As part of a solo 10-day loop from North Lake in August 2008, I traversed through the upper reaches of east and west Pinnacle Creek and Lower Honeymoon Lake to Golden Lake. This is an interesting and pristine area for those who have seen much of the Sierra and want something different. Route finding is tricky. The headwaters of both Pinnacle Creeks are very pristine and scenic, however less spectacular than Royce Lakes or Seven Gables. I did not try fishing, but I did see fish. If you want remoteness, this is it.
Melody Lakes
Seven Gables to Three Island Lake. I descended a faint use-trail to the point where you intersect the main trail by going up a cliffy section. Instead, I crossed the creek and traversed off-trail (some tricky route finding and steep slabs) to Lou Beverly Lake. I ran into some off-and-on use-trails before intersecting the Sandpiper Lake Trail. I crossed the outlet of Sandpiper and traveled off-trail south past Melody Lakes to Three Island Lake. All the lakes are very pretty and travel is easy but a bit complex getting around all the water. I camped about half way down the west shore of Three Island Lake. All the lakes looked like they would support fish. The lakes were delightful and the view of Seven Gables ever present.
Three Island Lake Camp
Three Island Lake to Big Chief Lake. I headed to a saddle that is the headwaters of Senger Creek, east of Sharp Note Lake. The route is fairly straight forward on benches to the Senger drainage. About half way up I dropped my pack and hoped talus to Sharp Note Lake and was not impressed. As I went over the saddle I dropped slightly into the Senger Creek drainage before climbing up lots of slabs and traversed on the edge of the cliff that drops to Three Island Lake. The views were spectacular. Finally I dropped slightly to the small but very pristine Turret Lakes where I ran into several Ptarmigan. The drop to Old Squaw Lake is down a difficult gully that is quite steep in places. There are two distinct branches- I stayed in the south branch. I dropped my pack at Old Squaw and did a loop hike to Wampum and Tether Lakes, through quite barren terrain. Then I dropped to Big Chief and camped at the south end. In the evening I hiked to Pendant and Spearpoint Lake. I could see fish in Spearpoint Lake. I think Big Chief and Spearpoint would be worthwhile fishing places.
View of Three Island Lake from Flat Note Pass
Turret Lake
Old Squaw Lake
Wampum Lake
Big Chief Lake Camp
Big Chief to Big Moccasin Lake. I dropped along the west bench of Spearpoint Lake to the outlet, crossed, climbed up past Pemican Lake and then up another few hundred feet before traversing to the unnamed lakes east of the Pinnacles. The traverse was cliffy with lots of small ups and downs. The terrain kept forcing me down, so I had to then scramble up to the next bench. I looped all the way up to Aweetasal Lake and decided to find a camp lower. All these upper lakes are rocky and quite barren – pretty in a very stark way. I dropped over a little pass northwest of Big Moccasin Lake and camped on the ridge to the southwest where I not only got up out of the mosquitoes but also had a great view of French Canyon. Big Moccasin Lake is quite pretty.
Outlet of Spearpoint Lake
Negit Lake
Big Moccasin Lake
Big Moccasin Lake to Packsaddle Lake. I dropped to Little Moccasin Lake and then zig-zagged down ramps and through a bit of brush northeast of East Pinnacle Creek and intersected the Piute Canyon Trail about a half mile west of Hutchinson Meadow. The brush was moderately miserable. After many days of seeing nobody, I ran into lots of people. I missed the “trail”, if there is one, to Lower Honeymoon Lake but the travel was not too bad, once I crossed Piute Creek (very brushy). Mosquitoes were horrible on the river. Most of the time, I walked up nice rock slabs. Then I traversed to Lobe Lakes. It must have been the end of day exhaustion, but I certainly took a horrible traverse to Packsaddle Lake. Went too high – cliffed out- slithered down steep mud, lost way too much elevation, and ascended what seemed forever, to Packsaddle Lake, where I immediately jumped in! I found a nice campsite west of the outlet. The views at Packsaddle Lake are spectacular. From Packsaddle Lake it is a fairly easy walk to the Golden Lakes, where there were again, many people.
Little Moccasin Lake
East Pinnacle Creek
Lower Honeymoon Lake
Lobe Ponds
Packsaddle Lake
