I also posted on Calphoto.com, so this might be a duplicate for some of you.
After a 20yr haitus, I'm planning a backpacking trip and looking for
recommendations. In my teens and early twenties, I didn't have any
problems going on a few 30+mile hikes including the Eastern Sierra,
the Trinity Alps and in Glacier. I'm now 47 and out of shape.
Recently I got out the treadmill, been riding my bike and going on
some local hikes to get in shape and break in some new boots. I'm
going to need at least another 3weeks or a month of some decent
conditioning. I'll be going with my 19yr old son, who has never been
backpacking and is one of my motivations to get him out there to
experience the backcountry (and switchbacks!)
Having said that, I'm looking for a easy to moderate, short trip
(less than about 8 miles round trip. I'm not too interested in the
western side, although I'm sure there are more options. I'm hoping to
get recommendations on the east side where the trailhead is already
pretty high in elevation and you can fairly quickly get in to the
high country.
I've also been looking at starting points off of Sonora, Ebbetts and Carson passes.
Another reason for a short, "easy" trip is that I'll be lugging my
4x5 in to the wilderness. So another requirement for this trip would
be to also have granite peaks, a lake, and general gorgeous alpine
scenery. (I want my cake and eat it too!)
I've considered both the Saddlebag and Desolation wilderness areas.
Easy access with the water taxies. My last backpacking trip was in
Desolation. These will be my last choice as I know these areas are
highly traveled and it's not likely we could find ourselves alone and
in peace.
Anyway, if anyone has any trip recommendations with the info I've
mentioned, I would appreciate it very much.
Lon, there's a great tri-fold hiking map called Popular Day Hikes, Silver Lake/Carson Pass, published by Wild Iris Enterprises, sounds like these hikes might be what you're looking for. If you can't get a copy from the publisher send me an email and I'll send you a copy.
One of my favorites is the Baboon Lakes in Sabrina Basin. You start from Lake Sabrina, skirt around the lake then up the slope to Blue Lake. The trail is good and not terribly steep. Once you get to Blue Lake, cross the outlet. The main trail goes to Dingleberry Lake and beyond. There is a good use trail that skirts Blue Lake on its west side that goes to Baboon Lakes and beyond.
You will be very near the Thompson Ridge. The lakes are small and offer excellent opportunities for reflection shots. Further on is Sunset Lake under Mount Thompson. It is a fair size glacial lake the color of light jade. It is very 'alpine'!
If you do this hike, start very early in the morning. The east side of Sabrina is dry and brushy and really cooks when the sun is hitting it.
This would be nice trip fro your son and great for photography! The scenery is sublime.
to work your way up there conditioning wise perhaps you could do some top to bottom hikes at Mt. Diablo or Mt. Hamilton. you do live in the East Bay right?
Little Lakes Valley is a nice hike, its at the end of Rock Creek Canyon.
I'll second Preston's suggestion of the hike to Baboon Lakes. I did that in July of 2005 and it was a blast. The sceney is out of this world. I was very inspired on that trip but made just one photograph. I guess you can call me nuts.
So many areas worth mentioning, I'm starting to drool . Those already mentioned - little lakes valley and Sabrina Basin - are amazing. Also of note would be Kearsarge Pass - I think the pass itself is 5 miles, and camping at the lakes below the kearsarge pinnacles on the far side of the pass - priceless, but this would be harder than the previous two. Saddlebag into twenty lakes basin is awesome and easy. Ansel Adams wilderness out of Mammoth or June Lake is amazing - 1000 Island Lake Ediza Lake, and Minaret Lake are all just beautiful. I'm gonna stop here cause I could go on and on all day long Of course, being close to many of these busy trailheads you won't have much solitude. I've got some photos of almost every one of these places and then some on my website if your looking for more ideas...
Greg, I just wanted to say that you have some really nice work on your site! I found one minor spelling error in your Archive: 'Tyndell' should be 'Tyndall' Your photos from all these areas bring back lots of memories. Thanks!
Preston, I appreciate the kind words! Esp. after looking through your website! I'm sure there is more than one typo on my site I made the change - funny, I was just checking the spelling of 'tyndall' yesterday when I was updating new stuff onto my site, realized I was spelling it wrong, and intended on finding any other of those errors in my site but didn't get around to it. Thanks again!
