Heya fellow BPL'ers.
Since I had so much success with your advice on my last trip, I figured I'd hit you up again. :)
I'm looking to do a loop of some sort in the Evolution area in Sept. I'm noticing there's several options, so I'm not sure which route is best.

I'm hoping for 40 to 50 miles. I'd like to see Evolution lake and Muir pass. I'd like to say on trail as much as possible. (Someday I'll venture off trail more, but not quite yet).

Any feedback would be super appreciated. :)

The standard trip is to start at North Lake, go over Piute Pass, go southbound along the JMT, over Muir Pass and down to LeConte Canyon, then up over Bishop Pass and out to South Lake. I did that one a year ago, and it was very nice (assuming that you hit the season right).

You can sort of split it through the middle, using Lamarck Col. That would make it North Lake, Lamarck Col, Evolution, Muir Pass, LeConte, Bishop Pass, South Lake. In advance, you would want to know that you handle altitude OK. Lamarck Col is around 13,000 feet, so it will kick your butt if you are not prepared. For the next variation, do this on skis in April.

Another split is over Echo Col, but you would need to go clockwise around the loop.

--B.G.--

Thanks Bob! Does the trail over Piute pass continue all the way to the JMT via piute canyon?
On my map the trail seems broken.

I think I'll go that route. Perhaps leave my car at South lake, and then hitch a ride back to north lake to start my trip. (I'm told that's easy)
Are there good places to camp only a few miles in from North lake? My body tends to acclimate a bit slow, so I was hoping to take it easy the first day.

Sorry, one more question. I'm assuming all snow and mosquito's will be minimal in mid sept. Am I right?

Christopher - We started at North Lake in the late afternoon last year and hiked until dark and found a place to sleep but i t was kind of makeshift. Not too many flat spots if I recall correctly.

Bob - The North Lake/South Lake loop is skiable? How do you get around that stretch from the meadows to the junction with the JMT? The drop from Bishop Pass is navigable on skis?

Sorry for the thread drift but this caught my eye and I'm curious.....

"Does the trail over Piute pass continue all the way to the JMT via piute canyon?"

Yes. Get a new map.

As I recall, there are places to camp by the lakes between North Lake and Piute Pass. I was going pretty fast through there, though, so I didn't study them.

I left my car near North Lake, partly because there are several good parking lots for backpackers there. By the afternoon of the fourth day, I hit South Lake, and I needed to hitch a ride. So, on the back of my map I had written RIDE, which I held up. Drivers passed me for hours. Finally, I got a ride back to 168, walked a bit uphill, then got another ride. I ended up walking back up the road to North Lake.

In September, there won't be any old snow left, but there might be some new snow.

--B.G.--

"The North Lake/South Lake loop is skiable? How do you get around that stretch from the meadows to the junction with the JMT? The drop from Bishop Pass is navigable on skis?"

I have no idea what meadows you refer to.

About six of us skied from South Lake, over Bishop Pass, turn at LeConte Canyon, up to Muir Pass, halfway down through Evolution. Then we turned and skied up over Lamarck Col, down past Grassy Lake, and finished at North Lake.

As I recall, we ran out of snow about halfway down from Bishop Pass to LeConte Canyon, so we walked. But then there was fresh snow for the slog up to Muir Pass.

--B.G.--

Is there a trail from Evolution lake up to Lamark Col back to North lake?

Yes, sort of, maybe.

You have to kind of know where it is supposed to be. Sometimes I have gone through there and I have seen ducks along the way. On other times, I've seen hardly any ducks. That is on the west side of Lamarck Col. On the east side, there is a usage trail that is visible from the Piute Pass Trail. Again, you kind of need to know where to look for it. Once you've been through there once, you will claim that it is obvious. On the other hand, I think about a year ago somebody got lost up there, and they were wandering around for a couple of days before they were rescued.

