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Mountaineers route - current water situation
#50949 07/16/17 01:24 PM
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BFR Offline OP
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I am hiking up MR in two weeks. Planning to start in sandals and switch to boots. Are there any difficult water crossings above the E ledges? Would it be fine switching to boots at the ledges?

Thanks

Re: Mountaineers route - current water situation
BFR #50950 07/16/17 02:58 PM
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Not sure about the crossing at Lower Boy Scout Lake.

Two threads for you:

    Iceberg Lake & Mountaineers Route conditions

    north fork of lone pine creek and mt. russell 'trail' cond.

Re: Mountaineers route - current water situation
Steve C #50972 07/17/17 07:58 PM
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Hey hey!

I just went up yesterday.

I only got up to UBSL before we needed to cut our trip short (buddy got injured), from what I remember from the MR, there are no water crossings above that.

As it was, there are 7 crossings to speak of:

1: Carillon Creek on the Whitney Trail before the MR.
2-3: The two before the ledges on the N. Fork of Lone Pine Creek (NFLPC).
4: There is a small creek that feeds into NFLPC above the ledges but below Lower Boy Scout Lake (LBSL).
5: There is the outlet of LBSL
6: The slab creek crossing below Clyde "Meadow"
7: The outlet of UBSL

For most people with trail runners or light boots you should be able to manage crossings 1, 4, & 7 without needing water shoes or a barefoot crossing.

Crossings 2&3 below the E-Ledges will most likely require water shoes.

Crossing 4 you can remain dry but it flows along the trail for a bit.

The big daddy is crossing 5. Unless you know/willing to try the Slab Route you will need to get your feet wet crossing the LBSL outlet.

To put LBSL in perspective: I wear Saloman 4D's which are waterproof (effectually) high tops. I was able to do the two crossings up to the ledges with my shoes on and my feet were dry (it took some acrobatics) and I kept my shoes on for both trips when I crossed them at 3AM and returned at 1PM.

Even with waterproof boots the water at the LBSL outlet the water was mid thigh for me and crotch deep for my shorter buddy

Crossing 6 is a series of shallow crossings. There is one deep brook that I managed to cross dry, but if you're wearing light boots or trail runners you might want to play it safe and remove the shoes. Follow the cairns in this section up through the slabs.

7 is pretty minor, there are some easy spots to cross closer to the lake if the crossing along the use trail is too rich for your blood.

I don't believe that the MR has any crossings above that.

Also, up to UBSL we didn't set foot on a patch of snow.


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Re: Mountaineers route - current water situation
Snacking Bear #50976 07/17/17 08:16 PM
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Thanks so much, super helpful. Sounds like it makes sense to wear sandals through at least the 5th crossing.

Last edited by BFR; 07/17/17 08:16 PM.
Re: Mountaineers route - current water situation
Snacking Bear #50977 07/17/17 08:34 PM
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We went up yesterday as well. I believe we saw your group... my wife and I were sitting on the rocks above you guys having a snack. Sorry to hear about the injury.

I would def. agree that crossing 2&3 require water shoes... no way around it but the water is only a bit more than ankle deep.

For crossing 5 we didn't get wet at all. If your on the trail right before you hit the water there is a barely visible path to your right. You are basically walking on bushes in about 1-2 inches of mud. If you follow that up about 30 - 40 feet you can stay dry by sticking to the big boulder in the center and if I remember correctly there was a log or two that allowed you to stay dry.

Last edited by OffKamber; 07/17/17 08:38 PM.

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