Week-long High Sierra route suggestions

[Doug Smith]

Hello all, I’m looking at doing a summer backpacking trip in the Sierra and I’d love to hear suggestions.  To start off with I’ll list my primary requirements/ concerns, to give you something to work with.

Length: 7 total trail days (travel days don’t need to be included.  Similarly, a “down day”, or “exploring day” or two would be just fine)

Distance: A 10-mile day is a pretty achievable goal for me.  If the terrain is really steep, this could be shortened to 7 miles or so, and if it is very flat I could probably extend it a couple miles.  Huge elevation gains and losses are a bit daunting for me.  My knees aren’t what they used to be, and down-hills can be pretty punishing.  Trekking poles are a life-saver for me.

Group size: 1

Transportation:  Bonus points if it is self-transportable (I’d prefer a loop to an out and back).  Although, if the route was impressive enough, I could probably arrange to be dropped off on the east and picked up on the west.

Difficulty:  I have decent enough land-nav skills, so minor bits of cross country are fine.  That said, I do greatly prefer trails for the easier pace of going.  I’m not a rock-climber and will be going solo, so anything hairy won’t work.

Those are the main considerations.  So with that in mind, I’d love to hear your “must see” routes.  My previous backpacking trips have been in the 3-day max range, so 7 days out would be a rare, and exciting challenge for me.  Because of that, I’d really like to try something a bit on the remote side, and especially scenery that you don’t see anywhere else.

Thanks in advance, and let me know if I forgot to mention an important factor.

[Art …]

so something in the 60-75 mile range ?

based on your brief description of yourself, any cross country is probably not a good idea for safety reasons.

also, most Sierra routes that long will have quite a bit of elevation gain/loss.

people have different definitions of remote.

are you talking about not seeing anyone on your trip ?

[Doug Smith]

Hi Art, more remote as in a ways from civilization/ trail heads.  I don’t mind passing other hikers on the trail, and in fact my wife finds comfort in my hiking where other folks go.  But at the same time, I’d just as soon it wasn’t like hiking on an interstate.  ;-)  Coming down the River Trail from 1000 Island Lake is kind of what I’m talking about…I was passing Boy Scout troops.  Haha.  Not that that’s a bad thing, but I’d prefer a little more remote than that.

And yes, the 60-75 mile range sounds pretty accurate.

[Alex Wallace]

1. Red Peak Pass Loop, Yosemite National Park (Glacier Point or Mono Meadow THs);
2. North Lake/South Lake Loop, Inyo National Forest;
3. Rae Lakes Loop w/Sixty Lake Basin layover, SEKI (Roads End). ***Check to confirm open next year, recovered from fires***; and
4. Matterhorn Canyon/Benson Lake Loop, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Hoover Wilderness (Robinson Creek TH at Twin Lakes).

[Dan Magdoff]

Look into Bear Lakes Basin in the John Muir Wilderness.

[Aaron Sorensen]

From Reds Meadow, you could head N on PCT to JMT and head back S on JMT but head up the Minarets with it.

Lots of exploring out there and elevation gain isn’t all that bad compared to the rest of the High  Sierra.

[Paul Wagner]

Alex has given you some good ones…if you want trail reports on a few of them, check out our website:  backpackthesierra.

 

 

[Peter H]

I recently did a Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne to Ten Lakes loop, leaving out of White Wolf. It was 45ish miles. Miles could be augmented by leaving from Hetch Hetchy ranger station or a couple other ways. In mid Oct., I saw some folks at Glen Aulin and  many on my descent from Ten Lakes. 4k ft down and 8k ft up. Except for the plunge from White wolf to Pate Valley, and the shortish climb out of Glen Aulin,  most of it was relatively gradual (we are talking about Yosemite, here). The trails were in great shape and easily navigable. I did this loop in 4 days/ 3 nights. It was way too fast. I should’ve spent two nights in the canyon and two nights in the high country, minimum. You could do this and another YOSE hike and not have to carry 7 days of food AND a bear canister.

