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DAP wrote: The other option is to camp the first night at Grant and then pack up to one the Ten Lakes cutting 3 - 4 miles off of the route if we had to go to McGee.
Phil wrote:Ok, so let's see. I'll just run it through from start to finish.
Hi Phil, Thank you for your response. Do you know if you can camp at/near either of the tarns on the way up/down Tuolumen Peak trail side tarns, and if you think they will have water this late in our dry year?
Also, to "clarify" my Ten Lakes comment - I was trying to convey that we could camp at Grant Lake our first night and they camp at one of the Ten Lakes on the second night in order to reduce the mileage to McGee on the 3rd night. Or maybe we should just plan on camping at one of the Ten Lakes for two nights and explore from there and go down to Grant lake vs. moving each day?
On the way up, you're first water will be at the junction of the Ten Lakes x White Wolf trails, about 2.3 miles in from the trailhead. Beyond that, you might still have some outflows on the slope just below Half Moon Meadow. Obviously, lower Grant Lake. Then, obviously, Ten Lakes, with lake #2, and eventually #6, both being trailside. Past that, South Fork of Cathedral Creek. On the way up to Tuolumne Peak, a trailside tarn roughly 3/4 of the way up to the pass. On the way down the east side of Tuolumne Peak, the pair of tarns. Beyond that, you go dry; there will be no water in the area of the junction of the May Lake Trail, so if you need it, you'll have to divert down the Murphy Creek Trail and hit Poly Dome Lakes. Several miles down the May Lake > GA Trail, you'll do a big descent and hit water at Cathedral Creek. Past that, McGee Lake. From there to GA and then to TM, it's all the Tuolumne River, and you have no worries.
Please clarify this statement:DAP wrote: The other option is to camp the first night at Grant and then pack up to one the Ten Lakes cutting 3 - 4 miles off of the route if we had to go to McGee.
McGee is all the way down by GA, en-route, and I'm not aware of an on-trail way around it. Are you talking about cutting Grant Lakes from your itinerary?
balzaccom wrote:Yeah---I am a bit confused about your route. If you want to spend one night at Grant Lake, and then at least one night at Ten Lakes, that makes for a long last two days--about 23 miles. So 6 miles on the first day to Grant. Then only 3 or so to get to Ten Lakes and explore. Then 13 and then 10? Why not just save the shuttle and hike back out to Ten Lakes trailhead? I know you would be seeing some of the same terrain, but it always looks different from the other direction.
Phil wrote:Ok, so let's see. I'll just run it through from start to finish.
On the way up, you're first water will be at the junction of the Ten Lakes x White Wolf trails, about 2.3 miles in from the trailhead. Beyond that, you might still have some outflows on the slope just below Half Moon Meadow. Obviously, lower Grant Lake. Then, obviously, Ten Lakes, with lake #2, and eventually #6, both being trailside. Past that, South Fork of Cathedral Creek. On the way up to Tuolumne Peak, a trailside tarn roughly 3/4 of the way up to the pass. On the way down the east side of Tuolumne Peak, the pair of tarns. Beyond that, you go dry; there will be no water in the area of the junction of the May Lake Trail, so if you need it, you'll have to divert down the Murphy Creek Trail and hit Poly Dome Lakes. Several miles down the May Lake > GA Trail, you'll do a big descent and hit water at Cathedral Creek. Past that, McGee Lake. From there to GA and then to TM, it's all the Tuolumne River, and you have no worries.
Please clarify this statement:DAP wrote: The other option is to camp the first night at Grant and then pack up to one the Ten Lakes cutting 3 - 4 miles off of the route if we had to go to McGee.
McGee is all the way down by GA, en-route, and I'm not aware of an on-trail way around it. Are you talking about cutting Grant Lakes from your itinerary?
AlmostThere wrote:The thing about this is, you're saying it's her first trip. But you're planning a 10 mile day. First backpacking trips are hard enough without long miles, and 10 miles is long for a newbie. I could see going to Ten Lakes in a day, spending a layover day, climbing back up the pass and going over to Grant Lakes, spending another layover day, and hiking back out - generally among backpackers the consensus for a newbie on a first trip it should be one night, short miles, and easy as pie, particularly if you want the person to go backpacking with you again.... But maybe you know something I don't and she's been running stadium stairs with a backpack, or at least day hiking with it?
I'd consider a shorter loop with a newbie. I could see dropping a car at the May trailhead and coming out via May Lake, which is pretty darn spectacular. Could split the loop into shorter days by camping along the creek before the hitch over/around Tuolumne Peak.
