JMT Side Trips in the Minarets Wilderness

The Minarets from Ediza Lake.

After reading some of the recent posts on the John Muir Trail Facebook page I noticed some people asking about side trips on the JMT.

SHR 2012 ~ Day 5: Marion Lake to Upper Basin

Lake Basin.

On Day 5 we traveled cross country through some of the most remote and beautiful areas of the High Sierra.

SHR 2012 ~ Day 6: Upper Basin to Palisade Basin

Frozen Lake Pass & Vennacher Needle from Upper Basin.

By Day 6 we joined the JMT in Upper Basin and for the first time in four days saw other hikers. 

SHR 2012 ~ Day 4: Horseshoe Lake to Marion Lake

Tehipite Dome from Windy Ridge.

On day 4 we got an early start and began contouring north toward Windy Ridge. It was easier than I expected to route find through the sparse forest. I was mostly eager to climb the granite passes and ridges, but the early walk through the forest was peaceful and reminded me of the many fall trips I enjoyed as a kid in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. 

SHR 2012 ~ Day 2: Bubbs Creek to Granite Pass

Kings Canyon.

Day 3 started out easy enough. Just a cruise down Bubbs Creek to Roads End. No problem. But by the time we got to the Copper Creek Trailhead it was 12:00 noon. . and hot. 90+ degrees at the start of this mostly exposed hike 5,000 feet up unrelenting switchbacks. I had been in the Sierras every other weekend all summer, climbing Class III passes and getting lots of trail miles in to stay in shape. Although it had been two weeks since my last trip I thought it would be reasonably doable, and it was a challenge but not all that bad.

SHR 2012 ~ Day 1: Onion Valley to Bubbs Creek/Spinx Creek Junction

The start of our journey at the Onion Valley trailhead.

Day 1 started with some logistics. After leaving our cars at the South Lake trailhead near Bishop we took a shuttle to Onion Valley. Although it was convenient to start and end this section of the SHR from the east side of the Sierra it meant that our first day would be spent hiking toward the official start of the route at the Copper Creek trailhead at Roads End. By the time we made it to Onion Valley it was already 10:30 am.

SHR 2012 ~ Day 3: Granite Pass to Horseshoe Lakes

Grouse Lake

Day 3 was the beginning of the cross country section of the SHR. After hiking a short time to the top of Granite Pass we left the trail and contoured northeast to Grouse Lake. The water in this pristine alpine lake was beautiful. 

Haeckel Col ~ Cross Country Route Detail

The easiest way to access the cross country route to Haeckel Col is from Sabrina Basin. It is about six miles on a maintained trail from the Lake Sabrina trailhead to Midnight Lake. Once at Midnight Lake follow the easy granite benches on the east side of the lake to the top of the ridge between Midnight Lake and Hungry Packer Lake.

The route up the ridge from Midnight Lake: 

Six Moon Designs Cuben Haven Tarp and Inner Net Tent

After years of searching for a lightweight two person shelter I finally settled on the Big Sky Evolution 2P/2D/2V free standing tent. I thought it was great, but at 3 pounds it just seemed like there should be a better option. . .

Big Sky Evo 2 person/2 door/2 vestibule free standing tent on the JMT.

 Then I found the Six Moon Designs Cuben Haven Tarp & Inner Net Tent.

Cross Country Loop Around Mt. Darwin via Haeckel Col & Darwin Col

After finishing a section of the Sierra High Route a few weeks ago I met a guy named Donn while hiking out through Sabrina Basin. We talked nutrition, gear, exercise, footwear and world politics while hiking a few miles to the parking lot. I rarely meet somebody who shares so many similar common interests, including a passion for cross country backpacking in the High Sierra.

I couldn’t believe it when he showed me a map of the cross country passes he had been scouting out for the past week. They were the same passes that I had been researching all winter. We decided to take one last trip of the season together, weather permitting. 

During the next few weeks we had to delay the trip due to the mid October storm, but we lucked out and took advantage of an unusually warm break in the weather last week. 

We started out by acclimating at Midnight Lake the first day. It's only a few miles to Midnight Lake from the Sabrina Lake TH so I was able to leave home in the morning and still get there in time to have dinner at the lake.

Sabrina Basin Trail Head.