9th EDITION SIERRA NORTH KATHY MOREY & MIKE WHITE WILDERNESS PRESS B A C K C O U N T R Y T R I P S I N C A L I F O R N I A S S I E R R A N E V A D A

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1 SIERRA NORTH B A C K C O U N T R Y T R I P S I N C A L I F O R N I A S S I E R R A N E V A D A 9th EDITION KATHY MOREY & MIKE WHITE with STACY CORLESS & THOMAS WINNETT WILDERNESS PRESS

4 SIERRA NORTH BACKCOUNTRY TRIPS IN CALIFORNIA S SIERRA NEVADA 9th EDITION KATHY MOREY & MIKE WHITE with STACY CORLESS & THOMAS WINNETT WILDERNESS PRESS BERKELEY, CA

5 Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California s Sierra Nevada 1st EDITION May nd EDITION May rd EDITION January th EDITION May th EDITION June th EDITION May th EDITION May th EDITION June th EDITION July nd printing February rd printing July 2009 Copyright 1967, 1971, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1997, 2002, 2005 by Wilderness Press Front cover photo copyright 2005 by Dan Patitucci/PatitucciPhoto Interior photos, except where noted, by Kathy Morey Maps: Bart Wright/Fineline Maps Book & cover design: Larry B. Van Dyke Book editor: Eva Dienel ISBN Manufactured in the United States of America Published by: Wilderness Press th Street Berkeley, CA (800) ; FAX (510) info@wildernesspress.com Visit our website for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Cover photo: Young Lakes camp at sunset Frontispiece: Tilden Creek Falls (Trip 40) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews. SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions and know your own limitations.

6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My thanks as always to my husband, Ed Schwartz, for his support. My thanks to Tom Winnett for inspiration, opportunity, and guidance. I'm grateful to my co-authors for their enthusiasm and support during this project. Thanks also to (in alphabetical order) J. Brian Anderson, Walt Lehmann, Steven K. Schuster, and Marshalle F. Wells for the fine photos they generously submitted. I would like also to acknowledge the forebearance of the longsuffering staff at Wilderness Press, particularly Eva Dienel and Roslyn Bullas. KM Working with Kathy Morey on this project proved to be quite enjoyable. As usual, thanks go to Eva Dienel and the staff at Wilderness Press for their stellar efforts. I greatly appreciated the company of Dan Palmer and Bob Redding on the trail. MW I would like to thank Kathy Morey for her hard work and for her guidance; my husband, Charlie Byrne; Debbie Clausen, for hiking; and Mark Clausen, for prompt Tuolumne pick-up. SC v

7 Sierra North 80 Tahoe National Forest Soda Springs Truckee Granite Tahoe Chief City Wilderness Lake Tahoe Mt. Rose Wilderness Incline Village Virginia City 341 Carson City 50 Silver Springs Murphys Angels Camp Jamestown Arnold Don Pedro Lake Eldorado National Forest Sonora Lake McClure Desolation Wilderness Stateline 7 South Lake 88 Tahoe 9 Echo Summit Meyers Kyburz Kirkwood Markleeville Carson Pass Calaveras Big Trees State Park Strawberry Pinecrest Groveland 49 Bear Valley 22 Lake Alpine 108 Mi-Wuk Village Twain Harte 120 Coulterville Mokelumne Wilderness Stanislaus National Forest El Portal Minden Gardnerville Ebbetts Pass Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Emigrant Wilderness Sierra National Forest Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Walker Yosemite National Park Sonora Pass Yerington 338 N e v a d a C a l i f o r n i a Yosemite Valley 67 Glacier Point Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest Hoover Wilderness Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest Bridgeport Tioga Pass 120 Tuolumne Meadows Ansel Adams Wilderness 167 Mono Lee Lake Vining June Lake Devils Postpile National Monument Bodie Mammoth Lakes Mariposa 49 Fish Camp Sierra National Forest John Muir Wilderness 99 Merced 140 Oakhurst miles kilometers vi

