Re: extended trip in North Yosemite late August

Hello,
I am new to the group. I need some feedback. I am looking at doing the trip below late August.
I am looking at starting at the Robinson Creek TH in Twin Lakes. I am looking at night 1. Peeler Lake, 2. Benson Lake, 3. Head south down Rodgers canyon then up to Table Lake, 4. Return Creek in GCT,. 5. To TM resupply get burger, night in TM backpackers camp. 6. Then up through Glen Aulin to Miller Lake, 7. to Crown Lake, 8. hike out.

Questions:
1. How is the Rodgers Canyon trail, is it well maintained and easy to follow.
2. Is Table Lake a better location than Pate Valley to stay on night 3.
3. Will the GCT be too hot this late in August.

any thoughts and idea are welcomed

Thanks
Eric



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2016 03:28PM by schultz104.

If you truly are Intermediate like you put in your profile... this will be difficult.

The trails in Yosemite are typically very easy to follow. Rodgers Canyon is no different.

Plenty of people poo poo Table Lake. In August you may find it very dusty and hot.
I'd lean to hanging around Smedberg, Rodgers, Neall, and Murdoch... playing around...
exploring... than necessarily zipping thru on a tear.

Hard to see it all in one trip.. but this is a good route. Pate and GCT will also be hot.
If it's heat wave at the time you are there... stay high and go thru Benson Pass instead.
Of all you said... I would say I def. do not prefer Return as a place to camp.
There's much nicer stuff a bit lower or a bit higher...

I wouldn't go for Crown on your second leg. Enjoy Matterhorn Canyon and Slide Canyon.
Find a place in there. It's not a stretch to hike out from either to Twin in a day.

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I'll echo Chick-on's comments. That's a lot of miles and elevation for that many days, and you're not giving yourself any time to relax or explore. If you've done similar miles on other trips, then fine. But if this is stepping outside your usual comfort zone, you might find it's a big step.

We've done the loop out of Twin Lakes through Benson, Matterhorn Canyon, and Crown Lake, and you'll find a trip report on it on our website

The highlights for us were Smedberg Lake and Matterhorn Canyon...both of which you would bypass.

You should be able to do that without a resupply.

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2016 04:44PM by balzaccom.

Protip : If it's too hot... just go 1/2 Stevia..



Full Stevia is reserved for the supa pros.

(We dooz the Benson loopie last year)
(Some of us ... decide to hike Benson on day 1)

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Found the TR

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?17,80580,80580#msg-80580

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Yeah that was a long day...we got our permit that morning at Bridgeport and AndrewF tells the permit guy.."maybe we get to Benson later today".

Permit guy just laughed at us.

Says "I have done that once with a 15 pound pack"

AndrewF says "I am carrying 14 pounds"

Problem was I was carrying about 35.

But u did it with a smile on your face (most of the time)!

That was an awesome trip! Great memories!

Thanks for the responses.

Chick-on
" If you truly are Intermediate like you put in your profile... this will be difficult."
I consider myself an intermediate because I do about 2 to 4 trips a year. The majority of them are 3-5 days. As for longer trips, I did the the JMT in 2014, TRT in 2015 and the GEMS in The Grand Canyon in February 2015. Two of the three were solo trips. When I am solo I plan around 12-13 miles per day but ended up doing a little more than that.


"I'd lean to hanging around Smedberg, Rodgers, Neall, and Murdoch... playing around..."
exploring... than necessarily zipping thru on a tear.
I agree and may head back to Smedberg Lake area on the way back.

"Plenty of people poo poo Table Lake."
I got the idea from one of the posts on this site. It looks like a nice place to fish and spend the night.

"I wouldn't go for Crown on your second leg. Enjoy Matterhorn Canyon and Slide Canyon.
Find a place in there. It's not a stretch to hike out from either to Twin in a day"
Thanks for that advice I will do that.


Balzaccom

"The highlights for us were Smedberg Lake and Matterhorn Canyon...both of which you would bypass.
I may go to Smedberg Lake on the way back up. Matterhorn Canyon I will be hiking through on my return to the Trailhead.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2016 08:02AM by schultz104.

Quote
schultz104
Thanks for the responses.

Quote
chick-on

"Plenty of people poo poo Table Lake."

I got the idea from one of the posts on this site. It looks like a nice place to fish and spend the night.

Maybe if you end up at Table Lake and take a photo of yourself by the lake, Chick-on would be kind enough to send you this commemorative t-shirt:

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Leave No Trace

Smedberg on the way back...

I am assuming you mean on your way up from Benson Lake towards Rodgers.
You should do that. It's very close... easily do-able...
(Smedberg on your 2nd leg... um... not so easily done... you have to hike up
and over Benson Pass... of course you know this... it's just a bit ambiguous...
your "way back" comment)

Table Lake ... um... yeah... don't expect to catch any fish there...
If you want to fish you probably should go to Saddle Horse. It's not too difficult to
get to and has fish. Loch Tablae... um... sorry... don't count on it.

You know you could do the "Benson Loop".. and include Rodgers Neall and Murdoch...
and then.. drive your car to TM... and then do the GCT from White Wolf to TM ...
or better yet... do the GCT ... and loop back around to WW.

Either this way or that... you will miss something... which you should consider a good thing.
It's always nice to have something to see brand new. Though imo... it doesn't get old.

Hear you on intermediate. Those distances are not a problem. When z wifie
and I dooz longer trips... we usually nap mid-day... and still easily knock off
10-15 miles regardless of terrain... and I still can do some goofing at the
end of the day.

Have fun!

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2016 02:48PM by chick-on.

Unbelievable...I never wake up after taking an afternoon nap on the trail hahah