Fall 2011 Backpacking: Loop the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, Planning and Preparation

October 20-21, 2011

After the early season snow dusting, weather conditions have reverted to tropical heat blowing up from the tropics. Wow. Time to hit the Fall trails. The Sierra Nevada is stunningly beautiful in Fall tones. I mean the softness of the light itself, a product of the steep angles and sharp contrasts that Fall sunlight displays the Sierras.

Route

The first thing is route selection. I need to collect videos and images of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail between Lake Alpine and Saint Marys Pass.

More precisely, I always depart the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to head up HIghland Creek to join the Pacific Crest Trail at Wolf Creek Pass. I really like the E Carson River Valley that sits along the Pacific Crest Trail between Wolf Creek Pass and Sonora Pass.

The last time I followed the Clark Fork up to Saint Marys Pass on the Tahoe to Yosemite route was before I carried a camera. Time to do it again. I'm short about 17 miles of trail images and videos from the East end of Spicer Reservoir to Saint Marys Pass.

But this section of trail puts us a long way from the car at Lake Alpine on Highway 4. How to get back? Might as well hike back Northbound on the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT is just up the road from Saint Marys Pass.

We are basically circling the whole Carson Iceberg Wilderness, heading South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail along the Western slope of the Sierra, then back North along the Eastern Edge of the Sierra on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Let's take a closer look at this cool loop. 

Route Specifics

Tahoe to Yosemite Section Southbound: Lake Alpine to Saint Marys Pass

Silver Trailhead....0

Saint Mary's Pass....34.64

After reaching Highway 108 at Saint Marys Pass we will walk the mile East along the highway to the Sonora Pass, where we will turn North to follow the Pacific Crest Trail towards Ebbetts Pass. As the car is at the Silver Trailhead, we will drop down Highland Creek from the Pacific Crest Trail to join the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail at the East side of Spicer Reservoir.

Pacific Crest Trail Section Northbound: Sonora Pass to Lake Alpine

(Note: you can easily stay on the Pacific Crest Trail to continue North to Ebbetts Pass.)

Saint Marys Trailhead on Highway 108 to Sonora Pass....1

Sonora Pass to Wolf Creek Pass....22.42

Wolf Creek Pass to TYT at Spicer Lake back to Lake Alpine...21.11

Alternative Northbound Route: Staying on the PCT

Wolf Creek Pass to Ebbetts Pass....7.02

 Totals

Total Southbound Section: Tahoe to Yosemite Route...34.64

Total Northbound Section: Pacific Crest Trail Route....44.53

Total Loop....79.17

 Food

I've recorded and weighed exactly what I've packed for this trip.  Amazingly, I have exactly 10 lbs of food for 5 days. This exactly follows my food plans linked to below. In the Garcia the whole thing weighs 13 lbs.

My plan is to average 100 calories per ounce. I'm aiming to carry two pounds of food for each day's backpacking. At an average of 100 calories per ounce two pounds therefore provides 3200 calories,  

Well, I've got the weight spot-on. When I get back I'll total up all the calories and see if I hit the 3200 calorie mark per two pounds of food weight.

Weather

The second thing is the weather. Weather looks real good for both storms and temps through Wedensday next week, and the forecasts are improving as our departure date (Oct 22) approaches.

Third, we've got to put together a gear kit sufficient for the lower nighttime temps typical of Fall (high teens to high 30s is the range I'm anticipating) and sufficient for unexpected early snow.

This is essentially my Summer Clothing Gear Kit with the ultra light upper shell replaced by a medium weight shell, and the addition of an extral upper thermal layer. A heavy poly thermal shirt to be exact.

I've thrown in a pair of heavy wool socks too.

The sleeping bag is the biggest change. From my recent-times 40 degree bag I've elected to take my heavy old-school North Face 0 to 10 degree bag. Call it a 10 degree bag. It's overkill but I don't mind for two reasons.

First, I don't have a 20 degree bag anymore. A 20 would be perfect for this trip. Second, I'm still feeling the effects of a case of frostbite from early Jan of this year. I am erring on the sie of caution, in pursuit of keeping my foot warm.

I'm also bringing a pair of poly liner socks, a heavy pair of wool socks, and my down booties for camp use. I really can't be too careful about keeping my foot warm. I'm also packing other gear to suit my particular needs.

I've heavily stocked my first aid kit with Telfa dressings, tape, antiseptics and antibiotic creme. I'm bringing a pair of light tennis shoes if my toe reacts badly to the stiffness of the boot over a period of 5 days. I've already carried 45 pounds up 750 feet over 4.5 mile route for training without too much ill effect.

Conditioning

As I mentioned, I caught a moderate case of frostbite on my R foot in January. I was told I'd lose two toes, if not the whole front of my foot, "depending on how the surgery goes." I told them I'd save them, and hike again shortly.

