Re: Water At Sunrise High Sierra Camp

Last year by this time there was no water at the creek or the camp. Does anyone know the conditions this year??? I would like to camp there August 6th. Thanks for any info

Was fine a couple of weeks ago, but no idea about now. They aparently did have some cloudiness issues due to the low water level.

Does the water at the camp run dry later in the season then?

Steve

When the creek runs dry the High Sierra Camp will have water brought in by mule for their paying guests.
If you are a backpacker maybe consider camping at one of the Sunrise lakes instead as most all of the creeks will be dry this year by August.

I hiked from Happy Isles to Sunrise last year in late July and there was water there. A lot of folks I met on the trail, some who had just come from Sunrise HSC, were spreading the word that there was no water, Some claimed this came straight from the rangers. There was water in the creek before you got to the camp area and another spot to filter water in the camp. Since last year was exceptionally dry I doubt it is dry this year. I'm not sure how these rumors get around. It was true that you could not fill up from the tap water at Sunrise HSC. I think people find some of the sources are dry and assume there is no water at all.

I think much of the appeal of a developed campground in the wilderness is the convenience of bear boxes, pit toilets and tap water. When the tap water is no longer available for backpackers the message spreads in short hand as "no water."

Quote

...the appeal of a developed campground in the wilderness is the convenience of bear boxes, pit toilets and tap water...

Now there's an oxymoron if I ever saw one.

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We did a loop from Tenaya / Sunrise / Cathedral last year at exactly the same time (8/8). No water from Tenaya Lake to Sunrise lakes. (all the creeks in between were dry). No water flowing between the middle and upper Sunrise Lakes (we climbed up the dry creekbed). Sunrise HSC water was supplied by mule (for guests only). The water spigots above the two pit toilets were removed and the faucets sealed. We heard that water was available in some spots further down the meadow, but not near the camping/backpacker area.

Also, no water on the trail from Sunrise Lakes (other than the trickle in the meadow near the HSC) until Cathedral Lakes.

We got plenty of info about the water situation from others leaving the Sunrise area, so we didn't have any surprises.

Thanks for the info. I was there last August 21st and it was bone dry from Cathedral Lakes to the JMT/Clouds Rest junction and there was barely a trickle there. We might push on to Cathedral this year too.

Last August it would have been Cathedral Lakes

I will be coming up from LYV in mid August and was going to fill up at the Merced before I started - I was counting on replenishing at Sunrise and am concerned that I may not be able to do this - Where would be the closest place for water on the JMT after Sunrise heading to Tuolumne on the JMT?