Sierra Club Outings | Lair of the Golden Bear, Sierra National Forest

Photo: Steve Wilson

Highlights:

Hike three high cross-country passes
Traverse scenic Bear Lakes Basin
Bag a peak or catch a golden trout

Includes:

Lightweight group equipment
Complete, efficient, and tasty backcountry cuisine

Bear Lakes Basin is not named on any official maps, but it epitomizes the timberline country of the High Sierra. We'll wend our way through a maze of cross-country routes to high lakes with ursine related names such as Bear Paw, Ursa, and Black Bear. The Mono Divide, a cluster of 13,000-foot peaks branching west of the main Sierra crest, provides a striking backdrop, and the view of the 1,000-foot sheer east face of Seven Gables is a sight not soon forgotten. Off-trail, we'll surmount no less than three rough, rocky, 12,000-foot passes as we travel from lake basin to lake basin. We'll find plenty of golden trout in the lakes and streams, commonly reaching lengths of 12-inches and greater.

A west side approach allows us to experience the full breath of High Sierra life zones as well as facilitating a relatively gradual acclimatization to altitude. We'll begin in vanilla-scented Jeffrey Pine forests, and then ascend a staircase of hanging valleys alongside enchanting pools and cataracts. We'll pass through the lodgepole and whitebark pine zones, marveling in their increasingly stunted and contorted shapes as we climb into the land of heather and tundra above the trees. Mountain wildflowers should be profuse, depending on the previous winter's snowpack.

Most nights we'll camp next to a high alpine lake, providing ample opportunity to soak in the alpenglow on the surrounding peaks. Two layover days are scheduled for climbing of one of the nearby 13'ers, angling for golden trout, or taking a snooze.

Day 1: The trip begins in the evening at a Forest Service Campground near the trailhead. After introductions, we'll make final preparations. An earlier arrival to altitude is encouraged to help with acclimatization.

Day 2: After a short car shuttle, we'll set out from the Vermilion Valley Dam up the Bear Ridge Trail. At the crest of the climb, we'll turn onto the John Muir Trail, where we will be treated to our first trailside view of the rugged peaks of the Mono Divide. We then descend to camp alongside the alternately cascading and pooling Bear Creek.

Day 3: Ascending the glaciated canyon of Bear Creek, we turn onto a secondary trail that climbs a series of benches. We'll camp near one of a chain of timberline lakes lying at the foot of Seven Gables.

Day 4: A layover provides the opportunity to climb Seven Gables, (13,075 feet) one of the most prized viewpoints in the Sierra Nevada. Theodore Solomons, father of the John Muir Trail, described the view as �sublime and awful� as it extends from Mount Ritter in the north to near Mt. Whitney in the south, and straight down the east face. Or, you may choose to fish for a golden trout in nearby Sandpiper, Medley, and Three Island Lakes.

Day 5: Our cross country odyssey begins in earnest . We climb the high ridge connecting Gemini and Seven Gables, and, if conditions and progress allow, we'll drop our packs to attempt the tallest of the twin summits of Gemini. We then descend to camp at a lake with three waterfall inlets, below the impressive east face of Seven Gables.

Day 6: Continuing cross-country, we enter the alpine world of Bear Lakes Basin . Looking back over our shoulder to soak in the classic view of Seven Gables, we'll negotiate rocky lake shores, smooth meadows, granite slabs, and boulder-laden chutes to reach White Bear Lake . Hopping over the adjacent saddle, we then descend steep ledges to reach a camp near Teddy Bear Lake. Some particularly large golden trout populate these waters. A memorable Sierra sunset should mark the end of our day at our west facing camp.

Day 7: Today's destination is Lower Mills Creek Lake , which lies over the main crest of the Mono Divide. We'll cross the divide via Gabbot Pass (12,240+), a highlight of the Sierra High Route .

Day 8: Our second layover gives us the opportunity for more exploring, fishing, or a climb up Mt. Gabb (13,741 feet), the tallest peak in the region.

Day 9: We follow Mills Creek into the Second Recess, where views of the Silver Divide will begin to command our attention. Our route soon evolves into a bona fide trail and fords Mono Creek at the bottom of this deep canyon. We'll proceed downstream until we reach our last camp nestled in the forest.

Day 10: We rise early in order to reach the inlet of Lake Edison and the morning ferry. We'll celebrate the conclusion of our trip with refreshments from the Vermilion Valley Resort.

The Lake Edison trailheads and first night campground lie at the end of the scenic Kaiser Pass Road, located 27 narrow, twisting miles from the end of Highway 168, about 70 miles northeast of Fresno, California. Private or rental vehicles are the only transportation options. The leader will provide a trip roster with contact information to facilitate ride sharing. Pretrip communications will include detailed directions to the campground and trailheads.

In addition to flight schedules and fares, carpooling arrangements often dictate the best airport to fly into. The closest airport is the Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Participants from the San Francisco or Los Angeles metro areas can provide a ride from the airports located there, or you may arrange to share a rental car.

Participants are responsible for dinner the first night at the campground. We will make stoves and pots available for those who wish to cook at the campground. Meals, snacks, and drinks are provided from breakfast on day two to lunch on day 10.

