a new forecast for this location. It went from 70% chance snow to 30% but still bitterly cold. It would be very beautiful to camp here but I had plenty of time and energy left to go farther.



Just before the Lewis Creek confluence I spotted a huge hunting knife in the middle of the trail. I debated whether to pick it up or not. I left it. Near Saucer Meadow I ran into four young guys and it was their knife. I told them it would take at least half an hour to go back, but they decided it was worth it and sent their strongest runner back to get it. I wished I would have picked it up and I could have just given it to them.

I made it to Grouse Creek by 3:30 PM, which left enough daylight to go out. But, it made no sense to reach my car just before dark and not be able to drive home. I found a campsite under some huge trees just off the trail towards Relief Reservoir. I then worried about being hit by branches, since there was abundant wind-blown tree litter on the trail. So I walked around carrying the pack looking at many other sites, all with trees that could drop branches and ending up right back where I started. I set up and gathered drinking water from Grouse Creek above the trail. The creek near my camp was downstream from the trail, and quality questionable, but fine for washing. I made a little shelter for the stove and cooked dinner. I was tired after the long day and slept well. The only problem was that I woke up at 4:30AM and could not get back to sleep.


Day7. 9/16: Walk out to Kennedy Meadows Trailhead Parking + drive
(4.2 miles, 2.5 hours, 470 feet gain/ 1500 feet loss)

It was a short walk out. I met a horse packer with two fully loaded horses and two older guys going to Emigrant Lake. I assume they would have all the luxuries of a big base camp to wait out the storm. As I neared the footbridge above Kennedy Meadows I noticed helicopters flying, circling carrying bundles on a long tether. I am glad it was not a rescue, but PG&E carrying in supplies to work on the dam. It was pretty amazing to watch the helicopters at work. I am surprised they would do that in the wind. A few fishermen came down the road. There were still many trailers at the campground, but I was one of only four cars left at the backpacker’s parking lot at 10AM. The drive home was about an hour faster since I diverted around Sonora and the traffic was well behaved, everyone staying up to speed, still busy but flowing efficiently.

I really enjoyed the unusual peaceful solitude but was disappointed that I had to skip so many of my destination goals. Getting skunked at fishing was not that unusual given the strong winds. I think if I had spin gear I could have caught some fish. There are always the “what if’s”. Was it smart cutting back, or just fearful? Lewis Lakes, North Fork Cherry Creek Canyon, Peninsula Lake and Big Island Lake are not going anywhere. I will just have to come back with a more reasonable plan that allows sufficient time to really explore each of these destinations.

Thanks for the report. Especially the Twin Lakes/Bigelow stuff - I really want to get out to that area one of these days but have not gotten there yet. Sometimes it is not a choice between safe and not safe, but between fun and not fun. You would have been safe; you have the experience, you have the gear. But would you have enjoyed it if you took the longer way and spent the extra day? Your decision to bail seems pretty sensible to me. Especially given the wind you were dealing with even when it was sunny. It always feels like a lot of extra work to deal with strong winds all day long even without rain or snow. I was up on the crest near there back in August, and after getting pounded by howling winds coming from Sonora Pass to the head of Kennedy Canyon, I decided to skip going over Big Sam (which I've done a few times in the past), and XC to Dorothy Lake, and stay on the PCT for another day instead, because the other way I would have been out in the wind the whole day again.

Great Report to an area I have been to the most. I have gone over that little saddle between Snow Lake and Bigelow too many times. I really like upper Twin Lake because it reminds me of some lakes when I lived in Colorado a long time ago. Fishing at Upper Twin is good for pansized rainbows too. Bigelow has good brookie fishing also. Thanks for sharing.

Texan(Mike)

Texan- I too have been around this are a lot in the past.

Here is the link to the 9/22-27,2008 trip that I took. This last winter I put this route on TOPO and the mileages are a bit different. The mileages in the link are under-estimated. Total miles of the trip was 64.7 miles, revised daily mileages are:

Day1-Emigrant Lake 12.9
Day2-Peninsula Lake 10.7
Day3-Letora Lake 10.3
Day4-High Emigrant Lake 14.8
Day5-Wilderness Boundary via Kennedy Lake 14.4
Day6-Walk out 1.6

viewtopic.php?p=175300#p175300

I basically wanted to repeat that trip adding Lewis Lakes, North Fork of Cherry Creek and Black Bear-Bigelow-Snow Lakes. After reading this old report I was wrong to say I found a trail from Twin Lakes to Lower Twin Lakes in 2008- the trail was gone then too.

I may have referred to "Fern" lake-- note that it is Fawn Lake.


And here is a link to a similar 2015 trip- Sorry but the photos do not show up- I could re-post an updated report with photos if anyone is interested. This early Sept trip was plagued with smoky skies, but fishing was good.
viewtopic.php?p=101491#p101491