Re: springs above Virginia Canyon

Has anyone tried these springs in the summer? Are they reliable? Was thinking of making camp up there.

Have only been close... but my guess is that they are reliable...
I'd recommend just taking 2 litres from Soldier and heading over...
How many nights you gonna stay there anyway?
It's only about 1.25 miles over there. Looks great...

Z wifie above Soldier:


Hanging Valley just South of Soldier:


Looking South... to where you wanna go...


We went over the ridge to Spiller and then looped back around to Return...
and up Stanton and Virginia Peaks.. was working on touching all the named
lakes in the park then... just a great area.
Lots worth exploring including Stanton, Virginia, and Twin Peaks...
And Glines Canyon... is an absolute Gem.

Have fun

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Thanks for the pix.
Was thinking to do this.

Looks good.
We went from Soldier to Spiller via the saddle... but you can save time and energy by
simply dropping down from the plateau NE of Spiller.
I'd recommend doing that on day 1 and camping at your dot at Spiller Lake. Just a
really really great view there. I'll post a pix tonight...
From there I'd recommend going back up on the ridge and following your ridge route
down... it will have stellar views... whereas the lower section of Spiller Creek, albeit
nice... is a lot of woods and not huge amounts of views... you have to be
up high to get nice views... During the Rim Fire... we went up Spiller to avoid
smoke... and I was super excited... it wasn't until much beyond Spiller Lake outlet
where it got really good.
So.. I'd vote for your ridge route... from there... if you haven't been... you should really
go by all 3 McCabes... The meadow below that you drew your line thru.. is nice...
but from McCabes you just get much nicer views and you are not gaining and
losing much additional elevation.
From there you can go over Sky Pilot and avoid dropping down much... I've circumnavigated
Shepherd Crest ... and the drop from Sky was "interesting" .. but I think
just traversing would not be toooo bad... and it would save you some elevation...
and the views from there are stellar...

Have fun... great route..

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updated

Thinking to hit Slide and Spiller Canyons out of Twin Lakes someday, anyway.

Sounds good. The hike up to Middle McCabe is worth doing. Middle McCabe is really nice...
When did this with the wife:

(that's Lower McCabe below)...
We camped in the foxtails right about Here
10,400+ ... and she was in her hammock...

Anywho. you have a general great route. You'll prob. tweak it a bit when u are out there...
(I'd def. not go up Glines that-a-way... but I like ur thinking)
Of course u can just zip back up the trail to Summit if so inclined...
Have fun

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chick-on
I'd def. not go up Glines that-a-way...

You mean the west side of the pass from Moat Lake?

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chick-on
Of course u can just zip back up the trail to Summit if so inclined...

Ya. Moat to Gilman ..
Here's the NW side ... Gilman Lake on the left there...


No idea if you will really enjoy the trek over Excelsior ... why I mentioned the real trail...

Here's the view from the "campspot" near Spiller Lake:


The plateau above Spiller is on the right here... gives you an idea of what you have to go down...


If you look at it straight-on ... well... it usually does... looks ... vertical...


Have fun whatever you end up doing

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One more of Middle McCabe:
Z old guy (and me) lounging...



Looked at Sky Pilot Col pix... and almost you are best just going thru the col ... and then back up on the ridge towards
Excelsior. Since it's on the HSR ... certainly there are 1000 pix out there of it... I can post some if you really want though.

Have fun

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We were just in this area... (3 times in 4 weekends) (hehehehehe)

So... begs the question... ask, no tell?

Or no go?

It was all ok.

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Still haven't gone. There were feet of snow on Memorial Day. Did Emigrant instead, which was wet enough.

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Sierra Miguel
Still haven't gone. There were feet of snow on Memorial Day. Did Emigrant instead, which was wet enough.

Thank you for your response.

I think we were at Hyatt Lake then...

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To answer about the springs, last weekend there were a few puddles of water in a small creek bed above where these springs are, not far from the "S" in "Springs". Marginal, but enough to fill up with. There is a hanging valley north of "Springs" that looks like it should have water in it in most years, but it looked dry from the distance. A smaller hanging valley SW of "Springs" was muddy and had a small tarn that again looked like it would have water in most normal years--but it too was dry. The marshy hanging valley south of Soldier had water a few weeks ago and is probably reliable. Best bet: haul water from Spiller, Soldier, or the marshy valley south of Soldier.