Well- depends on if they like you or not. They don’t like me, so I was fine. However- if they like you, like they liked a few members of the group, it was pretty bad! Headnets at all times seemed like the call. Have a great time!

Thank you- I got lucky coming around the corner at the right time 😀 they are fun to watch, just effortlessly cruising along

@@brettbayley5724 Quite a few videos out there where people think they've captured condors but they're turkey vultures. Cool birds also but you can see them many places. I'm curious what your impression of the Blue Oak trail was since it doesn't seem to get done as much. Was it overgrown or was it in pretty good condition like the other trails?

Yes indeed, I agree. I suppose that way up high, perhaps you can confuse the two. However, once you see the condor's wingspan and overall size, they are VERY different! To your question of the Blue Oak Trail, I found it to be in great shape! It was not overgrown at all, was in great shape and had some lovely views and some namesake oaks along the trail. I find the only trail I've been on that was even remotely overgrown or difficult to follow was the North Wilderness Trail-which is another I'd recommend too.

Thanks! I appreciate it. Emigrant is really pretty- I will return for sure. That loop you tackled sounds like something I’ll need to put on the radar! Happy trails- I’ll see you out there!

It really is an overlooked Park with all we have in the area and I’m growing to really enjoy it! Glad you enjoyed the video. I hope to offer up many more this year. Thanks neighbor

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I hope to be able to offer up lots more this year

You're welcome. The fishing was pretty good! To be honest with you, I was pretty beat when I arrived to Bear Lakes Basin so I just fished one of the lakes with no luck(pretty windy) However, I had luck at Merriam and LOTS of luck at Honeymoon. No goldens however. Thanks for watching! Glad to take you along

It was a blast! And yes, those wildlife camera traps they have through the park system do provide great footage for family vacations. ;) and thank you for hosting us on that break from the road- it was very nice to see you all

Thank you very much!

It was! thank you

You are welcome! Depending on what time of year you go you will need to reserve a permit ahead of time. I went during a time of year when you can simply self issue yourself a permit from a backcountry office and go.

Henry. Hey! Thanks for reaching out. I hope the last short stretch of the JMT treated you well getting down into the valley. I’ll keep an eye out for that on your channel :) I have checked in on a few of your episodes. Great stuff! Glad you will enjoy my little edit on the big TV screen. Enjoy!

I checked u out thanks to watching Henry’s video… really appreciated the visuals and the narratives about your day.

haha! thanks. well, that use trail over the last maybe three quarters of a mile sure helped the cause. but yes, pretty steep little climb up that shoulder to access it though. however, definitely worth it! the views to the GWD and down into Buck Canyon sure are stunning.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it ☺️

yes indeed! Muriel not so much- but the two Goethe Lakes held some of the biggest fish I’ve seen in The Sierra. They’re picky. I didn’t have any luck throwing Panther Martens but my friend got a beast off a cricket he caught. good luck- and sorry for the late reply.

@@brettbayley5724 Better late than never😉 Talked with the outfitter at the trail head, he did mention that those lakes hold some big goldens. They primarily feed on scuds( fresh water shrimp ) red color, that’s why the fish have red bellies, stuffed with scuds. The weather was looking weird so I opted to fish down in the basin instead of being caught exposed at higher elevations. Glad your buddy stuck one 👍🏼. How big was it ?

Thanks for that info-stuffed full of scuds! Always better safe than sorry on the weather-exposed, rocky shored lakes would not be an ideal spot to have to book it out of in the event of a storm. Hope you had good luck in Humphries- or perhaps you went further down to Golden Trout lakes? (Heard it’s good there ) my buddy’s fish was about forearm length… including your hand. A fat beast )

@@brettbayley5724 wow, that’s a trophy for sure! Fished the inlets to the Golden Trout lakes for small wild goldens, great time, only saw a few people passing by.

That’s what it’s all about!