8 CONTENTS Acknowledgments Sierra North Locator Map Going High to Get High By Thomas Winnett, Wilderness Press Founder Trip Cross-Reference Table v vi xi xii Introduction 1 Updates for the Ninth Edition 1 Care and Enjoyment of the Mountains 2 Safety and Well Being 3 The Bear Problem 6 Maps and Profiles 9 How to Use This Book 10 US Interstate 80 Trips 15 Castle Peak Trailhead 17 1 Paradise Lake 17 2 Castle Peak Wilderness Loop 19 State Highway 89 Trips 23 Powderhorn Trailhead 25 3 Bear Pen 25 4 Whisky Creek Camp 26 5 Barker Pass 28 Meeks Bay Trailhead 31 6 Tahoe-Yosemite Trail Section 1: 31 To Echo Summit Bayview Trailhead 41 7 Upper Velma Lake 41 Big Meadow Trailhead 43 8 Carson Pass West 43 US Highway 50 Trips 47 Twin Lakes Trailhead 49 9 Island Lake 49 Echo Summit Trailhead Tahoe-Yosemite Trail Section 2: 53 To Carson Pass West vii

9 State Highway 88 Trips 57 Silver Lake Granite Lake Trailhead Long Lake 59 Thunder Mountain Trailhead Scout Carson Lake Summit City Canyon Mokelumne River Silver Lake Granite Lake Trailhead 68 Woods Lake Trailhead Round Top Lake 73 Carson Pass West Trailhead Showers Lake Echo Summit Trailhead 78 Carson Pass East Trailhead Fourth of July Lake Tahoe-Yosemite Trail Section 3: 84 To Lake Alpine Silver Valley Trailhead Upper Blue Lake Granite Lake Trailhead Grouse Lake 91 State Highway 4 Trips 93 Lake Alpine Silver Valley Trailhead Tahoe-Yosemite Trail Section 4: 95 To Clark Fork Mosquito Lakes Trailhead Stanislaus Meadow Trailhead 99 High Trail Trailhead Soda Springs Wolf Creek Meadows Sonora Pass Poison Lake 112 State Highway 108 Trips 115 Crabtree Camp Trailhead Deer Lake Pingree Lake 118 Gianelli Cabin Trailhead Y Meadow Lake Wire Lakes Crabtree Camp Trailhead Kennedy Meadow 126 Iceberg Meadow Trailhead Tahoe-Yosemite Trail Section 5: 129 To Saint Marys Pass Trailhead viii

10 Kennedy Meadow Trailhead Summit Creek Emigrant Meadow Lake Emigrant Lake Cow Meadow Lake Gianelli Cabin Tahoe-Yosemite Trail Section 6: 142 To Tuolumne Meadows Leavitt Meadows Trailhead Fremont Lake Cinko Lake Dorothy Lake Tower Lake Buckeye Forks 161 State Highway 120 Trips 165 Hetch Hetchy Trailhead Rancheria Creek Tiltill Valley 168 White Wolf Trailhead Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne 171 Tenaya Lake Trailhead Sunrise High Sierra Camp Yosemite Valley Happy Isles Trailhead 180 Cathedral Lakes Trailhead Upper Cathedral Lake Sunrise High Sierra Camp Lyell Canyon-PCT/JMT Trailhead Tenaya Lake Yosemite Valley Happy Isles Trailhead 193 Elizabeth Lake Trailhead Nelson Lake 197 Lembert Dome Trailhead Young Lakes 201 Lyell Canyon-PCT/JMT Trailhead Lyell Canyon Vogelsang High Sierra Camp Emeric Lake Lyell Fork Merced River Triple Peak Fork Merced River 214 Mono Pass Trailhead Alger Lakes 219 Saddlebag Lake Trailhead Lakes Basin Loop Lower McCabe Lake Tuolumne Meadows 229 ix