Posted by Richard Wong on July 4, 2007 at 10:49 PM
where is the most direct route to Lake Ediza? I've seen awesome pictures from there.
Richard, the most direct route to Lake Ediza starts from Agnew Meadows. The trail goes down the canyon of the San Joaquin, crosses the river and then goes up Shadow Creek to Shadow Lake. From Shadow Lake you continue up. cross the John Muir Trail, and head up to Ediza. The distance is about 8 miles. It is a beautiful hike!
Thanks folks for the recommendations. I think I'm probably going to try Little Lakes Valley to ease my way back into hiking with a load. And also a primer for my son who I want have him enjoy the experience. Although I know he will not be happy about mosquitos, assuming we'll encounter them. Perhaps August won't be as bad as July.
I checked the web on some of the places like Baboon Lake, Kearsarge pass, etc., and they seem a bit more than I'd like to tackle for now.
Greg, I checked your work as well and it's outstanding! Welcome to CANP!
Thanks!
Lon
Posted by Cory Freeman on July 5, 2007 at 10:27 AM
I was going to suggest LLV as well. It's very easy compared to most trails on the east side. I've found that once you get to chicken foot lake or beyond the day hiker traffic isn't as bad and you can usually find a nice camp all to your self. The squiters aren't too bad right now, with deet of course, but in aug they should all be but gone. Have a great trip! Check out the following links for more info on your trip.
I agree: Little Lakes Valley is a perfect place. Chickenfoot Lake is wonderful. Another nice place that is right at timberline is the Treasure Lakes. It is a very 'alpine' setting. From the main trail near Gem Lake, you take off cross-country, on a compass bearing, up and over a low rounded ridge to the lower lake. The view of Pyramid Peak, Bear Creek Spire, and Mount Dade is sublime.
If you camp at Chickenfoot, doing a day hike over to the Treasure Lakes is well within reason. Also, there is a wonderful view of LLV from the summit of Morgan Pass.
Richard is on target, here: "LLV is easy as long as you are acclimated". The Mosquito Flat trail hesd is very high (10,000+). My advice would be to spend a night at Rock Creek Lake in order to acclimatize and then hit the trail very early in the morning.
From a photo standpoint, LLV trends north to south. Therefore, the best time to shoot the peaks is at sunrise. Late afternoon-early evening light will give nice shots of Bear Creek Spire.
I don't know how high Maroon Lake is in Colorado but it made me pass out in my car within an hour of walking around the shore last winter. I was going to throw up and was pretty nauteous when I woke up 1.5 hours later so I drove back down the road. Halfway down I got angry at myself because I didin't drive across the country to not get a sunset shot so I turned around and went back up there and spent the next three hours there until it got dark. I never felt altitude sickness again over the three days I was there. man I felt awful that first day though, not to mention windchill well below freezing! I think sleeping off the sickness works wonders if you can hold it together for long enough.
I don't fancy getting altitude sickness - nothing like a nasty headache and vomiting to ruin a trip. We'll be camping overnight at the trailhead to hopefully prevent that.
Here's a hint or three that will help prevent mountain sickness...
When you first arrive at altitude, stay mildly active. Move around, take a few short, easy walks, etc. You'll likely feel pretty sluggish. Don't go to sleep. You want to move around to get as much oxygen as you can, to keep your heart rate up a tad for better circulation and also to blow off carbon dioxide and lactic acid buildup.
Stay hydrated, but don't overdo it You'll lose a cup an hour of body water just sitting!
Eat light, easily digestible foods, in small doses. Avoid fatty foods. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol since these are diuretics that will hasten water loss..
If you get a headache, take one regular aspirin with a little food and water. This does two things. It thins the blood and reduces stress on blood vessels. When you are acclimatizing, your blood hemoglobin levels start to increase to grab more oxygen, and your electrolyte balance shifts. Your blood thickens as a result. The aspirin really helps if your doctor says it's ok for you take it, since some folks don't tolerate it well.
