fossana
Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2018
- Messages
- 753
Intro
The fabled Bear Lakes Basin has been on my to do list for several years. There's no easy way in between the mileage, elevation gain, and 12-13,000 foot passes. I decided to suck it up and do it as an overnighter. My original plan was to loop back over Feather Pass through French Canyon and back over Pine Creek Pass, but with the late snow melt and associated mosquitoes, staying above treeline as much as possible seemed more appealing. Instead I found a alternate pass into Royce Lakes, then dropped down a glacial slabbed drainage to Honeymoon Lake (the normal approach for the N Buttress of Merriam Peak). Unfortunately, my fur niece, Pika, had torn ACLs and could not join me.
Logistics
Start/end: Pine Creek trailhead (alt routes from Mosquito Flat TH and over Cox Col near Bear Creek Spire, or from Piute Pass TH via French Canyon)
Mileage: ~21 miles
Elevation gain: 6200'+
Navigation: topo map at a minimum, includes x-country travel
Filterable water: many creeks and lakes
Backcountry permits (overnight trips): White Mt Ranger Station in Bishop (reservable online)
Dogs: allowed
Nearest town/gas: Bishop, CA
Approximate Route
dotted line = off-trail
Photos
Trailhead to Honeymoon Lake







to Granite Park/Italy Pass












Italy Pass and Bear Lakes Basin










Royce Lakes to trailhead










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