Emigrant Wilderness in July….Ideas?

Start at Crabtree or Gianelli trailhead. Hike east toward Yosemite. Bucks Lakes are nice, Emigrant Lakes are nice, Huckleberry and Letora.  Take a different route back (Easier from Crabtree than Gianelli)

We have reports on all of this on our website, backpackthesierra.com.

I came here to make a suggestion similar to Paul’s but I don’t have good trip reports.  Take this as a second of paul’s notes.  Crabtree is fairly busy, but past Jem lake people density drops significantly. Since covid my no think weekend trip is a 37 miles loop out of crabtree going past jewelry, emigrant, huckleberry, wood lakes. Gianelli Trailhead, chewing gum lake, cross-country to  Granite Lake, Leopold Lake or connect to Crabtree Trail by traveling south from Granite, then to Long Lake or Buck Lake via Crabtree, then Relief Valley Trail back towards Gianelli is a nice alternative. I think I got these ideas from Paul’s trip reports :)

Good suggestions above. Also look into Kennedy Meadows TH past Saucer Meadow, off trail heading west, fording Summit Creek, and heading up granite slabs towards Iceland Lake. A few other lakes nearby to explore too. You’d have to get creative to fill 4 days, but doable.

Hi Mark!! Yeah Gianelli sounds fun. I have gone out of there once. I think the cross country from Y Meadows to Granite Lake should be pretty easy. I have been to Granite Lake before from Bear Lake. I need to look at maps to see if I can make this a loop. I would hate to thumb it on those dirt roads

Alex, I have looked at pictures of that area and it looks like it is right up my alley. I have done a bunch of trips out of Kennedy Meadow, but not where you are suggesting. I am skilled at off trail, but solo, I need to be careful. My wife is not a huge fan. It has to be pretty easy. I do carry a PLB with me btw. Just thinking about the danger of it all

Paul, I have gone as far east as Buck Lakes and did a lollipop loop back to Crabtree with some friends a number of years ago. If I remember correctly, it is a beautiful hike. Solo, I just need to be careful

There are two routes you can use for more variety, one from Gem to Deer Lakes, the other back along Woods and Grouse Lakes.  There are a few connectors between the two, too.

Thanks Paul…I have done one all the way to Buck Lakes and came back past Woods and Grouse as well as a overnighter to I think Piute Lake or Gem Lake with a small connector back and around. Keeping those in my ideas as well

From Crabtree, go down past Pine Lake, up to Pingree Lake, one trail or another. Next day off trail, down easy slab basin past Yellow Hammer and up to Red Can Lake, good for a couple days of solitude, or bounce over to Karl’s Lake for night 3, then back down Bell Meadow trail and slabs to Crabtree TH. Fewer travelers than the Gem, Jewelry route or Giannelli-Chewing Gum portal. That said, Granite Lake is as good as Red Can. Its all so good.

Not sure where Pine Lake is….and I have hiked the area pretty extensively. Do you mean Grouse Lake? Rosasco?

Note that Mudjester’s  suggestion above is not on trails, per se.  USFS says those are “route” –use trails? and not maintained. The routes are generally marked with cairns, since much of the terrain is granite slabs. Make sure you are comfortable with route finding in those conditions–and that people seem to like to add their own cairns from time to time,,,not always on the best route. That would fit into your idea of light cross country pretty well.  The slabs between Pingree and Big Lake are among my favorite landscapes in the Sierra–not above tree line, with solid granite makes it feel that way!

Right Paul, Grouse Lake.