If you do experience the signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, the only cure is to return to a lower altitude as quickly as possible..
If you are unfamiliar with the signs, symptoms and treatment of altitude-related illnesses, I suggest doing some research into them. It will be time well spent.
Yes, definitely acclimate if you have the time to do so. I've driven up to Mesquito flats from sea level and hiked up to chicken foot with backpack. I usually wouldn't sleep the first night due to hard ground, headache, and a sour stomach. But that would be gone the next morning.
The local paper(Inyo Register) has reported a couple SAR stories the last coupe months. Several had to do with hikers/backpackers with AMS-Acute Mountain Sickness, which is of the severe kind. Preston's suggestions are sound advice!!
thanks for the sound advice. I will carry that info with me. I'm not overly concerned since I've been backpacking and been to high elevations (White Mountains), etc. and haven't had problems. Of course that was in my 20's.... now I'm in my 40's, so it will always be safe to be cautious and informed.
Cory - SAR? oh, let me guess, Search and Rescue. Took me a sec to figure it out.
Age isn't necessarily a factor in AMS. I've seen older farts than me at high altitude going great. I've also seen people in their twenties sicker'n a dog. A few years ago, a man in his fifties came from LA to Mammoth, took a lift to the top of the mountain and suffered high altitude pulmonary edema. He survived. Susceptability to mountan sickness appears to be a very individual thing. The key thing is to know your body and listen to what it is telling you. If you don't feel well, go down and let your body catch up to the altitude.
Most folks usually get sick from going too high, too quickly, as Cory relates. The generally accepted rule is 1000-1500 feet per day in elevation gain when backpacking and camping overnight. I've hiked Mount Whitney in a day (6000 feet gain). I felt somewhat crummy when I got to the summit, but felt much better as I descended. If I had stayed on the summit, I'd have left my lunch there!
Just take it slowly and have a good time! That's what it's all about, anyway. Right?
I am in my 20's and normally don't get sick at anything lower than 8500. don't scare me guys. I think I violated everything Preston said not to do on that 1st day at the Maroon Bells. does physical conditioning play a part? I'm not in as good of shape as when I lived in the Bay Area. it sucks in So Cal.
LLV is a great call. You can't find an easier trail and the scenery is great. Lakes should be warm this year, for some nice swimming. Lots of areas to explore, all within short day-hiking once you are there. Baboon Lake is also a great recommendation, but the LLV trail is much easier, practically flat. I have seen plenty of LF guys shooting in the LLV area.
The only downside it that LLV gets crowded, especially with day-hikers. It is very accessible and easy, hence the people. But still worth it.
Discussion
21 repliesI also posted on Calphoto.com, so this might be a duplicate for some of you.
After a 20yr haitus, I'm planning a backpacking trip and looking for
recommendations. In my teens and early twenties, I didn't have any
problems going on a few 30+mile hikes including the Eastern Sierra,
the Trinity Alps and in Glacier. I'm now 47 and out of shape.
Recently I got out the treadmill, been riding my bike and going on
some local hikes to get in shape and break in some new boots. I'm
going to need at least another 3weeks or a month of some decent
conditioning. I'll be going with my 19yr old son, who has never been
backpacking and is one of my motivations to get him out there to
experience the backcountry (and switchbacks!)
Having said that, I'm looking for a easy to moderate, short trip
(less than about 8 miles round trip. I'm not too interested in the
western side, although I'm sure there are more options. I'm hoping to
get recommendations on the east side where the trailhead is already
pretty high in elevation and you can fairly quickly get in to the
high country.
I've also been looking at starting points off of Sonora, Ebbetts and Carson passes.
Another reason for a short, "easy" trip is that I'll be lugging my
4x5 in to the wilderness. So another requirement for this trip would
be to also have granite peaks, a lake, and general gorgeous alpine
scenery. (I want my cake and eat it too!)
I've considered both the Saddlebag and Desolation wilderness areas.
Easy access with the water taxies. My last backpacking trip was in
Desolation. These will be my last choice as I know these areas are
highly traveled and it's not likely we could find ourselves alone and
in peace.
Anyway, if anyone has any trip recommendations with the info I've
mentioned, I would appreciate it very much.
