After seeing Anish's great shot of Moonlight Falls in Sabrina Basin I wanted to ask if any of you have done hikes (day or overnight) in this area? I did some additional research and found some killer images of the lakes and peaks up there including Hungry Packer Lake, Sailor Lake, Midnight Lake, Blue Lake and Emerald Lakes.
Looks like some nice places indeed, though the Sierra, particularly the East side, has got loads of places like that
I've never been, so I can't attest to the effort required... but instead of giving you a fish, I'll teach ya how
6-8 miles with less than 2k elevation gain that doesn't go above 10k feet is about a full day backpacking endeavor for a moderately active person. A rough time estimate for a comfortable pace is 2 miles/hr, then add 2-3 miles for every 1k feet of elevation change. So for an 8 mile walk with 2k feet up you're effectively going about 12-14 miles, which is 6-7 hrs, throw in an hour for lunch and you've got an 8 hour day. Now you can go see how many miles and elevation change the trip is, and you can find out roughly how long it'll take you. Of course, the time may vary wildly depending on how fit you are, and what your pack weight is. Every pound does count, and a pack weight under 35lbs is tough to achieve with camera gear, but makes a huge difference.
Easiest way to figure out the distance from a map, is to use a string and lay it along the trail (you'll need a good topo), then you can use the scale at the bottom to get a pretty accurate distance from the string.
Posted by Steve Sieren on July 7, 2009 at 11:31 PM
Derek, If you're not sure I'd start with no more than 4 miles and keep it under 1000k feet of elevation gain. Most of the time your first few trips you might be carrying too much stuff. The higher you start out at the harder it will be. Walking up White Mountain is a great way to evalutate your high altitude readiness and you can squeeze in a lot of bristlecones shots. Did that once and walked up Whitney 2 weeks later with 26lbs of gear and made it back down in about 24 hours. Starting out easier always helps and keeps disappointment further away.
The trail head at Subrina starts at around 10K and by the looks of the photos linked to all the lakes have trees and the tree line in that area varies up to around 11,700 or something close so your under 2k of elevation gain.
It sounds like one I could manage in a day based on your description of the distance + altitude gain.
I guess I would consider myself in moderate condition (relative I know) after my hiking in Yosemite including the Mist Trail to Nevada Falls and the John Muir Trail above (rated strenuous day hike). Of course my backpack was a lot lighter than an overnight pack. And the Sierras are higher in elevation.
I guess another difficulty in the Eastern Sierras in getting an overnight permit. I have heard they get snatched up during prime time which is now thru Sept. In that case a rigorous day hilke may be the best option. One could always start in the dark in the early AM for morning light. I used to do that in CO in the Winter snow. The tricky part with night hiking is that you are better off doing it with trails you are familiar with. Hmm...
Even a day hike to several of the closer lakes in the basin looks nice like Blue Lake, Emerald Lakes and possibly Dingleberry.
Steve, based on your description Hungry Packer Lake/Sailor Lake may be a bit much for the first day. The good thing is this whole hike is very scenic. So I guess I could stop at various points depending on the level of difficulty, effects of altitude and weight of the pack.
Yeah, I can imagine the pack makes a huge difference. And keeping it light is a big challenge, epecially for the newbie the first few times out.
Some very sound advice from both Steve and Floris. Since I'm still sore from the hike, I can tell you all about it! Floris' guidelines for estimating time/difficulty are very accurate and useful. I think your level of fitness is probably the single biggest factor in evaluating the suitability of a particluar hike. I did the hike to Sailor Lake 3 years ago and made the 8 miles up on Saturday and back down on Sunday with no problems. This past weekend I divided the 8 mile climb over two days and was utterly exhausted after 5 miles the first day, simply because I'm not in the shape I was in earlier. Don't underestimate the altitude. Steve's recommendation to start with 4 miles and 1k ft is a good one. You want to arrive with the energy to enjoy the scenery. Blue Lake (at 10,400') is the first destination on this hike and it's a tough 5 miles and 1400' gain. From Blue Lake, you can reasonably reach any destination in the Sabrina basin on your second day. Most of the upper lakes are around 11,000'-11,500'. Sailor, Hungry Packer and Moonlight (and Moonlight Falls) are close to each other so that area would be a good choice for your final destinaton.
Like Floris said, there are many amazing places on the East Side. Sabrina to Blue Lake looks straight forward on a map, but it's a circuitous trail with a lot of switchbacks and knee jarring rock steps. I've backpacked there 4 times now and I can tell you it's not one of the easiest trails. But if you're up to it, it's well worth the effort. Feel free to email me with any specific questions.
Wow,
Anish thanks for providing such detailed and specific info regarding this particular hike!
Its great to hear from your experiences, especially since you inspired my initial quest.