1. Get some good topo maps.
2. Get the topo maps marked up based on input from others who have already been that way. The Secor book is one good place to start. The other resource is Climber.Org which has lots and lots of trip reports.
3. For your first trip through there, you might want to have a good GPS receiver and know how to use it. You would be surprised how many people carry one but don't know how to use it.

--B.G.--

Thanks Bob, after looking at this closely, I think I'm going to do the whole loop starting at North Lake, up Piute Pass, through Piute Canyon, down the JMT, then over Muir pass, cut over Bishop pass, then over to South Lake.


The mileage looks like about 45 miles according to my measuring tool in google earth. Does that sound right?

I certainly am nervous about this whole hitch hiking thing. If I leave my car at South Lake, and walk to north lake, it shouldn't take more than a few hours right?

First of all, I don't think that Google Earth is the best or most accurate tool. National Geographic TOPO! is what I've used for ten or twelve years now, and it seems to be more accurate for trail mileage. Google Earth is based on satellite imagery. Sometimes it can see down through the trees, and sometimes it can't. Google Earth tends to be a lot more up-to-date, and its imagery tends to be no more than two or three years old. By contrast, the topo maps are often ten or twenty or thirty years old. Maybe the topography doesn't change much, but sometimes trails are re-routed and changed.

The hitch hiking thing is totally unpredictable. That's what some people like, and that's what others hate. I was there at South Lake at 3:30 p.m. on a nice afternoon, but I waited for hours. Maybe there is something about appearance.

If you stay on the main trails, you are more likely to be found by a stranger in the event you had a serious problem. Going over Lamarck Col, you might get sick from altitude. The body wouldn't be found until after the coyotes are done with it.

--B.G.--

Yeah it usually takes me 2 nights at 10K and 11K to acclimate before I can go up to 13K ft without issue. Otherwise I feel yucky.
I was going to spend a night either at the trailhead or only a few miles in...maybe near piute lake?
My doctor gave me some Diamox, so I was going to try that as well.

As for getting eaten by wolves...I just saw that movie "the grey"
Well directed, but I didn't quite get it...I've even been backpacking in Alaska and never saw one wolf. Let alone huge packs of them. haha

"My doctor gave me some Diamox, so I was going to try that as well."

Diamox works very well for the vast majority of those who take it. Note that some people are allergic to sulfa drugs, which this is.

I would think that at these moderate elevations, the full dose of Diamox may not be necessary. I've actually consumed Diamox only once. We started on a half-dose on the night before a 9000-foot trailhead, and then we kicked it up to a full dose once we were above 14,000 feet. The advantage of the lower dose is that side effects are less likely and less severe, and it might be enough to get your body with the program. The advantage of the full dose is that your body might really need the full dose. Diamox doesn't have a very long shelf life, so it doesn't do much good to stockpile it.

I have given away three times as many Diamox pills as what I have actually consumed.

And, no, there are no wolves in the Sierra Nevada Range.

--B.G.--

As previously stated, Diamox now has a fairly decent reputation for preventing common high altitude illness, or at least for reducing the severity. Take a common high altitude illness such as High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) as an example. The hiker feels short of breath, and part of that is because the lungs are filling up with capillary fluid, and that is limiting gas exchange. One factor that causes that is when the pulmonary artery pressure gets too high (basically, the pressure causes fluids to leak into the lungs). Doctors have figured out a few ways to reduce that pressure, and some of those involve medicines that liberate Nitric Oxide into that artery. NO causes the arterial wall to relax, and that normally lowers the pressure. Well, there is a new drug that they are just starting to experiment with for this treatment, and this is where the multiple use comes in.

Viagra or Cialis! Normally this is prescribed only for men with erectile dysfunction, but it liberates Nitric Oxide just as well, so it may be helpful in preventing high altitude illness. Viagra supposedly works in the short term, and Cialis is more for long term. That is a multiple use item for sure. It is not fully proven in yet, but some doctors are trying to do the testing now.

I'm sorry, but the ladies need not apply.

