Thinking about doing the above trail. My first time on this trail. Is it worth doing this late in the year, or should I wait until next season with more water?

Thank you,

Jon

Quote
sierranomad
Thinking about doing the above trail. My first time on this trail. Is it worth doing this late in the year, or should I wait until next season with more water?

Thank you,

Jon

Now is a good time although there won't be roaring torrents of water. There will be plenty so you won't have to worry about drinking or crossings. Bugs should be gone but it can be hot.

---

Old Dude

Always a great trip - anytime -
Water is down but great holes for swimming.
Suggest starting out from White Wolf as reversed (starting out TM), that 4,000 feet climb in 4 miles out of Pate westward kinda sucks.
Many rattlesnake sightings reported down there all summer.
Ticks can also be a bit problematic.

Quote
markskor
Many rattlesnake sightings reported down there all summer.

Indeed! Saw lots of rattlesnakes in Pate Valley. In fact I'd say it's my personal record for sightings.

Thanks mrcondron & markskor. 😁😁😁

Take a headnet.

Black flies (aka "face" flies) were an issue in many areas in the lower elevation zones through last weekend. Better sane than crazy, imo.

Thanks! Wouldn't have thought to bring my headset. 😵

There was also a Spike Camp down in Pate when we went thru on Aug16th...
This may affect where you decide to spend the night...

(there also was one in Slide Canyon below the Sawtooth Range (between Burro and Mule Passes...
at where we were gonna spend the night... ))

Anywho... anytime is nice to do GCT imo. With water low you can check out both
sides of the river if so inclined ... and such...
(if you search on this site for Muir Gorge ... )


Have fun

---

Thanks! Going early October. Don't know what a Spike Camp is. Guess I will Google it. 😁😁😁

Effectively it's a big temporary camp for the CCC crew...



(these signs are out of date... )

(we were in all these places in August... and only Slide Canyon had a crew)
(maybe they were doing Matterhorn Canyon ... but beats me why)

Anyway.... more pix

(o... I have NO idea why the Beehive Junction still has a sign)

---

Thanks. I was a bit confused initially at the Google definition. It referred to logging or cattle camps. The FCC makes sense.

Quote
chick-on
(we were in all these places in August... and only Slide Canyon had a crew)
(maybe they were doing Matterhorn Canyon ... but beats me why)

They are working on the section from Slide to Mule Pass.

Quote
chick-on
(o... I have NO idea why the Beehive Junction still has a sign)

It might have something to do with the Rim Fire as the C's were doing the trail work / preventive maintenance after the fire there. I think it is typically 3-4 years after a fire that they do rehab work. Or it could just be a forgotten sign.

Of course I appreciate the work done very much...

My comment was a hope that the trail crew would be fixing an area like near
Mule Pass... because that is in dire need... whereas something like Matterhorn
Canyon needs no work from my untrained eye...
The area west of Rock Island Pass was another "uh... wow... this trail is in bad shape
moment" ... so when we see so much effort being put in in some locations...
I scratch my head. (and others neglected for what seems like decades)

Anywho. Thanks Buster

If you know Chris the Ranger personally... tell him hello and I and others hope
that he is enjoying his stint in The Rockies

---

You may be pleased to hear that when we traversed Mule Pass August 26th there was extensive trail rehabilitation clearly underway on the east side of the pass.

Kewl. Close to the top... a few spots were pretty bad...

Good to hear they are being addressed... Thx

---

Yes, there was a lot of step building close to the top on the east side of the pass. It was Friday, and I think that the crews work 4 on/3 off, or just don't work Fridays, or maybe just not that day. Ran into two different trail maintenance folks out on pleasure hikes that day, and there was no actual work being done, but lots of incomplete work in progress.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 12:59PM by ags.

I hate passing by a Spike Camp (can anyone share the reason for this name?). They always have really good food cooking, and I'm almost always really hungry... :-)

They live well in the backcountry. Good for them.

Did you go?

---