11 Western Yosemite Trips 231 Happy Isles Trailhead Merced Lake 233 Bridalveil Creek Trailhead Royal Arch Lake Glacier Point Panorama Trailhead Yosemite Valley Happy Isles Trailhead 241 Glacier Point Panorama Trailhead Merced Lake Rutherford Lake Granite Creek Campground 250 US Highway 395 Trips 255 Corral Valley Trailhead Lower Fish Valley Ebbetts Pass Lake Alpine Silver Valley Trailhead 265 Twin Lakes Trailhead Peeler Lake Buckeye Forks Crown Lake Upper Piute Creek Peeler Lake via Kerrick Meadow Benson Lake Smedberg Lake 281 Green Creek Roadend Trailhead East Lake Virginia Lakes Campground Tuolumne Meadows 288 Index 291 Map Index 299 About the Authors 300 x

GOING HIGH TO GET HIGH By Thomas Winnett,Wilderness Press Founder As I write this, it is nearly 40 years since we at Wilderness Press held a celebration to promote the first edition of Sierra North,

12 GOING HIGH TO GET HIGH By Thomas Winnett,Wilderness Press Founder As I write this, it is nearly 40 years since we at Wilderness Press held a celebration to promote the first edition of Sierra North, a one-of-a-kind book Karl Schwenke and I wrote to recommend 100 of the best backpacking trips into the northern Sierra. It was the summer of 1967, and we celebrated in the backcountry with a high-altitude cocktail party. We invited everyone we thought would help get the word out about the book people from the Sierra Club, outdoor writers, and friends. We held it in August, in Dusy Basin, in the eastern Sierra, 8 miles from the nearest car. The hike went over a 12,000- foot pass, so we were delighted when 15 people showed up. It was a real party. We used snow to make our martinis, ate hors d oeuvres, and spent the night. In a mention of the event, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen wondered, How high can you get to get high? It was a spectacular occasion not only because we were launching the book, but because we were starting a new company. We founded Wilderness Press in Karl, a backpacking friend of mine, and I had been complaining about how hard it was to get accurate information about the out of doors. At the time, there were only one or two guidebooks to the Sierra our favorite place so we decided to write our own. We planned to create pre-packaged trips that specified which trails to take and where to stop each night. We would do a series of small books, each covering a 15-minute quadrangle, and they would be called the Knapsacker/Packer Guide Series. In the summer of 1966, we started doing the field research. Our approach was simple: We wanted to accurately describe where the trails lead and what was there. On my scouting trips, I carried more than your average backpacker. In addition to all the standard gear, I packed two cameras, two natural history books to help me indentify flowers and birds, and my Telmar tape recorder. The tape recorder ran about half the speed of the recording devices that are available today, and I d walk along, dictating into the microphone everything I thought our customers would be interested in reading. So in addition to the basics how to get to where you start walking, where to go, and the best campsites we also described what we saw, the animals, flowers, birds, and trees. By the end of the summer, we had enough material to cover most of the trails in the northern Sierra, so we published a book of 100 trails and called it Sierra North. We decided orange would be the official color of Wilderness Press, so we used an orange cover with some illustrations of bighorn sheep and mountains sketched by my wife, Lu. That first edition sold like the proverbial hotcakes; we sold out our entire print run of 3000 books. Since then, this book has sold more than 150,000 copies, and it gives me great joy to see it in its ninth edition. As I think back to that high-altitude cocktail party in 1967, I wonder how many people have used this book to go high to get high in the Sierra. I have personally walked more than 2000 miles in this most beautiful of mountain ranges, and although I can t do that anymore, I am still hooked on the experience the splendid isolation, the scenery that really lights up your eyeballs, the strength you feel climbing with the weight of your pack on your back, the myriad trout. I hope this guidebook hooks you, too. xi

13 TRIP CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE TRIP TRIP TYPE BEST SEASON HIKING MILEAGE RECOMMENDED NO. OUT & BACK SHUTTLE LOOP SEMI-LOOP EARLY MID LATE DAYS FOR BEGINNERS xii / /

14 TRIP TRIP TYPE BEST SEASON HIKING MILEAGE RECOMMENDED NO. OUT & BACK SHUTTLE LOOP SEMI-LOOP EARLY MID LATE DAYS FOR BEGINNERS / / xiii