I was thinking of doing this hike or possibly the Thousand Island Lakes area. Of course I know as a newbie the more advice and insight in the particulars of a region the better.
Thanks again!
BTW, do you have a website? I really enjoy the images you have posted.
Hi Derek,
No, I don't have a website yet. I've been meaning to make one for a while now, and hopefully will get to it within the next few weeks. I'm glad you've enjoyed my work.
Have you backpacked at high elevations (10,000'+) before? If not, I would strongly recommend starting with an easier hike. I wouldn't say Sabrina is one of the hardest, but there are a few others I might consider for your first trip. Trust me, if you fall in love like I did on my first backpack, you'll be doing this the rest of your life, so plenty of time to hike all the trails you want! Let me know if you have any questions.
I've been to most of those places. Getting there in one day is not hard. There's a stiff climb to blue lake which you can do in half a day, but from there it's easy. And, it's so pretty up there. I found wild roses, strawberries, and fawns.
Derek, thanks for the link to Susanne Riehemann. I've seen a few pictures from there but haven't gotten the whole picture before. Definitely needs to be on my list of places to go.
You might want to look into the Carson Pass area as a warm-up trip. I've heard the wildflowers are great, peak in July, walk-in wilderness permits only and it's not a 7 hour drive. I'm thinking about going up there some time soon.
And damn this thread for reminding me to buy a lighter tent!!
EDIT: I recall from somewhere that you're in the Bay Area, otherwise Carson Pass probably isn't a great alternative.
The nice thing about Sabrina basin is that it has lots of places along the way where you can stop if you can't tackle any more. Should you get up there, Hungry Packer Lake is a worthwhile destination (Picture Peak towering over the lake is a site!). Don't get stuck on one place though, the Sierra has an incredible amount to offer, and choosing one trip over another depends upon a lot of things...such as whether you are going solo, how much you plan on carrying, experience, whether you like to physically punish yourself, etc... in addition to other factors such as weather, mosquitos, snow, etc...if you are looking for an easier, 'kick back' trip look into 20 Lakes Basin or Little Lakes Valley.
Floris' estimate for speed is spot on and a good rule of thumb for estimating hiking times, but you should also take into account elevation and fitness. If you aren't used to spending time at +10k elevations, make sure you acclimate first.
Since you are a self-described 'newbie', I suggest that you not go alone to start out. The Sierra is called the 'Gentle Wilderness', but I (and I'm sure some of the others who have replied to your question) have experienced conditions of terrain or weather that is anything but 'gentle'. So, arrange to go with someone who is skilled and whom you know and trust. You'll be glad you did, I believe.
Given your experience, I would suggest Little Lakes Valley. Although the trailhead is high, the hike in is fairly easy, with minimal elevation gain, because you're already in the hanging valley at the trailhead. It is a heavily used area, though, so you'll need to reserve a wilderness permit in advance. I suggest that you camp in Rock Creek Canyon, or at the small trailhead campground at Mosquito Flat the night before you start to hike. Doing so will help you get acclimatized, and will make a big difference.
I have wandered all over the Sabrina Basin; hiking and climbing. It is indeed a marvelous place! I agree with the others who say that the hike up to Blue Lake from Lake Sabrina is not a cake-walk, so I would not do it as a 'kick-off' trip.
Another option is the Emigrant Wilderness in The Stanislaus NF. You would access it via the Sonora Pass Highway (108) at either Gianelli Cabin or Kennedy Meadows. It is gorgeous country and, since it is not as high or as steep as the East Side, the hiking is somewhat easier. Since you are in the Monterey area, this may be a really viable option for you.
Discussion
12 repliesAfter seeing Anish's great shot of Moonlight Falls in Sabrina Basin I wanted to ask if any of you have done hikes (day or overnight) in this area? I did some additional research and found some killer images of the lakes and peaks up there including Hungry Packer Lake, Sailor Lake, Midnight Lake, Blue Lake and Emerald Lakes.
Here is trip report with nice pictures on Susanne Riehemann's website here:
http://doors.stanford.edu/~sr/sabrina-2006/
Wow, what awesome places! So for a rank amateur backpacker how hard would it be reaching some of these places?
Thanks for any ideas or tips regarding this area.
Derek
I've never been, so I can't attest to the effort required... but instead of giving you a fish, I'll teach ya how
6-8 miles with less than 2k elevation gain that doesn't go above 10k feet is about a full day backpacking endeavor for a moderately active person. A rough time estimate for a comfortable pace is 2 miles/hr, then add 2-3 miles for every 1k feet of elevation change. So for an 8 mile walk with 2k feet up you're effectively going about 12-14 miles, which is 6-7 hrs, throw in an hour for lunch and you've got an 8 hour day. Now you can go see how many miles and elevation change the trip is, and you can find out roughly how long it'll take you. Of course, the time may vary wildly depending on how fit you are, and what your pack weight is. Every pound does count, and a pack weight under 35lbs is tough to achieve with camera gear, but makes a huge difference.
