Sierra Nevada backpacking next weekend

Mosquito info: http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5088

You would have to go WAY up in the snow to avoid the skitos and the best part is when you are postholing through the snow AND swatting the bloodsuckers.

Sounds like it could be an interesting weekend! haha. regardless…any ideas of spots to go?

I think I have narrowed my search to the Desolation Wilderness, Dinkey Lakes Wilderness or the Mokelumne Wilderness. Has anyone been in these areas that can give some recommendations of where to go?

…or do any of you still have better ideas of areas to go?

Lots and lots of water. So any iffy crossings are probably no-goes. Day hiking I got stopped by the side creek coming down from Lake Italy. That was a surprise. I might have risked it if I was not solo, and I didn't have my dogs with me. No way they could have crossed.

Surprisingly few mosquitos down lower, but up higher there were a lot more, by higher I mean 9k feet. Maybe because where I was camping down lower there were no wet meadows. The only water was running a zillion gallons a second. Snow was a non-issue at 9K. I suspect that in any of the areas you mention it won't be a problem.

I was in the Dinkey Lakes a few years ago in early August. No skeeters to speak of. However, I have some friends that took a trip early in the season one year and said that you could not see your clothes because they were covered with them. And, when they left the confines of the tent to take a dukey the skeeters would just tear into that exposed flesh.

So, my suggestion is if you go to any of these places is to take a headnet and make sure you can also keep the bugs out of your sleeping area whether it be a bug net or a tent with netting. It's been a long slow, wet runoff this year.

Scott

Hey…anyone been up to 10 lakes out of Tuolumne? A buddy of mine recommended it to me…curious if anyone has any current trail conditions? or just what people have thought of the area?

THANKS!!
Dan

So I got my options narrowed down to either somewhere in the desolation wilderness, 10 lakes out of Yosemite, Dinkey Lakes or maybe somewhere in the Trinity Alps. Any thoughts or recommended trips in those areas? still open to suggestions of other areas.

I think my goal is to get as high in elevation as possible as quickly as possible. My thought being that the mosquitoes are gonna be really bad in the lower elevations, but up high it might still be cold enough to not have a mosquito hatch yet. What do ya'll think? AND….any trail heads you know of that start at a high elevation?

THANKS
Dan

This time of year going high will probably not offer much relief from the little blood suckers. It just isn't cold enough. Wind is your best protection, so high AND exposed may help you. But then wide open high country tends to be filled with wet meadows and pools, especially this year. So there is that problem. Good luck

I predict a lose of a quart of blood if you hit 10 Lakes. The areaon both sides of it was very wet last year in June which will be about like July this year. But it is very cool and worth a quart.

I dont think I am gonna do 10 lakes. I am taking someone with me and I dont think they will be up to make the 10 lakes loop in 3 days. I am leaning towards Dinkey Lakes. But I am just worried that area will be swarming with skeeters.

Can anyone think of a spot that might be dryer, or more windy?

Thing is, probably wherever you go, you are going to get modquito issues. The snowfall was greater than normal this year and the melt was slow. We are basically a month behind. I am sure though, that wherever you go, you will have a great time. I am also heading out this weekend too.

"Can anyone think of a spot that might be dryer, or more windy?"

Dan,

Humphreys Basin, I'm thinking Desolation/Mesa/Tomahawk Lakes, is up on a high, often windy plateau at ~11,500' or so. There are broad flat areas above all 3 where you could camp away from water but with easy access. You could also drop down and fish Paiute Creek and Golden Trout Lakes from a camp up there. You'd want to call White Mtn Ranger Station in Bishop to check on snow levels first, though. It's about 8 miles from the trailhead to Desolation Lake, BTW, with a total elevation gain of ~2100-2200' from TH. One additional consideration: The TH is at 9400' and Paiute Pass is 11,450', which means that, although the gain is only 2000', you are starting at 9400'. If anyone in your party has trouble with altitude, a day of acclimatization might be in order.

Tom…that area looks killer! How exactly do you get to the trail head? If I am coming from the bay area…would I have to go through Yosemite and then all the way back down south to reach it?

Dan,

From the Bay Area, you could cross Yosemite to US-395 and put up with the hordes of Airstreams and RV's or, alternatively, go across I-80 or I-80/US-50 to the Reno area and south on US-395 to Bishop. I-80/US-50 is longer, but faster and less hassle. Going through Yosemite is beautiful, but the drive is a real headache once you get past Oakdale, as far as I'm concerned. Once in Bishop, go west on Hwy 168 past Aspendell(a mountain village) to the North Lake turnoff and take it to the parking area by the horsepackers station. It's about 18 miles from Bishop and will take you ~1/2 hour. You will have to walk about 3/4 mile from the parking lot through a USFS campground to reach the TH. The hike up to Paiute Pass is pretty laid back and very scenic. If you wanted to acclimatize there are numerous spots to camp 2.5-3 miles up the trail between ~10,200-10,700'.

Another possible way to get there would be to take 108 over Sonora Pass and pop out on 395 around Bridgeport. That is less of a hassle than going through Yosemite and shorter than I-80.

I'm going to Humphrey's Basin myself in 1.5 months. If you're willing to drive that far for mosquitos, the trails are just opening up in the alpine areas of Trinity Alps, northwest of Redding – not the Sierras, but I was there two weeks ago and there were mosquitos, but I got maybe one bite a night on exposed skin and didn't need to apply any bug dope at all.

I'd recommend using Sonora Pass Hwy 108 to get to Hwy 395 from the Bay Area. It usually takes me 3.5-4 hours vs. 4.5-5 hours to go thru Yosemite. Sonora Pass is very spectacular and once you get past Kennedy Mdws traffic usually isn't bad at all. It's just too narrow and windy for the RVs.

Enjoy.

"It usually takes me 3.5-4 hours vs. 4.5-5 hours to go thru Yosemite."

What you are overlooking is that you will be on US395 for more than an hour just getting back south to Lee Vining, so CA Hwy 108 offers no time advantage.

–B.G.–

"What you are overlooking is that you will be on US395 for more than an hour just getting back south to Lee Vining, so CA Hwy 108 offers no time advantage."

Hwy 395 is a high speed route and just easier to drive than through the Yosemite. You don't necessarily save the whole hour, but I find it an easier drive. And 395 is very pretty as well.

I confess. I was once the unofficial holder of the land speed record for driving from San Jose to Yosemite (BOF) in 2 hrs 45 min.

Once you've driven Tioga Pass about umpty zillion times like I have, the road gets a lot straighter and faster. The secret is driving it late at night. All of the RV and slow vehicles are off the road by then.

–B.G.–

If you haven't been on both 108 and 120 then I would go on 120 going in and 108 on the way out or vice versa. Both are worth seeing and you can get a great perspective of a number of trailheads on both.

Ya I have been looking over the map and I think the drive to get to the Humphry Basin is just too far. I re-changed my mind and think I am gonna head into 10 lakes out of Tuolumne. I am gonna head up to the 10 Lakes via the trail that follows Yosemite Creek and head out past Poly Dome and to Tenya Lake.

Is it easy enough to thumb it on that road to get back to our car?

Anyone know about the fishing at 10 lakes?

The TM shuttle goes from the Tenya Lake trailhead to TM.

NM.