Aaron’s suggestion is cool, too. Has anyone done a loop leaving from YOSE that includes the minarets? I’d love to see them again. But, it adds three hours to my drive to go through Mammoth.

[Alex Wallace]

“Has anyone done a loop leaving from YOSE that includes the minarets? I’d love to see them again. But, it adds three hours to my drive to go through Mammoth.”

Not a loop, but YARTS make a thru from Tuolumne Meadows to Reds/DPP easy to do. I did this in late summer two years ago:

Drive to Tuolumne Meadows, park, and crash in the BP’s campground for the night. Head out in the morning from Rafferty Creek/Lyell Canyon TH south down Lyell Canyon on the JMT, over Donohue Pass, to Island Pass. From here, step off the trail and go xcountry south around the west end of Thousand Island Lake, over Garnet Pass, continue south over Whitebark Pass down to Nydiver Lakes, then drop down to Ediza Lake. Pick up the trail at the southeast end of Ediza and head south to Iceberg Lake, then Cecile Lake, and drop down to Minaret Lake. Take the trail southeast down to Devils Postpile/Reds Meadow. Jump on the mandatory shuttle up to the Mammoth Mountain Inn and grab YARTS back to Tuolumne Meadows. Pick up car and drive home.

 

[Kenneth Keating]

Aaron’s PCT/JMT loop is beautiful. The PCT portion has wonderful, across canyon views of the Ritter Range, for me one of the nicest scenic view hikes in the Sierra Nevada’s.  The JMT portion is at the base of the range with beautiful lakes/mountain backdrop views. Alex’s sidebar trip would be an added bonus.  The PCT portion, late in the season, won’t have has much water depending on the snow pack, so plan accordingly.

For one-way trips back to Yosemite, check the YARTs schedules first.  For June and Sept, the bus trip between Yosemite/Mammoth Lakes only occurs on the weekends, not during the week. During July-Aug it occurs all seven days.

K

 

[Doug Smith]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks!  I’ve done portions of Aaron’s suggested route already…I’ve taken the PCT from Agnew to Clarke Lakes and then to 1000 Island, but instead of coming back on the JMT, I returned on the River trail.  And then another trip I went out of Devils Postpile up to Minarette Lake, on an overnight out and back.  I agree that whole area is gorgeous terrain, and there are a lot of places I missed, (Garnet, Cecile, Ediza, Cathrine) that I’d like to see.  But that said, I’d kind of like to see a different area of the Sierra on this next summer trip.  I’m interested in checking out some of the higher elevation, more exposed areas, like you see further south.

I’d really love to see Wanda Lake and Muir Pass, but I’m not sure if there is any route that could fit it into my day/ mile requirements.  60 Lakes Basin is on my list of places I’d like to see, and that would definitely be doable, but maybe a bit short.

 

Alex, thanks for those suggestions.  I’ll check them out.

[Kenneth Keating]

Doug:

You could take the JMT from east of VVR through Evolution Valley, past Wanda Lake, over Muir Pass, then exit out through Bishop Pass via Dusy Basin.  The trip would be around 62 miles.  Logistics would be a little challenging, such as taking the bus to VVR, then on the east side taking a taxi, shuttle or hitchhiking to get to a Eastern Sierra Transit Authority bus stops along Hwy 395.  Not sure where you want to start and end; it may be easier to do the reverse route.  But you would be seeing some beautiful country.

K

 

K

[Doug Smith]

Thanks Kenneth, all these suggestions give me great food for thought.  I’ll do some reading up over the weekend.  :)

[Anonymous]

“I’d really love to see Wanda Lake and Muir Pass, but I’m not sure if there is any route that could fit it into my day/ mile requirements.  60 Lakes Basin is on my list of places I’d like to see, and that would definitely be doable, but maybe a bit short.”