--B.G.--

Thanks Bob for the info.
I have heard the same thing about Viagra/Cialis... but first off it would be kinda embarassing at my age to pick it up at the pharmacy and explain it to my wife. Second, it seems like it would suck to be up there all by myself with...a meowmeowmeow. (meowmeowmeow = my attempt to keep things PG)

If you or anyone does try this let me know if the results are worth me getting over my insecurities. :)
For now I guess I'll stick to Diamox and ibuprofen.

Btw Bob I just ordered that Secor book you mentioned. Thanks for the advice!

"For now I guess I'll stick to Diamox and ibuprofen."

For some of us, the physicians do not recommend Ibuprofen as the first choice. Aspirin is.

Even if you never get any serious symptoms, which I hope you don't, it would be nice if you can distinguish your state with or without the Diamox. In other words, how would you really know if you need it?

I was on a trip going up a really big peak one time, and I knew that most of the trip members would be taking Diamox. At the trip start, I passed out a little form with instructions. Each morning, each trip member was to record their rest pulse rate, the amount of Diamox that they had consumed in the previous 24 hours, and the elevation at that particular camp. At the end of the trip, I was going to crunch the numbers and try to figure out who it helped most, or if it did any.

Guess what the result was! Nobody remembered to do it at all! High altitude does that sometimes.

--B.G.--

Chrisopher, are you thinking about going over Lamarck? If so I am sure many of us can answer questions for you

I just did this loop a few weeks ago. I would recommend starting at South lake so that you don't have to hike up and out of evolution valley and then up and over Bishop pass. Tom Harrison makes a map specifically for this loop. I did a trip report if you would like to check it out. I wouldn't even worry about catching a ride back to your car as long as you get to the trailhead and its not dark.(No one there). Have fun and take some photots for us.

I'd love to see that trip report Joshua. I'll definitely consider starting at South lake then.
Is going over Lamark way more scenic than going through Piute canyon?

Actually found your trip report. I saw that a few days back. Awesome pics.
Was there plenty of parking at South Lake? Any good places to camp near the south lake trailhead so I can acclimate?

"Is going over Lamark way more scenic"

In my opinion, Lamarck Col is more awesome than beautiful. From 13,000 feet, you can see a long way. Go there some time around April.

If you go around July, the wildflowers will be out. This includes the area of Darwin Bench on the west side and also the area just above Lamarck Lakes on the east side.

If you want a more adventurous trip, go over Echo Col instead.

--B.G.--

What's more adventurous about Echo col? All class 2 stuff or harder?

Also, can anyone guess how bad the mosquito's will be in 3 to 4 weeks from now?

"What's more adventurous about Echo col? All class 2 stuff or harder?"

Yes.

--B.G.--

Have to assume it's a pretty steep (really steep?) talus slog.

I must assume that all mosquitoes will be (or already are) dead and gone.

Edited by DaveT on 08/22/2012 15:57:25 MDT.

"it's a pretty steep talus slog."

I would agree with that, depending on which direction you are going. As I recall, approaching it from the JMT side was a steep talus slog and not much fun. Approaching it from the forest service side (Echo Glacier side) wasn't nearly so bad, but then we had to downclimb the steep talus to the JMT, and that wasn't much fun, either.

--B.G.--

Yes there is several places to camp near south lake. Up pretty high too. At least 9000. Nice high desert near bishop. Get to the permit office early and you can get a walk in permit.

Alrighty, I've made some more progress on my trip planning.

Day 1. Pick up my permit, drop off my car at North lake, and pray I can hitch a ride to South Lake. Camp at South Lake trailhead to acclimate.
Day 2. Hike over Bishop, and then camp somewhere in Dusy Basin.
Day 3. Hop on to the JMT Northbound, and camp somewhere in Le Conte Canyon.
Day 4. Continue on JMT Nobo over Muir Pass, and then camp at Evolution Lake.
Day 5. Leave the JMT, and head up Darwin Canyon over Lamarck Col and back to the car I left at North Lake.

I'm a tiny bit nervous about leaving the trail to head up over Lamarck Col. This will be my first real off trail experience. I'll have a GPS and topo map so I'm hoping I'll be okay.
I was able to secure my permit online via recreation.gov, I guess I just need to pick it up at the Mono Lake station?

