Just bought the book and am glad I did. But we're wondering why the data in the book about hike mileage doesn't also include "elevation gain" numbers.
My wife and I regularly hike with the Sierra Club / Loma Prieta Chapter / Day Hiking section. The Sierra Club uses a hike rating system that works like this:
1 = Less than 5 miles of total distance
2 = 5 to 10 miles
3 = 10 to 15 miles
4 = 15 to 20 miles
5 = 20 to 25 miles
A = Less than 1000 feet of total elevation gain
B = 1000 to 2000 feet
C = 2000 to 3000 feet
D = 3000 to 4000 feet
E = 4000 to 5000 feet
So a "4C" hike is from 15 to 20 miles with 2K to 3K total elevation gain. When trying to assess the difficulty of a hike, just knowing the distance isn't enough: you need to know the gain.
So my question for Tom is, do you have the elevation gain numbers for the Emigrant Pass hike itinerary? Days one and three are fairly short but day two at 19.1 miles would be a tough hike if there is more than a couple of thousand feet of gain. We're thinking about doing it in late September when the days are shorter, and don't want to run out of daylight.
Based on the route description in the book, I'm guessing that you choose to do it east-to-west because in that direction there was more downhill than uphill, is that correct?
Yes, I could get the topo map and try to calculate the elevation gains but not having been there before and without knowing exactly which trails are used my calculations might not be correct.
Thanks,
Barry
Replies
Okay, perhaps Tom doesn't have the elevation gain numbers, no problem, I bought a topo map of the Emigrant Pass area and here are my estimates of elevation gains for the three day route:
Day 1 Grover Springs to Hope Valley 2,000 ft. over 10.5 miles
Day 2 Hope Valley to Caples Lake 1,800 ft. over 19.1 miles
Day 3 Caples Lake to Silver Lake 1,400 ft. over 12.0 miles
So only modest elevation gains, making even the longest day not too difficult.
Unfortunately, I have run into a snag in my planning: I wanted to do this trip from Thursday to Saturday, meaning I would at Caples Lake Resort Friday night. But they don't rent by the day on a high season weekend, meaning I can't book a room there just for a Friday night in September, they want a longer booking. I explained that I was arriving and departing on foot and could only be there for one night, but they won't accomodate me unless they just happen to have a room available. Obviously you can't plan a trip like this without securing guaranteed reservations in advance.
So for those who are doing this trip and are unable to book lodging at Caples Lake Resort on a weekend, here is an alternative: less than 2 miles east of Caples Lake Resort is the Kirkwood Ski area which has hundreds of condos and rooms available during the summer that they are available for a single night any day of the week. Here's a link:
https://gc.synxis.com/rez.aspx?Hotel=51728&Chain=12387&temp...
That means a longer day hiking on what is already a very long 19 mile day. Our plan right now is to have someone at Sorenson's Resort in Hope Valley (the lodging for the second night of the trip) drive us to the intersection of Highways 88 and 89 which will reduce the length of that day's hike by a little over a mile. Doesn't sound like much, but when you are doing 19 miles in a day every bit makes a difference! And perhaps when we get back to Hwy 88 after taking the Pacific Crest Trail that day we can hitch a ride at some point for a few miles to Kirkwood.