Sierra Club Outings | Seven Gables and Countless Lakes, John Muir Wilderness, California

Seven Gables and Countless Lakes, John Muir Wilderness, California
July 31-August 8, 2009

Highlights:

Hike a challenging cross-country route
Visit spectacular, secluded lake basins
Explore or relax on two planned layover days

Includes:

Great meals for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike
One night pre-trip camping
Group cooking gear and group equipment

Enjoy wilderness solitude on this high, cross-country trek through alpine basins just west of the Sierra Nevada Crest. We will explore Humphreys Basin, in the shadow of 13,986-foot Mt. Humphreys, before traversing French Canyon and crossing 12,360-foot Feather Pass to reach the remote Bear Lakes Basin. Here dozens of secluded lakes are nestled beneath 13,000-foot peaks, dominated by striking Seven Gables. This is all wide-open, above-timberline country that offers countless opportunities for exploring, swimming, or climbing. (Possible climbing destinations include Four Gables, Pilot Knob, Gemini, Seven Gables, and Julius Caeser.) We plan to spend two (maybe three!) layover days in the basins.

Although we will start and finish our journey on major trails, for most of the time in between we will be off-trail -- roughly half of our trip's 35 miles will be on unmaintained trails or cross-country routes. Cross-country travel in the basins is not technical, but there will be enough challenging sections to add some adventure. Altogether, our route includes three cross-country passes and two trail crossings of the Sierra Nevada Crest. All of our planned camps are above 11,000 feet.

Our hike will start at North Lake (9,200 feet elevation) and finish at the Pine Creek trailhead (elevation 7,400 feet), both of which are near Bishop, California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. On the morning of day one we will provide a group breakfast at a nearby campground before driving to the North Lake trailhead. We will station a few cars at the exit trailhead either early this morning or (preferably) the evening before.

Our hiking schedule is not rigid. How far we get each day and where we camp depends on how we feel, the weather and other factors which may be outside of our control. Likewise, our route is not set in stone since we will be hiking off trail for much of the trip. There may be portions of the route that were not scouted by the leaders before the trip -- some scouting will be required during the trip, and flexibility is important. The itinerary described here should be taken as a general plan, and the actual route and schedule may well depart from this plan.

Day 1-2: We cross the Sierra Nevada Crest to Humphreys Basin. We will spend our first layover day here in the basin or in the upper reaches of French Canyon. Both offer numerous choices for exploring peaks, passes, or lakes.

Day 3: We will leave the trail and scramble cross-country over Carol Col (also known as Puppet Pass). Here we plan to make camp on a broad bench overlooking French Canyon.

Day 4: We start the day by descending into French Canyon, where we briefly rejoin a trail before heading off-trail toward Merriam Lake. We will continue past Merriam Lake, most likely stopping at one of the stark-yet-beautiful nameless lakes on the approach to Feather Pass.

Day 5-7: Our goal the fifth day is to cross Feather Pass (12,360 feet) to enter Bear Lakes Basin. If our progress is good, we will take two layover days here (our sixth and seventh days). This beautiful spot offers many wonderful opportunities for exploring, scrambling, swimming or climbing. Weather and conditions permitting, determined and hardy group members should be able to summit Seven Gables to enjoy one of the very best views in the Sierra.

Day 8: We begin our final two days by exiting Bear Lakes Basin over Dancing Bear Pass and making a high traverse to meet the remnants of an unmaintained trail at Italy Pass. Mt. Julius Caesar (13,300+ feet) neighbors the pass immediately to the north and is very climbable, offering still another fine view. We descend through rugged Granite Park to our last camp, located at 11,000 feet among granite slabs and quiet pools.

Day 9: Our final day will be entirely on trail. We will hike past Honeymoon Lake and the Pine Lakes before descending steeply to our cars at the Pine Creek trailhead.

Our trip officially starts at 7 a.m. on the morning of day one. (Although no organized meal is sponsored the previous evening, we invite interested participants to arrive early and join us (at a campsite that the leader will reserve) the night before the trip to socialize, acclimatize, and get ready to start our hike the following morning.

Bishop, California, is located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, about 200 miles from Reno, Nevada; 265 miles from either Las Vegas or Los Angeles; and 300 miles from San Francisco. Trip members arriving from other parts of the country should explore the option of flying to one of these major cities and sharing a rental car or arranging a ride. A trip roster will be sent to all participants well before the trip in order to help facilitate ride sharing. Specific driving directions will also be sent before departure.

We will plan a diverse and appealing menu to accommodate both vegetarians (lacto or lacto-ovo) and non-vegetarians. One leader is vegetarian, the other is not -- they both intend to eat well! Any food allergies or limitations, including being vegetarian, should be indicated to the leader as far in advance of the trip as possible. Responsibility for cooking will be shared among the trip members. Our first meal will be breakfast on the morning of day one. The last meal of the trip will be lunch on the final day of the outing.

