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| Backpack | 55.10 Miles |
9,942 AEG |
| | Backpack | 55.10 Miles | 5 Days | | |
| 9,942 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | After seeing toddak do this as a dayhike a couple of weeks back, we decided it would make a nice 5-day trip   .
The trip started off on an annoying note with Ranger David's absolutely ridiculous drama stories during the permit orientation, and a first-ever requirement of proving we had bear canisters. Sure is fun to unpack your "ready-to-go" backpack in a parking lot so the poor guy can relive his ptsd from seeing some idiot hand-feeding a bear on youtube while he was on duty a decade ago. Or something.
After hearing his fables about the chest-deep swift-water crossings we would encounter along our route we finally managed to escape and proceed to the backpackers parking near the dam to set out on our trip.
Day 1 - Hetch Hetchy to Beehive Meadows
7.13 miles / 2893aeg / 4:20
From the backpackers parking, there's a use route that heads through the backpackers campground and drops down to the dam. It might be 2 minutes longer, but I recommend the official "stock use" trail that cuts around the butte closer to the road.
Requisite photos while crossing the dam, with nice views across the reservoir and the nice flow coming off Wapama Falls that we will pass by on our exit day.
After a short stretch along the shore of the lake, the route begins a climb on a miserable rocky old two-track that was presumably built as part of the dam construction early last century. There is little redeeming value in this stretch, and was one of the least enjoyable parts of the trip. It's a necessary evil to reach the higher elevations from the dam area, but definitely not a highlight.
We took a break where the old road cuts west toward Miguel Meadow and Lake Eleanor (another reservoir in the San Francisco water system). From here the trail is classic singletrack and more enjoyable as we entered shaded forest away from the exposed two-track climb for the second half of the 3000-foot gain on our day.
We had considered continuing an extra mile and a half to the Vernon Lake junction and perhaps dayhiking to the lake, but opted instead to set up camp at Beehive. There's plenty of water in the high country in June, but in dryer times of year, there's a spring here with easy access to water.
Day 1 Extra - Laurel Lake Loop
4.49 miles / 537aeg / 1:56
After setting up camp and resting for a bit we opted to head over to Laurel Lake. Ranger Drama had told us that the south leg of the loop was impassable due to high water on Frog Creek but the north leg could be crossed with care. There's some swampy areas with deadfall along the way and we had to deviate off the trail a couple of times for short stretches, but as would be a theme of the weekend, our experience did not match the drama stories and we reached the lake with dry feet.
We took the lesson and decided to loop the lake and test our luck on the impassable south crossing. 9L opted to make the easy calf-deep crossing sans shoes while I hopped across on two boulders and a log. Karl headed downstream 30 minutes for an "easier" dry crossing.  ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
Back at camp we settled in with dinner and libations. Moments before sunset a family of 6 who had started at the same time as us arrived looking defeated, and opted to set up in our camp as there was simply no way they were going to be able to walk for another minute. It had taken them more than 8 hours to make it the 7 miles to camp. 
Day 2 - Beehive Meadows to Lower Jack Main Canyon
10.04 miles / 2302aeg / 6:08
Friday we continued our climb past the Vernon Lake junction and onward up Moraine Ridge where views finally opened up into that classic high Sierra scenery we all love so much. We passed three backpackers who were on the downhill from the crest and they would be the last real humans we would see until night 4.
The trail drops down to Falls Creek through a narrow chute with a mastery of typical Yosemite trail construction. I will forever be impressed by the amount of granite that crews have drilled, split, and placed -- by hand -- in this park. It is worth every penny of entrance and permit fees paid and maybe even worth the ranger drama stories!
The final four miles was a pleasant stroll along Falls Creek leading to a trail junction in Jack Main Canyon where we spent some time looking for a suitable place to camp that would hopefully feature less impact from mosquitoes. We found a spot that seemed good along a beautiful section of creek.
With record heat affecting the west, we all opted for a short and literally breathtaking swim. Karl swears the water was in the mid 40s, but the chumometer only dropped to 53 in a ziploc bag a couple inches below the surface. Deeper down, it may very well have been colder.
