Trail Beta? Slide Canyon to Camp Creek to Tullulah Lake

[jdgkeg]

Anyone have any info as to how technical/challenging the cross country route is down slide canyon, up camp creek and over to Tullulah Lake and out at Smedberg Lake (or the reverse of this route)? I'm thinking about this route later this summer, but would be interested in anyone that can share more specific info about this area/route. Is it mostly class 2 or are there class 3 sections, for example. Thanks in advance!

[orion]

I've been down Slide Canyon. There is some route finding involved, and I don't think it would be very easy or possible during high flow of Piute Creek, as you will cross several times.

Just before the end when the canyon begins to narrow, you hop over to the canyon to the west, follow a ledge path to a large pine, drag your pack through the squat cave behind the tree, then lower it by a rope. After that, you walk through a true mosquito hell of criss-crossed fallen trees in a swampy bog to end up at Lake Benson.

Give yourself two days.

...and I wouldn't recommend going up it until you try going down first.

[balzaccom]

Orion, that's oneof my favorite posts of the year! Great stuff! Thanks

[jdgkeg]

Thanks for the feedback...

I'm looking at doing this over Labor day so hopefully Piute creek will be at a lower flow. Also, the plan is to exist stage left up Camp Creek before Slide Canyon pinches down and heads towards Benson.

So anyone else with input on what the Camp Creek drainage is like heading up out of Slide Canyon towards Tullulah Lake would be great. Thanks.

[bill-e-g]

The route you mention should be all class 2 ish. Not too terribly
difficult. I guess you've already done the trails there?
Only thing I'd maybe call class 3 is from Sister to Surprise.
If you want a GPS track or map of the way we've gone PM me.
If you cross Piute more than twice then I dunno where you are going.
You should just stay on the south side of the creek and just
cross Big Meadow and Camp. We crossed the Piute from N to S between
those two creeks and it was non issue at what looked like about
as high of flow Piute gets.
Have fun

[SierraMaclure]

I've done that and it's all no problem. Great country and no one at Tahlula.