This trip is rated Moderate/Strenuous (M/S), but several individual days will be strenuous. Altogether, we will hike about 35 miles, roughly half of which will be off-trail. Off-trail sections of the trip include some relatively flat sections but also some hiking on rough terrain with loose footing. These sections aren't technical, but can be tiring and demanding. Cross-country hiking requires stamina, patience, balance, and good humor. We plan to hike four to 10 miles on travel days, and we intend to take two or three layover days. We will cross three high passes off-trail. We also cross the Sierra Crest once on a major trail and once on a rough, unmaintained trail.

Our elevation gains will be greater than 1,000 feet on most moving days, with the maximum daily gain of 2,200 feet coming on the very first day. The total elevation gain over six planned moving days will be about 6,500 feet. Our greatest elevation loss will be on the final day, when we descend 3,500 feet.

Participation in this outing requires that you be experienced, in shape, and have reasonable expectations for the trip. Recent backpacking experience and very good aerobic conditioning are essential. Experience in cross-country backpacking is not required, but hiking on rough, rocky terrain does require good balance and a patient, tolerant attitude, both of which are requirements for the trip. Our objectives are to enjoy some spectacular country and to complete the trip safely as a group.

A list of suggested personal equipment will be sent to all participants. (If you would like the list before signing up, let the leader know and he will send you a copy.) Each person should keep the weight of personal gear below 25 pounds so that, with the addition of approximately 15 to 20 pounds of commissary equipment and food, total pack weight will be less than 40 to 45 pounds at the start.

We will provide all food and cooking equipment, although you must bring your own eating utensils. Some of the group equipment is relatively bulky, particularly pot sets and bear canisters. Your pack should be sufficiently large to carry an item about the size of a full paper grocery bag in addition to your personal gear.

A couple of additional remarks on shelter and rain gear -- although Sierra summers are generally dry, you still must be prepared for rain. For shelter, tents are strongly encouraged, and lightweight waterproof tarps are the required minimum. Where possible, we will help participants contact other trip members who want to share shelters. For rain gear, you should bring a waterproof jacket and rainpants rather than a poncho.

Please plan on bringing your own map and compass. Not only is this a matter of safety, but you will have a better appreciation of where we are going and where we have been. The USGS 7.5-rninute Mt. Hilgard, Mt. Tom, and Mt. Darwin quadrangles together cover the entire trip. USGS maps can be ordered on-line at www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Alternatives include the map of the John Muir Wilderness put out by the U.S. Forest Service or the Mono Divide High Country map published by Tom Harrison Maps (www.tomharrisonmaps.com).

For part of our trip we may see native Mountain Yellow-legged frogs, a species that has declined in numbers by about 90% over the past century. Before the impact of man, these frogs occupied thousands of high Sierra lakes. You may find it interesting to read about Mountain Yellow-legged frogs at www.mylfrog.info.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines "wilderness" as "an area where the earth and its community are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor." This important act first established the National Wilderness Preservation System, originally protecting nine million acres of national forest lands. Today some 106 million acres are encompassed by the system, including the John Muir Wilderness, where we will be "visitors" for most of our nine-day trip.

The magnificent wildlands of the Eastern Sierra are home to over 35% of California's native species, 200 endemic plants and unique animals, and some of the most spectacular scenery and recreational opportunities in the world. Upwards of 90% of the land in the Eastern Sierra is public land managed either by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service. However, although much of the high and mountainous portion of the Eastern Sierra, such as the region we visit on our trip, has been designated as Wilderness, the vast majority of these Eastern Sierra public lands still do not have Wilderness designation. This land where the desert meets the mountains deserves diligent protection.

In recent years, local volunteers, working together with conservation organizations, have developed modest proposals to permanently protect the remaining wild gems of the Eastern Sierra. These areas were included in a bill first introduced in 2002 by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer -- the California Wild Heritage Act, which seeks to protect remaining wildlands across the state. More recently, the Eastern Sierra Rural Heritage and Economic Enhancement Act, introduced in April 2006 by Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon, seeks specifically to protect Eastern Sierra Wildlands. This bill contains nearly one-third of all the lands in the statewide Wild Heritage bill.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Growing up on a farm in the flatlands of rural Iowa, Tom Miller enjoyed the outdoors, but there weren't any mountains nearby to explore. It wasn't until 1985 when he joined some friends for a week in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming that he had a chance to go backpacking�-he was hooked immediately. Since then Tom has backpacked in much of the West. His first Sierra Club outing was as a participant on a 1989 backpacking trip to the Arctic Wildlife Refugee. In more recent years he's served as either assistant or leader for a number of national Sierra Club backpacking outings.

Michael Cadigan has backpacked with various Sierra Club groups since 1991. He has assisted and led in Yosemite with National outings, and has led or assisted on Sierra Club youth outreach trips (ICO) in northern California for over 15 years.

E-mail: cadpack@earthlink.net