Onion Valley to Whitney

"Thought I'd ask for some suggestions on good camping and fishing spots."

Wallace Lake and Wallace Creek would be a good bet if you don't mind an easy 4 mile hike up to Wallace Lake. The creek is also fishable if you are into short cast fly fishing. It's a very pretty area, too, and not heavily visited. You'd stand a decent chance of having it to yourself. Wallace lake has some really big Goldens, and the creek just below the lake has a lot of fish as well.

Tyndall Creek also has fish, but they're generally not very big. Same goes for the lower lake in Wright Lakes Basin and Wright Creek.

Good camping in both basins.

Thanks for the suggestion on Wallace Lake. I may have to spend a night there. Have you ever checked out Wright Lakes? They look a little less out of the way than Wallace. Although, if Wallace has good sized fish, I think it would be worth it to stop there.

"Have you ever checked out Wright Lakes? They look a little less out of the way than Wallace."

Yes. I've spent quite a bit of time in Wright Lakes Basin down thru the years, usually for a day or maybe two as part of a longer trip. I fished it early on for food, and always caught plenty. The fish are not very big, but they taste just fine. But if you're looking for sport, I'd suggest Wallace. The real attractions of Wright Lakes Basin are a day hike up into and around the upper section of the basin(very beautiful in a high, austere kind of way and not to be missed if you're there), the coyote serenades at night when they're in residence, and the awesome views off to the west, particularly at sunset. There is an old horse packer campsite in the trees just above the lower lake, but it is kind of dirty from generations of horse packery. If you have the time, I'd suggest heading up to the higher section. there are plenty of places to bivy up there, and it is pristine, in the true sense of the word.

It is definitely easier to get to the WLB than Wallace Lake,

So I'm having to reschedule the trip due to family commitments that came up and of course all the Whitney exit permits are mostly gone for when I want to go now. There are some exit permits available the 2nd weekend of June. Anyone know what typical conditions are like this early? I usually plan my trips later in the season so I have no idea what to expect.

"Anyone know what typical conditions are like this early?"

Typical conditions may not apply this year, due to the drought.

For 2014, I was on the Whitney Trail around June 7. There were a few patches of snow over the trail, but they were easy to scramble over. Just 10 or 12 days previous to that, the trail had a foot of snow on it.

That's why they invented ice axes and crampons.

On a completely normal year, I tend to go on Whitney around the middle to end of July, but that is more to try to hit the peak of the wildflowers at 13,000 to 14,000 feet.

–B.G.–

When could I go over Muir Pass or Bishop Pass?

I don't mind walking on snow, but I don't really want to do steep, icy slope that requires ice axe and crampons.

Muir Pass is mostly gentle. I went over it the first week of April one year, but that was on skis. Bishop Pass has a shaded area on the east side that holds snow a little later in the season. Bishop Pass was sort of carved out of rock on the east side.

–B.G.–

Thanks for the info Bob. Will Forester Pass be any worse than Whitney?

Forester Pass is a little over 13,000 feet. Despite the southern side getting more sunlight, there tends to be a nasty cornice just below the pass. On normal snow years, the cornice has looked dangerous enough that many hikers without ice axe and crampons would have to turn back. On some years, the early season PCT travelers would run into this. Once the cornice was thoroughly attacked, it would be beaten into submission. Then the travelers reported no problems at all. The northern side of the pass is more gradual and more open. I've walked over old snow there, but it was no big deal.

–B.G.–

"Anyone know what typical conditions are like this early?"

I went in over Taboose Pass last year the first week in June, and it was almost completely bare at ~11,350'. The year before that Shepherd Pass was bare in mid June.
This is looking to be another low snow year, so you should be able to get in by June if the drought continues. If I were you, I'd check with the Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center in late April for current snowpack conditions, and specifically whichever passes you have in mind. If Forester is still iced up, you might consider going in over Shepherd Pass. It's an easy hike to Wright Lakes Basin
from there, and also over to the Upper Kern Basin. You could easily put a very nice trip together in that area alone, or continue on the JMT south and exit over Crabtree/Cottonwood Passes, avoiding the Whitney Zone completely. Whitney is highly overrated, IMO, and crawling with people. There is much nicer backpacking further into the interior, to the north, south, and west-Kern Basin, Great Western Divide, Crabtree Lakes, Miter Basin, etc.

I tend to agree about the Whitney area. I've checked it off my list and usually avoid it if I can. For this trip, it's just a convenient exit point since I need to keep the trip to 4 days. I've done the Cottonwood Passes area twice now and I'm doing the Rae Lakes loop in September, so I figured for my early season trip, somewhere in between would be fun. I'm also considering doing some sort of out and back trip from Onion Valley instead of exiting Whitney, but not totally sure where I would want to go. Possibly a loop down to Wright/Wallace lakes and returning up near Lake South America/Lake Reflection or a Sixty Lakes Basin/Gardiner Basin loop, but that puts me pretty close to Rae Lakes.

"Possibly a loop down to Wright/Wallace lakes and returning up near Lake South America/Lake Reflection or a Sixty Lakes Basin/Gardiner Basin loop, but that puts me pretty close to Rae Lakes."

If snow conditions work out the way it looks, any of those would make for a very nice trip. Whatever you decide, I hope you have an enjoyable trip. It's hard to go wrong down that way.

You guys are going to have to try out Harrison Pass. No trail.

This is the connector route between Lake South America and Lake Reflection.

–B.G.–