Please feel free to share any tips of places to camp, navigation tips, etc.
Are there any water crossings or anything I should be aware of?
Has anyone done this route before and would be willing to share the GPS tracks?
And one more dumb question. Is it totally safe to drive a Prius up to North lake at 9800ft? I'm guessing the road is paved and such...

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get this right. :)

First, the road to North Lake is not paved all the way. If you park a car there, you can't expect there to be a lot of traffic going back downhill, so you might think about walking downhill until a car does come by. Once you get to Highway 168, then there is a little more fisherman traffic depending on the time of day.

In the past when I've gone this route, we've camped one night above Evolution Lake in the Darwin Bench area. That was because of wildflowers. If you go in the season without wildflowers, then it doesn't matter. It might be a long haul to get all the way from Evolution Lake to North Lake in a day. It depends on how much daylight you have.

--B.G.--

Christopher a few things...firstly, Dusy Basin is quite pretty. Are you planning to stop there and soak up the scenery? If not you could make it to Leconte in one day. If you do decide to stay in Dusy Basin then there is no need to stay in Leconte Canyon the next day. I would continue on to Big Pete Meadow. That will give you a nice starting point to ascend Muir Pass. Finding the use trail into Darwin Bench is quite obvious. The JMT will turn sharply west and start downhill. There is a creek there too...Darwin Branch. Just turn right (east) and head uphill. The use trail is pretty easy to follow though it is steep. Camp on Darwin Bench and make the last day for your ascent of Lamarck Col. I will give you more info when I get home from work

Christopher, why Mono Lake to pick up your permit. Are you flying in to Reno or Tahoe. Bishop is where I get my petmits, and you probably get needed trail info from them

"Finding the use trail into Darwin Bench is quite obvious."

Ken, try that in April.

--B.G.--

Bob:
Thanks for those tips. I'll start walking toward 168 and pray someone gives me a ride.
Otherwise it looks like 12 miles...and I right? I won't get there until probably early afternoon (I live in San Jose)...so part of that walk would be in the dark :(
Evolution lake to North lake according to google earth was only 9 miles. But I know you said that can be very inaccurate. How many miles do you estimate?
The unpaved part of the rd to north lake is still drivable for a Prius right? I wish I had a truck.

Ken:
Good info thanks! I'll do that and camp at big Pete meadow and Darwin bench since Bob suggested that too. Any additional info is always appreciated.
Btw, I think we know some of the same people! I think I saw you post on Eric Power's facebook the other day. Eric was in a band called Sloe that my old band used to play with years ago.
And yes, thanks I will pick up by permit in Bishop instead. I didn't even know there was a ranger station there.

Yes Christopher there is a Ranger Station in Bishop. That is where most of us grab our permit for east side SEKI trips. They will probably give you any information that is more current since your trailhead is west of Bishop on 168.

Once your into Darwin Canyon and at the last lake in the chain, you will want to start up hill at the most eastern part of the lake end. Basically you are going to shoot right up. It is not that steep nor is their talus or scree issues. It's actually quite pleasant. Just take your time. Once at the top, you will need to find the Lamarck Col sign. THAT is the correct notch to take for your descent. Sometimes you will have a snowfield on the eastern part of the col. Just tread carefully and you will be ok. Once off the col, it is pretty straightforward. At one point the trail kinda makes a V.....stay to your right (southern side) and proceed....once you hit the defined use trail you are home free....seriously Cristopher, this is a pretty safe cross country route and the crossing of the col is not that bad. Have fun and take many pictures, you will be in some amazing country. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask. This is one of my favorite trips in the Sierra. Next year I will be leading the same trip but going over Piute and back over Lamarck....any takers are welcome!
Edit, if you have decent map skills you will not need a GPS...however if that makes you feel more secure than by all means bring it

Edited by kennyhel77 on 08/24/2012 16:35:10 MDT.

