Teen Backpacking in California's John Muir Wilderness

The Trip

Enjoy wandering through two remote lake basins in the heart of the John Muir Wilderness. After hiking to beautiful Lake Italy, nestled up against the Sierra crest, we head off-trail over Dancing Bear Pass and enter the scenic Bear Lakes Basin featuring a host of ursine-named lakes: Little Bear, White Bear, Ursa, Black Bear, Bearpaw, Beartrap, Den, Claw, Tooth, Brown Bear, Teddy Bear and Gruff. Surrounded by granite, these lakes are remnants of the mighty glaciers that sculpted this remote landscape. Next, we visit Seven Gables Lakes Basin beneath towering Seven Gables peak (13,160 feet). Among this chain of nine crystal-clear, high-alpine lakes we find waterfalls, stunning vistas and a resident population of golden trout.

After ferrying by boat the length of Lake Edison, we ascend east a short distance on the Mono Creek Trail to a junction with the famous John Muir Trail. We head south on the well-trodden John Muir Trail but soon leave this path behind and hike along a little-used lateral trail up the Hilgard Branch to Lake Italy. From here we travel off-trail using map and compass into the lake basins before returning to the John Muir Trail and back to Lake Edison.

Two major highlights of the trip are the layover days; a full layover in Bear Lakes Basin and a half-layover day at Seven Gables Lakes, where opportunities abound for peak climbing, fishing, swimming, exploring, or just relaxing.

Solitude in the Sierra can be difficult to find, but once we venture away from the popular John Muir Trail, solitude is what we'll seek. If you enjoy hiking and camping in the shadow of 13,000-foot granite spires join us as we wander among these high alpine lakes. Ideally, teens should have some prior backpacking experience, be physically active, and in good condition prior to the trip.

Sierra Club leaders and assistants of youth-oriented outings are subject to additional leadership requirements. These requirements include undergoing criminal background checks and participating in child abuse recognition and prevention training. The most important aspect of any Sierra Club National Outing is the health and safety of each participant. Contact the trip leader if you have additional questions after you have read the complete trip description.

The itinerary described here should be taken as a general plan; the actual route and schedule may well be different. Both how far we get each day and where we camp depends on weather, how we feel, and other factors outside of our control. Flexibility is important.

Day 1: We will meet for dinner at 5:00 p.m. at a Forest Service campground close to Lake Edison (7,780 feet) the night before we begin our hike. The campsite will be provided and arranged for by the leader. This will give everyone an opportunity to get acquainted, acclimated, and do a last-minute gear check and pack weigh-in.

Day 2: Following an early breakfast and a final backpack check, we will walk to the ferry landing for our ride across Lake Edison to the Mono Creek trailhead. One and a half miles up the Mono Creek Trail we reach the famed John Muir Trail. We follow it 6.2 miles south over Bear Ridge to a campsite beside tumbling Bear Creek at an elevation of 8,960 feet. We will be carrying the heaviest packs of the trip on this challenging day with an ascent of 2,160 feet and a descent of 858 feet.

Day 3: Continuing south along Bear Creek for 2 miles, we reach the Hilgard Branch and turn east and follow a seldom-maintained trail another 4.6 miles to our camp near Lake Italy (11,202 feet) for a total elevation gain of 2,358 feet. Stunning views of Bear Creek Spire, Mt. Gabb and Mt. Julius Caesar are our reward for another hard day's hike in our quest for solitude.

Day 4: Following the Italy Pass Trail for a mile above Lake Italy, we strike off-trail at Jumbo Lake and head 1.7 miles southwest over Dancing Bear Pass (12,120 feet), where we enter the Bear Lakes Basin, and descend to our camp at Bear Paw Lake (11,479 feet). The short ascent to the pass over moderately steep talus (loose rock) requires good balance and strong legs. The descent from the pass follows the path of the ancient glaciers that created this remote, but beautiful basin. 

Day 5: We will spend a full layover day in the Bear Lakes Basin with opportunities for exploring and/or fishing the many lakes, relaxing in camp, or perhaps climbing 13,200-foot Mt. Julius Caesar (Class 2).

Day 6: Today we leave the Bear Lakes Basin, taking a short 2.6-mile off-trail route past Vee Lake to the Seven Gables Lakes Basin to our camp at one of the larger lakes at 10,950 feet. We will arrive in camp by late morning and have the remainder of the day for a possible ascent of 13,160-foot Seven Gables (Class 2), fishing for golden trout, or relaxing around camp.

Day 7: With light packs and strong legs, we begin the day off-trail heading down the East Fork of Bear Creek until we locate an unmaintained use-trail, which will lead us back to the John Muir Trail. We will head north down Bear Creek and locate a camp beside the creek for a total hike of 6.7 miles.

Day 8: We continue 6.2 miles on the John Muir Trail over Bear Ridge, then descend to Mono Creek and pick up the Mono Creek Trail. It'll lead us to the ferry dock and our boat ride back to the west end of Lake Edison, returning us to civilization.

Getting There

Our trip begins at 5:00 p.m. at a Forest Service campground near Lake Edison, which is located on the western side of the Sierra at the end of the Kaiser Pass Road. The Kaiser Pass Road is about 27 miles from the end of Highway 168, 70 miles northeast of Fresno. After the first six miles, this becomes a one-lane, narrow, winding road. It is a safe road, but not fast. Plan on 1.5-2 hours to drive this portion. 

