Clark Range Loop

[Jotasha Wenwards]

Hi all,

My friend and I are planning a backpacking trip and after some research I came across the Clark Range Loop. I was looking for a route that was a bit less traveled and one that provided some good scenery and it seems to me that Clark Range provides that in spades.

First, a little information about my friend and I: we are both in our twenties and have both had some experience with backpacking (she hiked the Inca Trail for four days last year and I did a 25 mile trek in the Ecuadorian highlands in 2010, both of which were at elevations over 13,000 feet).

The area that we would like to check out is the Merced Pass > Red Peak > Post Peak > Fernandez Pass circuit. The path we wish to take is marked by the yellow line with red dots on the map. All of the other trails marked with a yellow line are proposed entry and exit routes.

My questions are as follows:
- Which trailhead would be the best starting point? In my research I found three potentials: 1. the Quartz Mountain TH which seems to be the closest distance-wise and elevation-wise to the Clark Range; 2. the loop that starts in Tuolumne Meadows, passes near Vogelsang Peak and eventually connects up with the Clark Range Loop; and 3. the trail the ascends from Yosemite Valley which I read is strenuous as there is a 16 mile, 5000’ climb to the Range. As we would like to keep out trek to between 5 and 7 days I am wondering if anyone has personal experience with any of these routes and if you would recommend one over the other considering our time constraints. A bit of a caveat: we are more interested in taking in the scenery, shooting some pictures and jumping in a lake here and there, than covering as much ground as possible every day.

- Does it matter in which direction we travel on the Clark Range Loop? Are there any considerations we should take into account in regards to the trail (i.e. easier/harder going one way rather than the other)?

- I saw some people mentioning Chain Lakes on this forum. Would it be worth it to stop by there and are there any other nearby spots that we should check out while hiking the loop?

Thank you in advance for any advice that you can give us.

[orion]

The Quartz Mountain trailhead is probably your best bet, though I would get the with enough time to hike into Chain Lakes for your first night's camp as Chiquito Lake is not the best camping. You definitely shave off some altitude starting there. Also, you should be able to get back to your car from as far as Ottoway or Rutherford/Anne Lakes in a day's hike, depending on which way you take the loop. It is easy to get misled at Chiquito Pass when coming out and hike down in the wrong direction (the last thing you want to do at the end of a hike)


Mono Meadows is also a good starting point if you want to take a bus up there and then finish your hike in the valley.

Tuolumne might be a little distant for your time frame.

Red Peak Pass is covered with snow on the east side year round, but not too hard to navigate.

Have fun!

[orion]

Of the Ottoway Lakes, Lower Ottoway is the better camping, but take time to check out Upper Ottoway on your hike.

I would probably take the loop that way, because it is easier to go down the snow on the east side of Red Peak Pass than to go up it. Plus, the view looking east as you reach the pass is one of the grandest in the park.

[balzaccom]

We've done parts of this hike from two different directions: once from Mono Meadows and once (last summer) from Granite Creek (a bit east of Fernandez.
There are trip reports on both hikes on our website, and photos as well.

Lovely country, and well worth the effort. By the way, we loved camping at lake 10005, just below Isberg Pass on the Yosemite side...about 1/2 mile off the trail, with a lovely campsite up in the trees to the west of the north end of the lake, and fun fishing!

[Jotasha Wenwards]

Thank you both for your advice, it is very much appreciated.