Small world Christopher....hahahah yes I know Eric and many of his friends are my friends too. I just saw him a few weeks ago at our SKUNX BBQ in SJ. I am a musican too, played in a band called Slip and then The Forgotten...originally from San Jose but live over the hill know. We gotta hook up for some backpacking...my specialty is Sequoia and Kings BTW

What band did you play in...obviously you guys played the Cactus right?

Edited by kennyhel77 on 08/24/2012 16:38:00 MDT.

It might be only nine miles, but up there the miles don't count so much. It is the degree of off-trailness. When there isn't any real trail, you have to spend a certain amount of time watching the paper map and glancing around at the rocks to figure out your next steps. The elevation gain and steepness are big factors.

If you can't get a Prius to North Lake, then there is something wrong with it.

I tend to do hitchhiking at the end of a trip rather than at the start. At the end of the trip, my pack is a lot smaller in case I have to walk part of it.

--B.G.--

Looking back to the Darwin lakes from the Lamarck Col







Evolution Lake

Edited by Creachen on 08/24/2012 17:17:50 MDT.

No way!!! I've heard of both of those bands! I had a comp tape from back in the day with Slip, The Kindred, etc. Didn't you have that song "meowmeowmeow meow meow this is what we're fighting for! meowmeowmeow meow meow who will win the human war!" or something like that?
Sorry I replace words with "meow" when I can't remember them.

I was in The Muckrakers, Keeping Ellis, toNavigate, and Metabear.

I'm always down for backpacking so anytime. I want to do some winter stuff this year in seki, so I'll have to study up for that. :)

Thanks for the pics Jay!! Awesome.

And Bob, I was worried about doing a long day of hiking over Lamarck on my last day and then not being able to get a ride and having to walk another 12 miles back to South lake.

I wonder if it would cost an outragious amount to have a taxi follow me to North lake, then give me a ride to South lake...just thinking out loud.

"I wonder if it would cost an outragious amount to have a taxi follow me to North lake, then give me a ride to South lake."

Yes.

It is for reasons like this why we often organize into groups. With two carloads of hikers, you can do a car shuttle.

--B.G.--

Gotcha. By chance would anyone be in this area on Fri, Sept 14th?
If so private message me. *crossing fingers*

Try calling Parchers resort near South Lake, We were there last month and they mentioned having a shuttle service between the two trailheads. We didn't use it so no idea of price.

Ill check that out. Thanks Gray!

Such a small world Christopher! However that tape thingy was done on some bad recordings....something that I am not too proud of...however I think the song is Sounds of The City..Yes I have heard of your bands......Man I am laughing about this as the rock world and backpacking world does not collide...Tell Eric this as I think he will get a chuckle out of it. Seriously, if you want a good backpacking partner albeit slow and steady I am there. I would love pics from your trip. Enjoy and savor it, that area is such a great place to visit. Don't worry too much as it is heavily traveled (aside from the whole Darwin region, but there is NO danger). Have fun and treat it as an adventure, your rides will happen and you will have a great experience!

Did this loop a couple of summers ago. We did it North lake - Lamarck - Darwin Canyon - Evolution - Muir Pass - Le Conte - Dusy Basin - Bishop Pass - South Lake. Won't give you a full trail report, instead I'm trying to remember the first portion as it covers the off trail portion of the trip.
Started the trip late in the day as I had come from the Bay Area and my friend from LA. We parked at the backpacker designated parking lot at North lake and then hiked a mile or so to the trail head. Continued up a couple of miles on trail to Lower Lamarck lake, it wasn't far but with the 1000 foot or so elevation gain it was slow going. Camped overlooking Lower Lamarck lake.
Next day we continued on trail for half a mile or so. Just before Upper Lamarck lake the trail disappears completely. We checked the map, and yes in fact the trail terminates right there for no apparent reason.
Looking around we found, then lost and then found the use trail that doesn't really go to Upper Lamarck, instead winds the most logical way towards Lamarck Col. Once we passed the confusion around Upper Lamarck lake it was really quite straightforward and the use trail clearly visible.
We knew that we were in the right place as we approached the little tarn below Lamarck Col. There was a permanent snow field there and a season of footprints that made the trail across it very clear.
Once at the top there was a very official sign welcoming us to Kings Canyon National Park. The next switch back or two going down was official looking trail, then nothing...Boulders, kerns, possible paths, but nothing that you can say definitely was the trail. So we just winged it and continue down. We could at this point see the lakes of Darwin Canyon so we knew where we were heading. We reached the middle lake, made camp, ate and went to sleep exhausted.

