Planning trip to Emigrant Wilderness in Sept

[Daniel P]

Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum. I’ve already learned so much about equipment and techniques and can’t wait to read more.

Anyway, I am planning a 3 day / 2 night trip to Emigrant Lake in the last week of September for my honeymoon (getting married on 9/23). I used caltopo (map link here-https://caltopo.com/m/HHQM) to plot the general route.

• Start: Crabtree Trailhead
• Camp 1/Wood Lake – 10.81 miles
• “Destination”/Emigrant Lake – 5.5 miles
• Camp 2/Gem Lake – ~5 miles from Emigrant Lake
• Return to Crabtree Trailhead – ~10 miles from Gem Lake

My gear is on the cusp of lightweight to ultralight. Shelter is Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGlo (~4 lbs), my sleeping bag is under 2lbs, Sleeping pad under 1lb. I’ve invested in some higher performance and lighter gear, like the Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor, which represents a 2lb savings over my Osprey Atmos 65 AG, a SOTO windmaster stove over a heavier, less efficient Etekcity canister stove, a lighter water-carrying system, lighter tent stakes, and an ultralight down puffy. More importantly, I’m aiming to be smarter about packing only the clothes we’ll need instead of trying to plan for weather contingencies that are extremely unlikely. I know it’s possible to drop a lot more weight but I’m only just beginning the journey. I’m also more invested in this than my partner so there’s a limit to the comforts she is willing to give up in the interest of weight savings, and I understand that it’s important to have balance.

The longest trip we have done so far is a 10 mile out and back to Sykes Hot Springs last April in Big Sur. It was raining the whole time and we got soaked, and we were very sore by the end of the trip but happy and uninjured. This was with both our packs estimated around 40 lbs. We are both in decent shape and no health problems.

Basically I’m looking to see if this seems like a reasonable itinerary for a trip that will be challenging but not exhausting, and more importantly whether the extreme conditions that people have faced this season in the region will impact our experience.

Many thanks for your input!

[Paul Wagner]

No worries at all. It’s a reasonable itinerary and the conditions will be completely tame by the time you take this hike.

 

One caveat:. That first day is a long one, and you have to drive from somewhere to the trailhead.  It will likely be your latest start of the hike.  You might think about stopping at Louse Canyon, before Woods Lake, if you get tired.  It’s a long hot climb out if Groundhog Meadow, then an easy downhill to Louse Canyon.

You may have to find something to do on those short days: fishing, swimming, napping, and loading are all options.  You’ll cover five miles before lunch.

The last day is also long, but your packs will be lighter, you can get an early start…and warm showers will be calling you…

 

 

[Daniel P]

Thanks Paul. I am somewhat concerned about the abundance of time we’ll have. My fiancee asked me, “should we bring some games”?

I had a question about food storage. Bear proof containers aren’t technically required in this area but I realize mini bears can wreak just as much havoc, and it seems like it’s not easy to physically prevent them from reaching a hanging food bag. Should I stop worrying and learn to love the bear canister or would it be worthwhile to buy one of those steel mesh bags and just tie it up to something for this trip?

[Daniel P]

I just watched some videos of people taking a similar route and it seems like spending the night at Emigrant Lake and watching the sun set on the mountains behind it is a highlight worth striving for.

If we start out at Crabtree before noon, would we be able to make it to Emigrant before dark?

[Tony Wong]

Daniel,

Funny, my girl friend and I are doing the same trip….Crabtree to Emigrant Lake at the end of August, but over a 4 day period.

It is my girl friend’s 3rd backpacking trip and will be the longest trip for her to date.

In many ways, our situations are the same…I am deeply invested in the UL thing and my girl friend just wants to have a comfortable trip.

Normally, I would like to make this a 3 day, 2 night trip, but I am opting to stretch it out to make it easier.

Anyway, my thoughts:

+1 on Paul’s concerns about a long day as your first day.

Last night I just booked a $120 room for 3 people (2 queen beds) at the Wildwood Inn in Twaine Harte through Booking.com

I wanted to go up the day before the actual trip to get the permit from the ranger station and then be able to wake up and do a short drive to the trail head to get an early start.

We are looking to get to Gem Lake on our 1st night, which is 9.3 miles from the trail head….then returning to Gem Lake on our last night before heading back to Crabtree.

I know that it is possible to get out to Emigrant Lake on the 1st night, but if you are starting at 12 noon, I would have my doubts about making it for sunset.

Just depends on what your prior experience are….can you manage a 1.5 to 2.0 mph pace on the trail with the weight that you are carrying?

As for having nothing to do on the 2nd day…..an alternative is to hike less on the 1st day and burn more time on the 2nd day getting to Emigrant Lake.

As for killing time….take a swim and lay out in the sunshine…take a nap.

A Kindle to read a book….day hike to Frasier Lakes above Emigrant Lake…that is actually where I want to camp when I get to Emigrant Lake.

It is a little off trail with a steep hike to get there, but the view of the lake below is pretty amazing.

Dayhike around that area.

As for the bear canister….I am taking them.

I have just learned to accept them and now I just consider them part of my normal Sierra backpacking kit.

Hope this helps….you are going to have an amazing trip and you are lucky man that your wife to be is down with a backpacking honeymoon!

Congrats to you both!

Tony

[Tony Wong]

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/16654/

Link to trip that I took years ago…..I always wanted to go back to Emigrant/Frazier Lakes.

Tony

[Daniel P]

Tony, I just read your trip report earlier today! I had a bit of a hard time following because the various meadows and valleys you mentioned aren’t shown in any of the available layers on CalTopo (unless I’m missing something), but you gave me the idea of checking out Fraser Lakes which others have endorsed here.

I guess in terms of making it to Emigrant by nightfall, it really depends on when we start. Fortunately, if we don’t make it there are so many other places to camp on the way there.

I am very glad my lady is into doing this for our honeymoon. She agreed to do more intense trips in the future with more advanced gear (non-freestanding tents etc.), but wanted some measure of comfort on this trip.

Thanks for the reassuring note about the Bear Canister as well.

[Pedestrian]

The other way to get to Emigrant Lake is from the Kennedy Meadows (north) TH. Either via Lunch Meadow or via Relief Valley. The downside is that the trail is dusty and broken down with a lot of pack animal traffic. I went in September so there were a lot of folks hunting (on horseback). Wear orange :).

One other item of note: some time after Labor day in early September the ranger station has very limited hours is open only on some days. Make sure they will be open if you plan to pick up the permit in person (I don’t think they mail permits either, but it’s been a while since I was there).

[Paul Wagner]

We now use a bear can for all of our trips.  So much easier than finding the right tree, throwing the line, forgetting stuff and having to do it three times. Yeah it weighs a couple of pounds.  Not a big deal for us.  If we took longer trips, and needed two of them that might be a different story.

BT W you can also access Emigrant from Gianelli trailhead, or xc from Bourland Creek/Hyatt Lake…

As well as Leavitt Lake up high, and Eagle Meadows Road…or via Waterhouse Lake off Herring Creek…

 

 

[Daniel P]

Thanks for the recommendations for alternate start routes, but Crabtree trailhead is closest to the direction we’re coming from (San Francisco).

Also, I can’t find any record of the Summit Ranger office (in Pinecrest) hours being different in September than any other time of the year. Is that an off the books sort of thing?

[Pedestrian]

+1 on the bear canister.

“Also, I can’t find any record of the Summit Ranger office (in Pinecrest) hours being different in September than any other time of the year. Is that an off the books sort of thing?”

I’d call them and ask to be sure.

[Author]

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