15 The Iceberg (Trip 34) xiv

16 INTRODUCTION Welcome to what we think is just about the most spectacular mountain range in the contiguous 48 states. The Sierra Nevada is a hiker s paradise filled with huge wilderness areas, hundreds of miles of trails, thousands of lakes, countless rugged peaks and canyons, vast forests, giant Sequoias, and terrain ranging from deep, forested river valleys to sublime, treeless alpine country. Updates for the Ninth Edition Welcome, too, to the ninth edition of Wilderness Press s flagship book, Sierra North. For this edition, we have some new co-authors as well as some exciting new elements that we think make this book better than ever before. Foremost among them is an expanded territory: Sierra North now spans existing and proposed wilderness areas from just north of I- 80, south through Hwy. 120 and the rest of Yosemite National Park, and trailheads off Hwy. 395 between highways 108 and 120. (Sierra South, this book's companion, covers the Sierra south of Yosemite, including the Kern Plateau, Mt. Whitney, and the Great Western Divide.) We have also reorganized this book, dividing it into major road sections so you can easily locate your favorite part of the northern Sierra. Each road section includes trailheads that serve as starting points for the many individual trips in the book. Additionally, each trailhead now includes a map showing every trip launching from that point, and each trip still includes an elevation profile. We ve also incorporated Global Positioning System (GPS) data as UTM coordinates into our trips for GPS users. Measuring distances in the backcountry is more an art than a science. We use decimal fractions for indicating distances, but don t imagine that we measured them to the tenths and hundredths of miles. The numbers represent our best estimates of distance based on techniques like the time it took us to get from point to point. You can t represent thirds accurately as decimal fractions, so we use 0.3 for one third and 0.6 for two thirds. If you have used previous editions of Sierra North, you ll find many of your old favorite trips and, we hope, discover news ones as well. We have incorporated into this new edition an old favorite, the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail (TYT), 186 beautiful and adventurous miles from Lake Tahoe s Meeks Bay to Yosemite s Tuolumne Meadows. It s a worthy complement to, yet a very different experience from, the famed John Muir Trail (JMT) to the south. We treat the TYT in six legs (sections) from north to south. It s our hope that this new edition will help you enjoy our magnificent northern Sierra as well as give you an incentive to work to preserve it. We appreciate hearing from our readers. Many of the changes and updates for this edition are a direct result of readers requests. Please let us know what did and didn t work for you in this new edition and about corrections you find. We re at th St., Berkeley, CA 94710; mail@wildernesspress.com; ; ; fax Please visit us online at 1

17 2 SIERRA NORTH Care and Enjoyment of the Mountains Be a Good Guest The Sierra is home the only home to a spectacular array of plants and animals. We humans are merely guests uninvited ones at that. Be a careful, considerate guest in this grandest of Nature s homes. About a million people camp in the Sierra wilderness each year. The vast majority of us care about the wilderness and try to protect it, but it is threatened by some who still need to learn the art of living lightly on the land. The solution depends on each of us. We can minimize our impact. The saying Take only memories (or photos), leave only footprints, sums it up. Learn to Go Light John Muir, traveling along the crest of the Sierra in the 1870s with little more that his overcoat and his pockets full of biscuits was the archetype. Muir s example may be too extreme for many, but we think he might have appreciated modern lightweight equipment and food as a great convenience. A lot of the stuff that goes into the mountains is burdensome, harmful to the wilderness, or just plain annoying to other people seeking peace and solitude. Please leave behind anything that is obtrusive or that can be used to modify the terrain: gas lanterns, radios, hatchets, gigantic tents, etc. Carry Out Your Trash You packed that foil and those cans and bags in when full; you can pack them out empty. Never litter or bury your trash. Anglers, take all your lures, bait, and monofilament out with you. Don t leave fishing line tangled over the trees, shrubs, and logs. We recommend you use biodegradable fishing line. Sanitation Eliminate body wastes at least 100 feet, and preferably 200 feet, from lakes, streams, trails, and campsites. Bury feces at least 6 inches deep wherever possible. Intestinal pathogens can survive for years in feces when they re buried, but burial reduces the chances that critters will come in contact with them and carry pathogens into the water. Where burial is not possible due to lack of enough soil or gravel, leave feces where they will receive maximum exposure to heat and sunlight to hasten the destruction of pathogens. Also help reduce the waste problem in the backcountry by packing out your used toilet paper, facial tissues, tampons, sanitary napkins, and diapers. It s easy to carry them out in a heavy-duty, self-sealing plastic bag. Protect the Water Just because something is biodegradable, like some soaps, doesn t mean it s okay to put it in the water. In addition, the fragile sod of meadows, lakeshores, and streamsides is rapidly disappearing from the High Sierra. Pick hard campsites, sandy places that can stand the use. Camp at least 200 feet from water unless that s absolutely impossible; in no case camp closer that 25 feet. Don t make campsite improvements like rock walls, bough beds, new fireplaces, or tent ditches. Avoid Campfires Use a modern, lightweight backpacking stove. (If you use a gas-cartridge stove, be sure to pack your used cartridges out.) Campfires waste a precious resource: wood that would otherwise shelter animals and, upon falling and decaying, return vital nutrients to the soil. Campfires also run the risk of starting forest fires. If your stove fails and you must cook over a campfire in order to survive, here are some guidelines: If possible, camp in an established site with an existing fireplace you can use. If you must build a fireplace, build with efficiency and restoration in mind: two to four

