Hiking from Hemlock Crossing, up Stevenson Canyon to???

I'm doing a loop of the Minarets/Banner/Ritter this summer and we'll be spending a day up in Stevenson Canyon. I've looked at topos and google earth and am wondering if there is a class 2 or 3 hike over a ridge around Forester Peak or Electra Peak from Blue Lake or Rockabound Lake that drops you down to the bench above Harriet Lake, or down into the cirque of the Lyell Fork of the Merced River.

I'm asking because the guide books say Stevenson Canyon is magnificent, and the trail stops there. I'm guessing there is a knapsack pass/ridge that's not too dangerous to cross over that range. I just can't tell from the maps.

I'm sure the trail over Isberg Pass will be totally satisfying. However, I'm always looking for alternate routes for these summer loops.

We want to end up on Lewis Creek and headed over Vogelsang Pass back to Tuolomne Meadows. Any personal knoweldge of the west side of Ritter/Banner/Minarets will be much appreciated!!!

Jeff.

Take a look a this:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,28062

If you've never been I would recommend that route pretty much.
I've been wanting to go back and go straight up Bench Canyon...
but Twin Islands Lakes was a special place... so imho you should go that way.

I put the actual GPS route via maps onto that picture set for you
for reference. Roper's SHR goes pretty much that way up Bench but
doesn't go over Foerster... it goes over the saddle there...
The route over Foerster is imo class 2.

Ask more if you like.. I can post more pix if you want.

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Wow, that trip report is nothing but spectacular. Great stuff!

This is a dayhike/2/3-day hike?! (I like to take a lot of pictures ).

That particular trip was 40+ miles with extensive xcountry.
I did it in 3 days.. I'd take an extra day next time and explore
more lakes and peaks.
Day 1 was get up and drive to TH and hike to Harriet
Day 2 past Twin Island into Stevenson
Day 3 back to car and drive home
Probably someone can do it all in a day... but they'd either
be running or hiking in the dark... I'll pass

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Thanks for the feedback - highly appreciated. As I like to explore and poke around 3-4 days sounds good to me. Plus the extra time for photos during sunrise and sunset.
Plus I'm still a backcountry novice in the Sierra Nevada (did most of my backcountry time in Utah and Arizona, my Sierra Nevada experience is limited to the well-known hikes in Yosemite plus the Volcanic Tablelands where route finding is not required). I wish I could spend more time in the backcountry but since I live nearly 6,000 mls away from California my opportunities are limited.

Thanks - this is really helpful. Your pictures make the Bench Canyon route really attractive. Now, I'm hoping that the snow will have melted enough by the end of June to make the high canyons accessible. And I hadn't realized Roper's route went through here. I'll have to dig his book out...

Jeff.

I just looked through the set... and saw I actually didn't really even put any of
Stevenson Canyon area even though I said it was nothing but spectacular.
I put a few more up including Hemlock Crossing itself. The lighting wasn't
the greatest since ended the day in Stevenson and started hiking at 7 the next...
Take a look again at the set towards the end.
My recommendation is to go up Bench and then if you want to check out
Rockbound then zig over there from Blue.

The only downside is that the route is becoming increasingly popular with
Ropers book... so I would expect to see other parties around.

Have fun

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