I usually do separate 'commentary' videos for each respective trip. I did not for this one unfortunately. The only lakes passed on the way to Alpine Col / Muriel Lake are Goethe Lakes for your reference- which are classic High Sierra lakes. Rockbound. Barren moonscape-with some BIG fish!! Alpine Col is very straightforward(we stayed left) amongst huge, but stable, boulders. The pass was very easy. The scramble up to Muriel in loose, junky scree was more challenging. but just cause of the loose slippy footing. no real exposure or danger though. The weather was typical for October in the Sierra - cold. Low teens. LEt me know if theres any clarification you'd like? These videos are made mostly for my family and friends, and for me to fondly recall, not so much a step by step, in depth trip report. You can always follow along with the Tom Harrison map ;)

thanks!

thanks Earle! that was such a fun time up on Langley. We had bad weather all trip in the afternoons so were bracing for more. However, it held steady and allowed us to hang out up there for over an hour. had it to ourselves. so nice! I definitely have that Sierra love! would have been cool to drive the 395 with him on one of those epic road trips I've heard so much about.

thanks! my friend Mr Rock. haha

Patrick. thank you so much for your kind words! i am so glad you enjoyed it. i do indeed get SO much from being in settings such as Yosemite and i try to bring a little bit of that magic and grace back with me to share. again, i appreciate your comments! and i do intend to keep getting out there and putting these little videos together.

thanks Bill. it really was. the Tom Harrison Mono Divide High Country map is a great resource for this trip-you can enter Bear Lakes Basin from the Eastside like I did via Pine Creek or from the Westside from Florence Lake. both ways get you into Bear Lakes Basin on night two(maybe night three if you're coming in from the West-longer approach) The majority of the trip is off trail-as far as not being noted on the map. however there are use trails beyond Granite Park up to Italy Pass. beyond that its off trail across to Dancing Bear Pass and Bear Lakes. you pick up use trails here and there past Feather Pass near Merriam Lake(highlight of the trip for me) and then onto proper maintained, signed trail in French Canyon. all in all very straightforward cross country passes and nothing to be overly concerned about. just do your typical research(map and Google Earth ;) go get it! (if we can..I hope I hope)

@@brettbayley5724 thanks for the info. Can't wait until we can get back out there.

@@brettbayley5724 That's quit an uphill slog from Florence! It took me an entire day to get to Humphreys Basin from Florence Lake.

@@MidsierramusingBlogspot yeah. that would be a full day. I didn't come in via Florence on this through. I came up from the Eastside-Pine Creek. Which was still a day one climb of 4K+ to Granite Park. I did do most of that Piute Canyon/Hutchison Meadow stretch in a previous trip(my Evolution Valley trip, also posted in my channel) My day was from the wilderness boundary/silver bridge to the area where the use trail to Humphrey's splits off-just shy of Piute Pass. If you wanted to specifically get into Bear Lakes Basin from Florence, like I mentioned in a previous comment you'd want to go a bit different way- through MTR/Sallie Keys Lake/ Selden Pass/Marie Lake/Three Island Lake and x-country over Seven Gables pass and up to Vee Lake. That'd be on your night three most likely. I want to get back the BLB , but from the Westside. One day! its gorgeous.

@@brettbayley5724 Yeh, It's 3,000' of gain just to Honeymoon Lake from the trailhead. Just got back from Honeymoon Lake and Granite Park myself. Granite Park is super cool. midsierramusing.blogspot.com/2020/08/honeymoon-lake-to-granite-park-part-ii.html

John. You are welcome! Thanks, glad you liked it. Enjoy the hike- it is gorgeous country. Expect and plan for snow at Kaweah Gap. We did it in a similar snow year much later in the year and there were still icebergs in Precipice Lake and a good amount of snow up to the Gap. Let me know if you have specific questions or anything too :)

The Tom Harrison map says 12.4 total- but call it 13 due to 3/4 mi walk from parking lot to proper trailhead. The 5 mi to Piute Pass is - by Sierra standards- pretty easy. Then it's all downhill from there- steeply at times but for the most part pretty mellow. Beautiful country.

dude...you watched the commentary. heres the trip report video. bit more scenery here. not just my talking head ;) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ-Xg3ydas-fpZY

Brett Bayley cool...ooops, thanks great stuff . . . . think I'm gonna hit this next summer....we did south loop of Yosemite high sierra camps this summer.......it was bitchin..

Steve. Thanks man. Yeah-it's s great loop. With a bit of off trail thrown in to spice it up. If you're comfortable with off trail id maybe recommend heading from Darwin Bench to Muriel Lake -and ultimately Piute Pass- via Alpine Col. I explored that area more extensively s few weeks ago and found it beautiful- and very challenging. And the fishing!! ? Some monsters lurking in Goethe Lakes! Anyways, worth a look. So many options of course. that HSC loop is s good one! I did the whole loop over two separate trips. I want to revisit the south loop as I had poor weather and lots of skeeters. I ended up cutting it a day short- going from Merced out to Tioga by Tenaya Lake- missed out on Cathedral Lakes ... Enjoy! Happy planning