Rocky Basin Lakes • Hike • California • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Jul 03 2017

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Rocky Basin Lakes

Sierra Nevada, CA

Rocky Basin Lakes

Sierra Nevada, CA

Hiking		Jul 03 2017
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	14.29 Miles	1,978 AEG

Hiking	14.29 Miles	7 Hrs 2 Mns	2.36 mph
	1,978 ft AEG	58 Mns Break

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Big Whitney Meadow

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chumley

John9L

We spent 2 nights at Big Whitney Meadow so used the extra time to day hike Rocky Basin Lakes area which was the highlight of the Golden Trout trip. The area is a series of lakes about 10,800 set against very scenic ridgeline little over 4 miles from Big Whitney Meadow and 1200 AEG on some really good trail. We encountered a few smaller lakes before Rocky Basin but once the trail drops into the basin it’s well worth the hike. We spent some good time checking out each lake and looped around to get the best vantage points. Eventually reached the last lake which was the largest taking another break and a swim in the crystal clear water.

After leaving the last lake we dropped down Barigan Stringer to make it a loop back to the original trail but instead of returning the same way we continued on Barigan Stringer down to Golden Trout Creek. Then took that trail back to the beginning of Big Whitney Meadow and headed into the meadow to check out Golden Trout Creek up close. Went for another swim and enjoyed the scenery back to camp. Awesome day hike exploring Rocky Basin and Golden Trout Creek!

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2 archives

Jul 03 2017

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Rocky Basin Lakes

Sierra Nevada, CA

Rocky Basin Lakes

Sierra Nevada, CA

Hiking		Jul 03 2017
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	13.37 Miles	1,902 AEG

Hiking	13.37 Miles	6 Hrs 42 Mns	2.29 mph
	1,902 ft AEG	51 Mns Break

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Rocky Basin Lakes via Barigan Stringer

Big Whitney Meadow

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BiFrost

John9L

Dayhike from our camp at Big Whitney Meadow to the spectacular Rocky Basin Lakes. The first part of the hike climbs gently before getting a bit steeper and reaching a crest before dropping a few hundred feet down to Baringer Stringer and a junction of trails to Little Whitney Meadow, Golden Trout Creek, and Rocky Basin Lakes.

From the junction, the trail climbs one mile to a signed junction where the trail splits. The left fork is labeled the "horse trail" and the right the "foot trail". We opted left, with the intention of returning on the foot trail. It's almost 2 miles more to get to Rocky Basin Lakes, but along the way, we passed by two smaller lakes we weren't expecting.

After arriving at the basin, we took a few breaks and enjoyed an off-trail route around the various lakes, each with different views of this beautiful area. At the outlet of the largest lake, it was easy to find the start of the "foot trail" that follows Baringer Stringer downstream. A couple of smaller lakes were very full and caused some route-finding issues, and we lost the trail completely for a segment through a hillside of boulders. Once we were back on track, we saw that the trail was well-cairned and would have been more difficult to lose if hiking it uphill.

On the way down, we opted for the extra two mile trip on the trail to Golden Trout Creek instead of going directly back to Big Whitney Meadow. This trail is in a totally different location than where it is marked on maps, but was a pleasant trip through a new area for us.

The last couple of miles back to camp we split up, and I hiked along the creek in the middle of the Big Whitney Meadow.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Campsite

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Barigan Stringer Boreal Plateau Rocky Basin Lakes

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

	Barigan Stringer	Medium flow	Medium flow
	Above normal flow from spring snowmelt.

	Rocky Basin Lakes	76-100% full	76-100% full
	overflowing full

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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Jul 03 2017

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Rocky Basin Lakes

Sierra Nevada, CA

Rocky Basin Lakes

Sierra Nevada, CA

Hiking		Jul 03 2017
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Hiking	13.05 Miles	1,909 AEG

Hiking	13.05 Miles
	1,909 ft AEG

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BiFrost

chumley

While on a five day backpacking trip to the Golden Trout Wilderness, we spent day four hiking to the spectacular Rocky Lakes Basin.

We set up a base camp in Big Whitney Meadow and started hiking the next day around 8:30am. The trail is in excellent condition as it climbs a few hundred feet over a couple of miles. From there it drops down to a four way junction where we connected onto the Rocky Lakes Basin. The trail leading to the basin is in excellent condition as it climbs just over 800 ft. We took our time and enjoyed the creek that drains the basin. Once up top we took a break and admired this amazing area. The basin sits at roughly 10,800 ft and is breathtaking. We took a variety of pics and soaked it in.

After our break we started exploring the basin. The going is fairly easy and the views are really nice. There is a cluster of at least a half dozen lakes that range in size from small to medium. There were a few patches of snow that added to the beauty. We also saw a few groups camping. This would be a great area to camp but keep in mind fires are not allowed due to the elevation. We worked our way around and then headed down the creek that drains the lake. The hike down is fairly straightforward and feeds into another lake. We took our time as we hiked down and eventually returned to the four way junction.

Once back at the junction we took another break and looked at our options. We decided to continue south on a trail that drops back to Golden Trout Creek which we hiked up the day before. The trail down was faint in spots but we didn’t have any issues figuring out the route. The topo had a route but the lower half was significantly different. With some effort we reached Golden Trout Creek and took another short break. We had all day and were in no rush to get back to camp. After our break we headed north and worked our way back to camp but split up about a mile out. I chose to stay on the trail and was the first to return to camp. Once back it was mid-afternoon and it was nap time!

The Rocky Lakes Basin is a fantastic area and I’m glad we made the effort to explore the area. The lakes are beautiful and there are plenty of camp options. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend visiting here. It’s well worth the effort!

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Snow Plant

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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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