The North Lake-South Lake would allow you to see both Muir Pass and Wanda Lake in a 7 day trip that fits your daily/trip mileage requirements nicely.  If you want to get away from the JMT hordes and enjoy a little solitude, you could hike over the low divide west of Wanda Lake and enjoy some peace and quiet at Davis Lake.  It is very easy cross country terrain and only a half mile or so of hiking.  Another option would be to hike over the ridge just west of Sapphire Lake and visit beautiful McGee Lake Basin.  It is a bit of a hump getting up the the ridge, but it is a short section.  Going down the other side to the McGee Lakes chain is mellow hiking, as is the hike from the lakes down to Evolution Valley, where you will rejoin the JMT.  You will certainly not see many people back in there.   One requirement for the McGee Lakes Basin section is that you are comfortable with fairly easy off trail hiking and possess decent tactical route finding skills.  The only downside to the entire route, IMO, beside the crowds on the JMT is the slog up Piute Creek Canyon from the confluence of Piute Creek and the South Fork San Joaquin River.  It usually falls at the end of the day, when you are ready to set camp and relax into the evening.

I almost forgot another option, Darwin Bench, which would make for another nice place to spend the night.  It is a short easy hike on a decent trail that begins at the first JMT switchback below  Evolution Lake.

 

 

 

[Matthew / BPL]

I just hiked the JMT with my son in June/July 2015. Evolution to Muir Pass and then the descent down to the Middle Fork of the Kings River was easily our favorite part of the trip. The North Lake South Lake Loop sounds really good. I may have to see if we can sneak out for a week this summer and do that!

[Sam Buchta]

Not to hi-jack the thread but how possible is it to go cross country from Davis Lake to Goddard Canyon and then up the trail to Hell For Sure Pass? I’ve seen some people say it’s doable but can be rough going, but compared to say the kind of off trail travel you’d do on the Sierra High Route what would it be like?

[Dan Magdoff]

Sam

its a very doable XC route…I did it a few years back.  The first part is a TON of big boulder hopping, and as you approach Goddard Canyon it turns into a lot of bushes and shrubs. Once you cut over from Wanda Lake to Davis Lake be sure and stay on the South side of Davis Lake, then cut across the peninsula in the middle of the lake to the north side of the lake. Then connect with North Goddard Creek and follow that all the way down to the Canyon. The trail the heads up to Hell For Sure Pass can be easy to miss if your heading down canyon, it cuts off the main trail at an awkward angle and is easy to pass.

[Sam Buchta]

Great, thanks Dan. I’m thinking of doing the first stretch of the High Route up to Wanda Lake and then cutting over as described to exit at Courtwright Reservoir and avoid a loop. Depends on my ability to organize logistics, but I really wanted to get up into the Evolution Basin again by adding that bit instead of looping back earlier.

[jscott]

+1 on all of Alex’s suggestions.

[Sam Buchta]

The downside to Alex’s suggestion is If Yosemite keeps up its JMT permit restrictions that might make it harder to start at Tuolumne Meadows since there’s a daily exit quota over Donahue pass. Doing it in reverse from Red’s and ending in Tuoloumne might be easier permit wise but I guess it doesn’t hurt trying for a Yosemite permit as well. I was under the impression they might change the permit restrictions for this year but I don’t see anything about it yet.

[jscott]

Sam, a lot of alex’s suggestions have trailheads outside of Tuolumne. Even Benson lake loop goes out of Twin Lakes.

[Sam Buchta]

Oops, I just scanned quickly and only saw his description of the Tuolumne to Red’s :)

Other suggestions sound good

[Matthew / BPL]

Anybody been on the Rae Lakes Loop? How is the non-JMT section of it? The big loop to the west… Interesting? Worth hiking?

[Art …]

I’ve done Rae Lakes Loop.

I’m very partial to the Sierra High Country,

so for me the best part of the loop was the JMT section.

but there is nothing bad about the rest.

[Author]

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