Easiest way to figure out the distance from a map, is to use a string and lay it along the trail (you'll need a good topo), then you can use the scale at the bottom to get a pretty accurate distance from the string.
The trail head at Subrina starts at around 10K and by the looks of the photos linked to all the lakes have trees and the tree line in that area varies up to around 11,700 or something close so your under 2k of elevation gain.
It sounds like one I could manage in a day based on your description of the distance + altitude gain.
I guess I would consider myself in moderate condition (relative I know) after my hiking in Yosemite including the Mist Trail to Nevada Falls and the John Muir Trail above (rated strenuous day hike). Of course my backpack was a lot lighter than an overnight pack. And the Sierras are higher in elevation.
I guess another difficulty in the Eastern Sierras in getting an overnight permit. I have heard they get snatched up during prime time which is now thru Sept. In that case a rigorous day hilke may be the best option. One could always start in the dark in the early AM for morning light. I used to do that in CO in the Winter snow. The tricky part with night hiking is that you are better off doing it with trails you are familiar with. Hmm...
Even a day hike to several of the closer lakes in the basin looks nice like Blue Lake, Emerald Lakes and possibly Dingleberry.
Derek
Yeah, I can imagine the pack makes a huge difference. And keeping it light is a big challenge, epecially for the newbie the first few times out.
Thanks for the insight.
Derek
Like Floris said, there are many amazing places on the East Side. Sabrina to Blue Lake looks straight forward on a map, but it's a circuitous trail with a lot of switchbacks and knee jarring rock steps. I've backpacked there 4 times now and I can tell you it's not one of the easiest trails. But if you're up to it, it's well worth the effort. Feel free to email me with any specific questions.
Anish thanks for providing such detailed and specific info regarding this particular hike!
Its great to hear from your experiences, especially since you inspired my initial quest.
I was thinking of doing this hike or possibly the Thousand Island Lakes area. Of course I know as a newbie the more advice and insight in the particulars of a region the better.
Thanks again!
BTW, do you have a website? I really enjoy the images you have posted.
Derek
No, I don't have a website yet. I've been meaning to make one for a while now, and hopefully will get to it within the next few weeks. I'm glad you've enjoyed my work.
Have you backpacked at high elevations (10,000'+) before? If not, I would strongly recommend starting with an easier hike. I wouldn't say Sabrina is one of the hardest, but there are a few others I might consider for your first trip. Trust me, if you fall in love like I did on my first backpack, you'll be doing this the rest of your life, so plenty of time to hike all the trails you want! Let me know if you have any questions.
There is this page here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/otheravail.shtml
Which shows Sabrina TH isn't that busy but it's outdated by a month. I'd guess you can do this hike, but be prepared to be in some pain on day 2 :)
You might want to look into the Carson Pass area as a warm-up trip. I've heard the wildflowers are great, peak in July, walk-in wilderness permits only and it's not a 7 hour drive. I'm thinking about going up there some time soon.
And damn this thread for reminding me to buy a lighter tent!!
EDIT: I recall from somewhere that you're in the Bay Area, otherwise Carson Pass probably isn't a great alternative.
Floris' estimate for speed is spot on and a good rule of thumb for estimating hiking times, but you should also take into account elevation and fitness. If you aren't used to spending time at +10k elevations, make sure you acclimate first.
Since you are a self-described 'newbie', I suggest that you not go alone to start out. The Sierra is called the 'Gentle Wilderness', but I (and I'm sure some of the others who have replied to your question) have experienced conditions of terrain or weather that is anything but 'gentle'. So, arrange to go with someone who is skilled and whom you know and trust. You'll be glad you did, I believe.
Given your experience, I would suggest Little Lakes Valley. Although the trailhead is high, the hike in is fairly easy, with minimal elevation gain, because you're already in the hanging valley at the trailhead. It is a heavily used area, though, so you'll need to reserve a wilderness permit in advance. I suggest that you camp in Rock Creek Canyon, or at the small trailhead campground at Mosquito Flat the night before you start to hike. Doing so will help you get acclimatized, and will make a big difference.
I have wandered all over the Sabrina Basin; hiking and climbing. It is indeed a marvelous place! I agree with the others who say that the hike up to Blue Lake from Lake Sabrina is not a cake-walk, so I would not do it as a 'kick-off' trip.
Another option is the Emigrant Wilderness in The Stanislaus NF. You would access it via the Sonora Pass Highway (108) at either Gianelli Cabin or Kennedy Meadows. It is gorgeous country and, since it is not as high or as steep as the East Side, the hiking is somewhat easier. Since you are in the Monterey area, this may be a really viable option for you.
Have fun, but be safe!
-Preston