Before you leave, thoroughly extinguish the fire and pour water over the ashes, stirring the ashes to be certain they re cold and wet, and then restore the site by scattering the rocks and filling

18 Introduction 3 medium-sized rocks set parallel along the sides of a narrow, shallow trench in a sandy place. Set the pot on the rocks and over the fire, which you can feed with small sticks and twigs (use only dead and downed wood). Never leave the fire unattended. Before you leave, thoroughly extinguish the fire and pour water over the ashes, stirring the ashes to be certain they re cold and wet, and then restore the site by scattering the rocks and filling the trench. To use a stove or have a campfire where legal, you must have a California Campfire Permit. One such permit is good for the season. Your wilderness permit can double as your California Campfire Permit. If you re taking a trip that doesn t require a wilderness permit, you still need a California Campfire Permit, available at any ranger station. Respect the Wildlife Avoid trampling on nests, burrows, or other homes of animals. Observe all fishing limits and keep shorelines clean and clear of litter. If angling, use biodegradable line and never leave any of it behind. If you come across an animal, just quietly observe it. Above all, don t go near any nesting animals and their young. Get close with binoculars or telephoto lenses. Walt Lehmann Walt Lehmann Deer Grouse Safety and Well Being Hiking in the high country is far safer than driving to the mountains, and a few precautions can shield you from most of the discomforts and dangers that could threaten you. Health Hazards Altitude Sickness: If you normally live at sea level and come to the Sierra to hike, it may take your body several days to acclimate. Starved of your accustomed oxygen, for a few days you may experience shortness of breath even with minimal activity, severe headaches, or nausea. The best solutions are to spend time at altitude before you begin your hike and to plan a very easy first day. On your hike, light, frequent meals are best. Giardia and Cryptosporidium: Giardiasis is a serious gastrointestinal disease caused by a waterborne protozoan, Giardia lamblia. Any mammal (which includes humans) can become infected. It will then excrete live giardia in its feces, from which the protozoan can get into even the most remote sources of water, such as a stream issuing from a glacier. Giardia can survive in snow through the winter and in cold water as a cyst resistant to the usual chemical treatments. Giardiasis can be contracted by drinking untreated water. Symptoms appear two to three weeks after exposure. Cryptosporidium is another, smaller, very hardy pest that causes a disease similar to giardiasis. It s been found in the streams of the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles, and is

California Section I - Page 1. California Section I miles. WACS0948 may be the last. End - Hwy 108 [Sonora Pass], mile 1016.

California Section I - Page 1. California Section I miles. WACS0948 may be the last. End - Hwy 108 [Sonora Pass], mile 1016. California Section I - Page 1 2 8m 2 8m 2 0m 2 91000m 2 92000m 294000m 2 8m 41 9m 41 9m California Section I - 74.4 miles 948 may be the last water northbound until McCabe Start - Hwy 120 [Tuolumne Meadow],