Well, 10 months is not "shortly," and I did end up losing a half-inch off the tip of my Right big toe. Non-surgically. So I was more than half correct about the potential of my foot to heal, and much too optimistic about the healing time and powerful effect of frostbite. If you're not too queasy, check out my Recovery page.

These injuries persist. I've been working up to jogging 4 to 5 miles of a 6 mile hill route. During the last 4 days I have twice carried 43 lbs 4.5 miles. Neuropathy, structural damage, and flesh issues in the R foot are all controllable. You can understand why I'm packing one hell of a first aid kit.

I am in "middle" conditioning. No longer poor, but not great. During months of inactivity due to the frostbite my secondary injuries all kicked in. I've been getting the rust out of the joints and bringing everything gradually up to speed. I can now take a pretty good beating without breaking down. I recover quickly. Yet I'm bringing lots of ibuprofen...

Drug List:

2400 mg Ibro per day

2x 30 mg Codiene/Acetomicien per day

1x 30 mg Morphine per day.

These dosages are anticipating a "worse case" scenario.

I'll post up my full first aid kit when I get back, but it's the standard kit mentioned on the gear page, gunned-up with the extras to maintain my tender toe.

Notes on this section of the trail

The run up from Lake Alpine is almost all up. 7330 to 10400 feet with a couple of stunning river valleys thrown in. The last section of the trail up to the trail to Saint Marys Pass brings us up to, and through the headwaters of the Clarks Fork of the Stanislaus River.

At Saint Marys Pass trail head we continue to climb gently up to Sonora Pass, where we again reach 10400 feet at the Sonora Gap. The Sonora Gap separates the Deadman Creek/Stanislaus R drainage from the narrow Wolf Creek drainage sitting to the NW of Sonora Pass. Just North of Wolf Creek Lake we will enter the headwaters bowl of the E Carson River, and begin descending into thickening forest trimming the unique granite that forms this narrowing valley.

We are heading down to a bottleneck where the E Cason excapes through a pinch in the narrow valley.

The bottom of our descent is where the unmarked junction with the unmaintained E Carson trail cuts in from our NE, the right side of a Northbound hiker. North from here we have a moderate climb over a massive granite formation that blocks the riverbank. After we cross over this feature the real climb begins.

A long hard climb brings us to the Western rim of the massive granite valley holding the E Carson, from our earlier position along the riverbank. Note the finely crenelated closely jointed granite features.

After reaching the crestline, we turn West through a channel in the rock, then turn North again into a nice forested section where we cross a small creek. About 30 yards before reaching the creek there are a couple of real nice campsites.

We will continue North along a mildly undulating trail around the rims of Golden and Murray Canyons, then turn NW away from the E Carson. At Wolf Creek there is a real nice campsite on the North side.

At Wolf Creek Pass we will either turn SW to head past Highland Lakes to follow the canyon of the same name down to rejoin the TYT at the E end of Spicer to head out at Lake Alpine, where we began, or continue north to end our trip at Ebbetts Pass. Exiting at Ebbetts pass cuts 14 miles off of the loop beginning and ending at Lake Alpine.

As it is looking more and more likely that we will not launch our trip early on Saturday, we may be forced by time constraints to continue North on the PCT to Ebbetts Pass. That would be too bad. I've been through the Highland Creek connector tying the best parts of this section of the TYT and PCT together many times. But Ari's never seen much of the Carson-Iceberg, and I wanted to give him the big tour. We'll see.

It is going to be vital to leave early Saturday to have a good shot at making the whole 79 mile loop by Thursday morning. As Ebbetts Pass is only 7 miles North of Wolf Creek Pass, while Lake Alpine is 21 miles via Highland Canyon, if we are running late.

If time becomes a factor we can hitch from Ebbetts Pass to Lake Alpine, shortening the trip by 14 miles down to 65 miles.

Trail Information

Maps

Miles: Lake Alpine to Saint Marys Pass

Miles: Ebbetts Pass to Sonora Pass  

I have not yet constructed the trail guide pages for these sections...stay tuned!

Astronomical Information

October 22, 2011. Times and locations will shift during trip. Yet these are valuable references to use the sun as clock and compass.

Sun

Rise at  7:16 am at 102.6

Set at 6:14 at 256.2

Overhead equals 12:53 pm

Sunrise will get 5 minutes later during the 5 days of our trip, while Sunset will occur 7 minuters earlier. We will lose a total of 12 minutes of the day during the 5 days of our trip.

Day length Start of Trip: 10 hrs 58 minutes

Day length End of Trip: 10 hrs 46 minutes

Moon

Rise at 2:30 am

Set at 3:30 pm

New Moon on Oct 26

The moon moves 13.5 degrees across the sky per day towards the East. The moon rises aprox an hour later each day. This adds aprox an hour to moonset every day. 

Notes on Backpacking Preparation

Weather

Gear List

Food Planning

Trip Planning

Astronomical

 I will post up my journal heading data and a report on the trip itself when I return.