My concern for you is that you would be going in the opposite direction, heading from Darwin Canyon lakes up towards Lamarck Col. It is not obvious looking up from the lakes exactly where Lamarck Col is located, and there is no real use trail. The risk of getting completely lost is probably small as you have the Darwin Canyon lakes on one side and Mount Lamarck on the other, but you might spend many hours picking your way up through the boulders.

"exactly where Lamarck Col is located"

I agree. It isn't too hard to find the approximate area for Lamarck Col, but you might need to look around a bit to find the exact spot. There are several little windows through the rocks that all look alike. I would say to go with the one that seems to have the heaviest use. The good news is that there is no need to hit Lamarck Col exactly as long as you find the old foot trails. It's even worse in April when everything is covered in snow.

--B.G.--

Evolution Valley right before you head up to Darwin Basin.

Thanks for the info. Oof... This is getting a little intimidating. Does anyone have gps coordinates for the sign at the top of Lamarck? Or maybe some other tips to help find it?
I usually get anxious about advanced trips like this, and then later realize it wasn't a big deal... But still I don't want to get over confident.
I don't know what I'd do without all of your advice. THANK YOU

If you are reading your map carefully, you can shoot a compass bearing on it from a couple of miles down the hill in either direction. If not, then read my previous post.

--B.G.--

Christopher, It took about 15 minutes to find the correct notch...it is not hard trust me.

I went over Lamarck 3 years ago from the east side. In fact that was my first ever backpacking trip! I echo what others have said in that it is not especially difficult to find, but from the west it might be a little harder. If you want GPS coordinates, there are a couple people that have posted their tracks on Everytrail that you can download:

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=296889

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=349998

Keep in mind that these are not mine, and you should use them at your own risk. However, a quick glance at them it seems like they both follow the same route and top out at the correct place. Good luck and have fun! That is a great trip.

Christopher, it wasn't my intention to scare you. Just to point out that Lamarck Col is harder to find from the west than the east.
Here is a recent discussion from High Sierra Topix http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8077&p=58986#p58986

No problem Katy! I appreciate the info.

Bob was mentioning it would be difficult to do Evolution to N. lake in a day given all the route finding and such. I think I saw in Bob's last trip report that he hiked from roads end to Reflection lake in a day. 20 miles with 4K ft elevation change, which I could not have done so I'm guessing I should split up the evolution to N. lake route if he says it will be hard.

I'm planning on camping at Darwin bench to help shorten that distance. But just so I have options, are there good places to camp in between the Darwin bench and N. lake?

"I think I saw in Bob's last trip report that he hiked from roads end to Reflection lake in a day. 20 miles with 4K ft elevation change, "

Christopher, you have your facts wrong.

--B.G.--

Sorry Bob, Here's the actual quote:

"On Day 1, I hit the trail at Roads End at 6 a.m. and arrived at Lake Reflection by 3 p.m. That is about 15 miles and 5000 feet of gain, and I can do that only on my first day when I am fresh. Unfortunately, the sky was not cooperating and photography was somewhat limited. It rained before 4 p.m."

5K ft and 15 miles in a day is still freken hardcore. I've done 15 miles many times, but never gaining 5K ft. I think I'd pass out.

From google earth I can see tons of parking at South lake near the trailhead. Is there plentiful camping as well near the parking lot or up the trail a little? I'm spending a night there to acclimate so I'd prefer to stay under 10K ft or so.
Given the size of the parking lot I'm guessing it can get crowded?