Heck, right now, with all the pandemic pounds? I don't think I would want to do 10-12 mile days. And I've done 15 milers in the past. And I backpack every month, year round, in normal circumstances. Going for four days myself on Friday - short, short lazy days, with fishing pole. And I have well worn boots that don't blister my feet, I have my gear down below 30 lbs, and my food down to a science so it all fits in a tiny bear can.
But, you know your wife better than I do...
Phil wrote:So the standard Ten Lakes > GA/TM trip is usually done over 3 days. +1 for Grant Lakes, +1 for any intermediate stops.
Answering your questions first: Yes, there will be water in South Fork of Cathedral, and the tarn(s) on the west slope of Tuolumne Peak will have water, as will the two tarns on the east slope. The east slope tarns tend to get crowded. The lower one closest to the trail has sites, but the better ones are at the upper lake....if they're not all taken. The west slope tarn visible from the trail (trailside) is basically one or two sites. Drop down (invisible from the trail), and the second has more area, and more sites. Not a lot, but more. You won't see either of them on the map, but a sat image will show you if you can zoom down. I have coordinates....somewhere, but don't count on me finding them. You'll know it when you see it. Great view! You'll also find sites tucked in all along South Fork of Cathedral. A really nice one at the back of the valley where you make a hard left and realize you're about to start climbing.
On to your movements: Yeah, you probably don't want to ruck march the wife, so even a couple extra days might actually make her want to do it again and be worth it, as well as give her nice camping with bite-sized distances. Seriously consider it, and you should still be able to pull your food with just one bear can.
Besides all that, Grant Lakes are pretty nice. Lower is where the sites are. Upper is cirqued in pretty good, with scroungy sites. Best sites at the lower lake are back in the rocks to the west, and on the north end. South end has a couple, but they're cross sloped and not the best. Day hike the upper lake. And if you get down to Ten Lakes basin, Grant Lakes are not "down", they're decidedly up; back up the switchbacks to Ten Lakes Pass. Another thing about getting to Grant Lakes is a shortcut; at Half Moon Meadow, cut magnetic east, staying about 200-300 meters right of the slabs you'll see and into the treeline. Unhitch your hip belts and climb. It's steep, but you would climb to that height anyway, and this'll shave a couple miles off the day. Just make sure she's stable. You'll box out at the Grant Lakes trail, so no wandering off course and missing it.
At Ten Lakes basin, try Lake #1 off to the left and over the rise, or go right and hit Lake #3 (they run counterclockwise). Lake #4 beyond is mediocre camping, Lake #5 is further up canyon and will give you more seclusion and better ground. Don't settle for lousy sites! Good ones require some recon, and they're to be had: Lake #3 inlet from Lake #4 is a good one, with a nice view. Except for one site toward the Lake #3 outlet on the west bank, that whole side is a "bowling alley of death" from the cliffs above, so skip it. Lake #1 is also pretty cool. Lake #2 is trailside, and it's where everybody lazes out and camps, skip it.
After you leave Ten Lakes, if you want to give the wife a break, seriously consider shortening the day and spending the night along SF Cathedral Creek. Huge descent, gentle incline all the way up the gorge, and it's a good place to stop so that you can do the climb up to Tuolumne Peak the next morning. If you want to push on, keep going, but do consider those west slope tarns instead of the ones on the east slope (that do show on the map). Some things to think about.
On the way out, you can also consider Poly Dome Lakes. Hike back for the best sites at the further lakes (check your map). Some sites at Cathedral Creek, but you'll have to scout them out. Skip McGee if you were thinking about it...it's nasty this time of year, and you might as well just hit GA at that point.
...in a nutshell....
Phil wrote:Can you see the tarns on your map? From the May Lake trailhead to the Ten Lakes trail junction is 3.5 miles. The climb up toward Tuolumne Peak and the tarns I would put at roughly another 3 miles. It's not particularly steep, just a steady, hefty climb. All dry, not much cover, pretty hot in August.
Raisin Lake is a jaunt, but it's a nice place to camp. Last water all the way up to those tarns, unless there's any flow from the spring on the Murphy Creek side of that little pass, but you might as well just grab your water at the lake since you're there. The time that you hit the trail at the May Lake trailhead and your pace should be your determining factors in how you break down the hike, ie: earlier, go for it; later stop at Raisin and catch the climb when it's cooler the next morning. I would be hauling 2-3 liters depending on temp and time of day.
What I wouldn't do is try to push through past SF Cathedral Creek during the afternoon. That next climb is hot, way exposed, and it's about 1800 ft of big, long switchbacks. Either direction through Ten Lakes, those eastern tarns are pretty much where everyone lays up for a night. That's handy, but it also tends to make it way crowded.
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