The menu is designed to minimize weight, simplify preparation, and maximize taste. Since the food will be stored in bear canisters, the menu will emphasize low-bulk foods. It will also emphasize vegetarian dishes, with meat served at some meals. We can accommodate ovo-lacto vegetarians if the leader is informed well in advance of the trip. More restrictive diets are very difficult to accommodate on a strenuous cross-country trip in bear country. Contact the leader prior to sign-up to determine if we can accommodate your specific needs without impacting the group. You must not bring personal food supplies on the trip -- the bear canisters can only hold so much.

We'll celebrate our accomplishments with several happy hours. We'll issue chlorine based Micropur tablets and tincture of iodine for water treatment.

This trip is rated Moderate � Strenuous. Factors such as mileage, elevation gains and losses, terrain, and altitude determine this rating.

Elevations on this trip range from 7,300 to 12,240 feet, exclusive of peak climbs, and six of the eight nights will be spent above 10,000 feet. Participants are encouraged to arrive at the area a day or two prior to the trip start date to spend some time at altitude (above 7,000 feet) to help with acclimatization. A table of daily mileage and elevation gains and losses is available upon request of the leader.

The cross-country segments will involve difficult terrain and can involve significant climbs and descents. The terrain may consist of steep, unstable talus, steep slabs, ramps through cliffs, scree, and snow. On a typical moving day, we will aim to start hiking by 8:30 a.m. and continue hiking to 4 p.m.

You must be in very good physical condition in order to enjoy this trip safely. Successful participants will have previous cross country experience in an alpine environment and follow a regular aerobic fitness program including balance, or core, exercises. In addition, we highly recommend supplementing your routine with hikes up and down hills (or staircases) using a loaded pack and your boots for at least a month prior to the trip. We also recommend that you spend at least a day prior to the trip at altitude in order to help with acclimatization. A variety of destinations near the trailhead, including Huntington Lake and Mono Hot Springs offer many activities to enable you to spend this time enjoyably.

This is a group trip whose success relies upon the cheerful, active contribution of all participants. You'll assist with cooking, cleaning, sanitation, camp set-up and break-down, food storage, etc. We'll be following a Leave No Trace ethic in all aspects of our operations.

We will use bear canisters for food storage. You will be issued one loaded bear can, which, when combined with your share of the other group items, should bring your total share of the commissary to about 18 pounds at the start of the trip.

Try to limit your personal gear to no more than 25-30 pounds. This is important not just to increase your stamina but also for safety. Your backpack should have a capacity of at least 4,000 cubic inches in order to accommodate commissary and personal gear efficiently.

Cross-country travel requires sturdy, durable backpacking boots. Full leather boots with rubber lug soles are highly recommended. The leather should be thoroughly waterproofed to withstand the rigors of prolonged contact with snow.

A general equipment list can be found at http://www.knapsack.org/basic_equipment.html The leader will send detailed equipment recommendations to participants well in advance of the trip.

The High Sierra is renowned for its excellent summer weather. However, be prepared for extremes. High temperatures during the day at lower elevations sometimes exceed 80 degrees, and sometimes fall into the 20s at the higher elevations at night. Extended rain or snowstorms, while not common, can occur at any time of the year.

Tom Harrison Cartography's �Mono Divide High Country� map provides the best overview. The U.S. Forest Service map of the John Muir Wilderness also covers the entire route.

You can print custom maps from the Topo! series of maps on CD, either "Sequoia Kings Canyon and Surrounding Wilderness Areas" or " California ." Custom, computer generated maps are also available at some REI locations.

We'll spend our entire trip in wilderness areas that were protected as a direct result of Sierra Club conservation efforts. This trip travels through the appropriately named John Muir Wilderness. Despite protection of these areas under the 1964 Wilderness Act, air pollution, logging, road building, and other threats affect surrounding areas.

In the evening, we will present a series of conservation readings, drawing upon resources such as the Sierra Club Bulletin and the writings of John Muir, Wallace Stegner, and others to gain inspiration and an appreciation of the history of wilderness conservation action. We'll discuss the California Wild Heritage campaign, a collection of bills before Congress that seek to expand important wilderness areas in California . Participants are encouraged to discuss a conservation topic of interest to them, whether it's a local issue specific to their home or a global issue.

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.

Leader

Steve Wilson started backpacking in 1969 at age 11 and hasn't stopped since. This trip is a celebration of his tenth anniversary of leading Sierra Club National Outings, as it is a repeat of the first trip he led in 1998. Over that span, he has led many trips into the High Sierra as well as a few trips into the Rockies and Big Sur. Yes, he�s a proud alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in civil engineering. He prides himself on his cross-country navigation skills and enjoys climbing an occasional peak. When not backpacking (or working), he can be found hiking the hills around San Jose with his best pal, Rusty the Australian Shepherd, or on the slopes of Kirkwood, shredding his favorite powder stash.

E-mail: mtnfreak@aol.com

Assistant Leader

Mike Long fell in love with the High Sierra as an annual participant on Sierra Club Outings. He participated in the 2007 Knapsack Subcommittee Leader Training Trip, and assisted his first trip last year. When not in the Sierra, Mike frequently participates on local North Carolina Chapter hikes, and explores nearby Pisgah National Forest from his Vale home. He loves to ride his bicycle, riding up to 45 miles at least 2 times a week when weather permits.