Christopher - Re evolution to North Lake in a day: I came out over Lamarck col at the end of a backcountry ski trip in late May 2011, and we went from just below the evolution outlet to Grass Lake in a day, despite having to deal with extremely high winds going up to Lamarck - wind such that we had to wait for the lulls to be able to move. So that slowed us down a lot. This was a ski trip, but the conditions at the time were such that we were walking on top of the snow that day. So getting to North Lake in a day is not a major challenge, especially on the last day when you're the most acclimatized and your pack is at its lightest.

Re finding the correct notch at Lamarck Col - don't sweat it. It's not a big deal if you hit the one with the sign. We didn't. No problem.

re campsites on the way - depends on the weather and what kind of spots you like and whether you can find water. I general, not many that suit most people's tastes. But If I were you, I would plan to camp somewhere at Darwin Bench, because it is a special spot. and from there, getting to North Lake should be no problem. The worst case is it turns out to be a long day for you, and so what - the car is waiting to take you to the fleshpots of Bishop.

heya, Just a quick bump. I'm planning to acclimate overnight at the South lake trailhead. (I live at sea level) Are there ample places to camp either at the trailhead or within a mile or so? Any tips?

Usually you only get the permit for your day of entry, I get mine the day before, so I can't start my trip on time. Last time at South Lake, I drove most of the way up, checked out the last campground and talked to a guy who was car camping by himself, asked him if I could camp there too, only having to pay for a extra car. Bonus, he had extra beer and he was someone to chat with until bedtime. We got to watch as a long motorhome came thru, turned around in the tight turn around and as they were going past a large tree, watched the driver as he did not pay attention to the rear of that beast and take out the rear of his home on wheels. I got up early the next morning before he was up, packed up, drove the short distance to the TH, ate breakfast there as parking is on the short side.
Duane

Thanks Duane. Would you say there's a lot of good places to camp there? I'm leaving my car at North lake and getting a ride to South lake, so I won't need to park.

Christopher I think you are over analyzing this trip. There are plenty of places to camp at both trailheads. Just go with the flow in terms of shuttle and camping. Heck, you can even get a cheap hotel in Bishop if need be. Just have fun!

Yep I'm kinda famous for over analyzing my trip planning. Sorry for all the questions. :)

I did hear from someone recently who believed that there's no camping at South lake or the first several miles of the trail. But there is a campsite 5 miles before South lake at a place called Willow camp. Is that incorrect?

Yes. Or you can hike a few miles from South Lake at the first lake and stay there. Only a few miles. That's what we did on our first night

Edited by kennyhel77 on 09/05/2012 10:38:29 MDT.

Christopher,
There are a few campgrounds on the way to South Lake, I just hate paying, but the higher you can camp the night before, the better to acclimate. One trip I did camp down in the valley before the road climbed out of the low valley. I stayed the night along the creek where some dirt roads take off from the highway going to South and North Lakes, way below Aspen. My last trip, I could not see any place to stealth camp close to the TH, you'd have to hike in a ways then could suffer consequences of illegal camping/too early entry. Check out the CG's on the drive up for empty sites if you don't mind paying to stay in a CG. There is a small lodge on the way to South Lake, you have to cross by foot, a bridge to get to it. There used to be info over on Highsierratopix regarding it. On a side note, it is good to go armed with as much info as possible, but things do work out when only armed with limited info, go with the flow. On my vacation a month ago, I walked into Mammoth Visitor Center early afternoon and got my permit for the next days entry.
Duane

Thanks guys!
I think I may actually stay my first night at North lake since it looks like there's a campground there. Then get a ride over to South lake early in the morning to start my trip.

Totally appreciate all the info.

Catch a ride? Um, I had trouble at the end of my first trip in the area, I was below Piute Pass at one of the lakes there, made the TH too early, walked/jogged most of the way to the turnoff to the road up to South Lake before I caught two hitchhikes. Walk-in cg at N Lake.
Duane