The leader will send out a roster well in advance of the trip to facilitate ride-sharing. Specific driving directions will be sent to trip members in advance of our departure. Please don't make transportation arrangements until the leader confirms you as a trip participant. We also recommend that you do not plan to fly home on the last day of the trip, as we cannot guarantee completing the trip at a specific time.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

The first trip meal is dinner on our first day. The last meal will be lunch on the final day. The Sierra Club will provide all meals and snacks. Vegetarians are welcome, provided we know in advance. Cooking and clean-up duties will be shared by all members of the group on a rotating basis. All of our food will be carried in Sierra Club-provided bear-proof canisters. Please do not bring any extra food, such as snacks, as it will not fit in the stuffed-to-capacity canisters.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated a 4 out of 5 (moderately strenuous) and is designed specifically for teens. The rating is due to elevation gains the first two days and the altitude of our camps during the middle of the trip. You must have the ability to carry your own gear plus 14-16 pounds of group gear. Ideally, teens will have some prior backpacking experience. Proper equipment, a positive attitude, and adequate conditioning are essential for your personal enjoyment and the success of the group effort. We may have to cross snowfields that linger far into the summer and there will be stream crossings. We will backpack a total of 36 miles for the trip, including 6 miles of off-trail travel plus optional day hikes on our layover day. Daily mileages will range from three to eight miles. Most days we will be hiking 5-6 hours, including breaks. Our campsites will be between 8,960 feet and 11,479 feet. The highest point on the trip will be 12,120 feet when we cross Dancing Bear Pass.

Participants must be in good physical condition. Hiking, running, and cycling are good training activities. Adding a fully loaded backpack to your training hikes will help to build muscles specific to backpacking. An overnight backpack trip prior to our trip would be good preparation and give you a chance to test out your gear. Leader approval is required. Please complete and return the approval and other forms within 30 days of signing up for the trip. Parent or guardian must sign the liability waiver and medical release forms. The leader will arrange a telephone call to discuss the trip with each participant prior to approval. The leader is happy to discuss the trip and answer any questions parents may have prior to sign-up or during the approval process.

The High Sierra is well known for its excellent summer weather; however, extended storms can occur at any time of the year. Afternoon thunderstorms -- with sudden cloudbursts of wind, rain, hail, and even snow -- are not uncommon. Be prepared for extremes: high temperatures during the day can exceed 80 degrees and fall into the low 30s at night.

Equipment and Clothing

The Sierra Club will provide food and group equipment including stoves, pots, bear-proof canisters, cooking utensils, fuel, etc. Keep your personal gear at or below 20 pounds so that, with the addition of 14-16 pounds of group equipment and food, your total pack weight will be 35 pounds or less at the start of the trip. You are responsible to provide and carry your own camping gear, clothing, toilet paper, etc.

Your pack must have room for group equipment, as well as your personal gear. Each participant's group load will be one food canister (8.7” x 12.7”), plus additional non-food items such as a stove, fuel bottle, tarp, rope, pot set, or water filter. This is roughly equal to the size of a full paper grocery sack. Tent sharing, to save weight, is encouraged and will be facilitated by the leader ahead of time. Packs will be weighed at the trailhead.

Major equipment such as sleeping bags, packs, and tents can often be rented. The leader is happy to provide advice on suitable gear. We will give each participant a new Sierra Club whistle (bring your own lanyard) and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. The leader will send a list of required and optional equipment after you sign up for the trip.

If you use a phone for taking pictures be aware that phones have limited battery life. To extend the battery life, the device should be fully charged before trip departure and placed in airplane mode. It is recommended the phone not be used for other activities such as listening to music or reading unless you have a backup battery or charging stick. We will be out of cell phone range during the trip; however, the leader carries a satellite phone for emergencies.

References 

Map:

It is recommended, but not required, that teens carry the following map:

• Mono Divide High Country, Tom Harrison Maps (www.tomharrisonmaps.com) covers all of the trip, and is waterproof, lightweight, and inexpensive. It is also available at REI and amazon.com. 

Books:

To provide additional information on the Mono Divide High Country prior to the trip:

• Winnett, Thomas et al, Sierra South: 100 Backcountry trips in California's Sierra. Wilderness Press. A classic guide to hiking the Sierra from Mono Creek south.
• Secor, R.J., The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes and Trails (published by The Mountaineers). An excellent general reference to trails, cross-country routes, and climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada.
• Laws, John M., The Laws Field Guide To The Sierra Nevada. An excellent field guide to plants, animals, etc. The leader's copy will accompany us on the trip.

Conservation

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” - John Muir

Our outing is completely within the John Muir Wilderness administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Established in 1964, this wilderness area now encompasses 652,617 acres of legally protected wilderness. As stated in the Wilderness Act: A wilderness is recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. 

We have the privilege of hiking off-trail in some of the most pristine areas of this wilderness. Visitors like us have an impact on the wilderness. Our trip will provide a good opportunity to consider why it’s important we minimize this impact and how we can do so by carefully observing the seven Leave No Trace principles. We may also discuss how wilderness practices have changed over the years and how they can be further improved while at the same time allowing wilderness experiences such as ours. Further, we will invite discussion of current efforts to protect wilderness and de facto wilderness lands. 

While the area we’re visiting is protected, it remains vulnerable to outside threats such as climate change and pollution. Some areas adjacent to the John Muir Wilderness remain unprotected and face additional threats from poorly planned development and resource extraction. We’ll have an opportunity on our outing to discuss such threats, the importance of large protected areas for habitat resilience, and what we can do to support work on these issues. 

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under permits from the Sierra National Forest.