Day 3 - Wilma Lake Loop
11.22 miles / 1776aeg / 6:13
Saturday was a dayhike loop from our Jack Main camp. I won't get into the mosquitoes too much because they were as bad as possible. 11/10. Despite being fully prepared with proper clothing and cancer juice, they were straight intolerable. Karl was pretty close to turning around and heading back to camp. It was awful.
After a couple of miles as the day warmed and we moved into some rockier terrain the onslaught eased toward somewhat tolerable. It never did relent though.
We made our way to Wilma Lake, enjoying some typical amazing scenes of a high-sierra river cutting through granite. Near the lake there's an old ranger station site and a newer snow survey cabin that we checked out. We continued upstream for a short distance to check out another great stretch of the river before taking a break and then heading back to the trail junction at Wilma Lake.
The aforetold life-threatening river crossing was accomplished with a knee-deep wade 
The next 2 miles of our loop utilized a section of the PCT. We were not surprised to encounter others here but the number of thrubots in this short stretch reached an unexpected number well over 20. Once we made our turn at the next trail junction, it was back to solitude as we completed the loop back to camp where there was more welcome swimming in the chilly river.
Day 4 - Lower Jack Main to Rancheria Falls
13.43 miles / 1563aeg / 6:34
Sunday started with a hearty 1000 foot climb before reaching a high ridge above Tilden Canyon with views across to Mt. Hoffman and the central peaks in the park. From here it was a long and steady 4,000 foot drop. Much of it was a pleasant grade, but the 1.5 miles of switchbacks into the Tiltill valley were particularly rough.
The last mile down to Rancheria Falls was also relentless with 33 switchbacks, but despite the grade and toasty sun exposure here, the tread was smooth and flat, a welcome change from the Tiltill descent earlier.
The descent along the switchbacks to Rancheria is softened by stellar views over Hetch Hetchy and the raging sound of Rancheria Creek crashing down the granite canyon below. Shortly past the trail junction an oasis of towering old growth pines along the creek provides shade for a beautiful and well-used camping area. There was one group there when we arrived and we set up camp in the most sheltered area available.
Now down at 4500 feet during the heat wave, the temp was 87, so we took advantage of the creek for some cooling and relaxed in camp in our skivvies while we waited for the sun to set and the temps to cool.
Day 4 Extra - Rancheria Falls
1.85 miles / 368aeg / 1:49
As the day waned and the temps cooled, we decided to check out the falls, taking the trail up to the bridge, and then walking off-trail along the creek down to the cascades lower down. More great views and a happy hour bevvy before heading back to camp where temps finally eased and we were treated to ideal sleeping conditions.
Day 5 - Rancheria to Hetch
7.01 miles / 982aeg / 2:46
We got an early start on our hike out and enjoyed miles of great views while traversing the hillsides above the lake in the early morning shade. Once again, trail construction is a treat here, but there's a bit more up and down than expected. Another fun surprise for the urushiol fans out there ... endless fields of poison oak lining the trail. It wasn't tough to avoid, but it would also have been very easy to brush into if you weren't paying attention.
We reached Wapama Falls and the amazing bridges that take the trail across the drainage. In the final couple of miles we began to encounter some dayhikers braving the heat and sun. Despite being 9am, there was brief relief while passing through the tunnel on the north side of the dam.
As I walked up the road to reach the trail to the backpacker parking, I chatted briefly with a couple of SF Water Co employees who were about to set sail on the forbidden waters to do some water quality tests.
There have been some pushes recently to permit non-polluting electric boats on the reservoir, but thusfar it remains verboten except for the officials from the water department.
Final Thoughts
June is early season in the high country of the Sierra. The mosquitoes are unrelenting and can really ruin what should be an otherwise great experience. The unusual heat took a toll on us this trip. It's not normal, but even the high-country above 8000 feet was rough in the sun. High pressure had our weather totally cloud free, with no afternoon cloudiness or showers, which can often temper the heat of the day. At the lower elevations required to access this area via Hetch Hetchy, the heat was particularly noteworthy.
I would love to explore more of the higher elevations above Wilma Lake. But I might look to access it from somewhere not as low down and far away as Hetch.
Despite the environmental negatives, it was a great trip, and any time spent in the high sierra is pretty much a win over Arizona at this time of year. Thanks to 9L for handling the logistics. |
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| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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