Thanks,
Lon
One of my favorites is the Baboon Lakes in Sabrina Basin. You start from Lake Sabrina, skirt around the lake then up the slope to Blue Lake. The trail is good and not terribly steep. Once you get to Blue Lake, cross the outlet. The main trail goes to Dingleberry Lake and beyond. There is a good use trail that skirts Blue Lake on its west side that goes to Baboon Lakes and beyond.
You will be very near the Thompson Ridge. The lakes are small and offer excellent opportunities for reflection shots. Further on is Sunset Lake under Mount Thompson. It is a fair size glacial lake the color of light jade. It is very 'alpine'!
If you do this hike, start very early in the morning. The east side of Sabrina is dry and brushy and really cooks when the sun is hitting it.
This would be nice trip fro your son and great for photography! The scenery is sublime.
Enjoy!
-PB
Little Lakes Valley is a nice hike, its at the end of Rock Creek Canyon.
-PB
-PB
I checked the web on some of the places like Baboon Lake, Kearsarge pass, etc., and they seem a bit more than I'd like to tackle for now.
Greg, I checked your work as well and it's outstanding! Welcome to CANP!
Thanks!
Lon
rockcreek
sierra info
thanks for the trip Preston!
If you camp at Chickenfoot, doing a day hike over to the Treasure Lakes is well within reason. Also, there is a wonderful view of LLV from the summit of Morgan Pass.
View from Morgan Pass: Little Lakes Valley and the Ruby Wall
Richard is on target, here: "LLV is easy as long as you are acclimated". The Mosquito Flat trail hesd is very high (10,000+). My advice would be to spend a night at Rock Creek Lake in order to acclimatize and then hit the trail very early in the morning.
From a photo standpoint, LLV trends north to south. Therefore, the best time to shoot the peaks is at sunrise. Late afternoon-early evening light will give nice shots of Bear Creek Spire.
Lon, you will have a blast!
-PB
Lon
When you first arrive at altitude, stay mildly active. Move around, take a few short, easy walks, etc. You'll likely feel pretty sluggish. Don't go to sleep. You want to move around to get as much oxygen as you can, to keep your heart rate up a tad for better circulation and also to blow off carbon dioxide and lactic acid buildup.
Stay hydrated, but don't overdo it You'll lose a cup an hour of body water just sitting!
Eat light, easily digestible foods, in small doses. Avoid fatty foods. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol since these are diuretics that will hasten water loss..
If you get a headache, take one regular aspirin with a little food and water. This does two things. It thins the blood and reduces stress on blood vessels. When you are acclimatizing, your blood hemoglobin levels start to increase to grab more oxygen, and your electrolyte balance shifts. Your blood thickens as a result. The aspirin really helps if your doctor says it's ok for you take it, since some folks don't tolerate it well.
If you do experience the signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, the only cure is to return to a lower altitude as quickly as possible..
If you are unfamiliar with the signs, symptoms and treatment of altitude-related illnesses, I suggest doing some research into them. It will be time well spent.
-PB
The local paper(Inyo Register) has reported a couple SAR stories the last coupe months. Several had to do with hikers/backpackers with AMS-Acute Mountain Sickness, which is of the severe kind. Preston's suggestions are sound advice!!
thanks for the sound advice. I will carry that info with me. I'm not overly concerned since I've been backpacking and been to high elevations (White Mountains), etc. and haven't had problems. Of course that was in my 20's.... now I'm in my 40's, so it will always be safe to be cautious and informed.
Cory - SAR? oh, let me guess, Search and Rescue. Took me a sec to figure it out.
Lon
Most folks usually get sick from going too high, too quickly, as Cory relates. The generally accepted rule is 1000-1500 feet per day in elevation gain when backpacking and camping overnight. I've hiked Mount Whitney in a day (6000 feet gain). I felt somewhat crummy when I got to the summit, but felt much better as I descended. If I had stayed on the summit, I'd have left my lunch there!
Just take it slowly and have a good time! That's what it's all about, anyway. Right?
-PB
The only downside it that LLV gets crowded, especially with day-hikers. It is very accessible and easy, hence the people. But still worth it.