I'm looking to make a 3 day trip in late August with my son from Chantry Flat and back.
Day 1 - Chantry Flat, Sturtevant Falls, Spruce Grove, Newcomb Pass, Devore Camp
Day 2 - Devore, West Fork, Valley Forge, Eaton Saddle, Markham Saddle, Mt. Lowe, Idlehour Camp
Day 3 - Idlehour, Mt. Wilson toll road, Winter Creek Trl, Hoegees, Chantry Flat
Just wondering if anyone has done some parts of this loop that they can shed light on it? Is the trip from Devore to Idlehour too far? We're both advanced backpackers with ability to do 13 mile days.
Thanks,
Marc
Chantry Flat Backpacking Loop - Anyone done this one?
I've done all of those trails but mostly as day hikes. I don't have the mileages in front of my, but that sounds doable. Certainly nice areas to hike in albeit a lot of up and down.
There is water at Mt. Lowe, but it's not necessarily easy to find. Sometimes there's water in the creek by the camp. If not, there's a water tank above the camp that is usually leaking water. If the tank is dry, follow the pipe that feeds the tank to a water tunnel. There's always water in the water tunnel.
The only bad thing about Idlehour is that there's a lot of poison oak. Make sure you get in before dark!
HJ
There is water at Mt. Lowe, but it's not necessarily easy to find. Sometimes there's water in the creek by the camp. If not, there's a water tank above the camp that is usually leaking water. If the tank is dry, follow the pipe that feeds the tank to a water tunnel. There's always water in the water tunnel.
The only bad thing about Idlehour is that there's a lot of poison oak. Make sure you get in before dark!
HJ
That looks like a reasonable plan to me.
Though as AW notes, it could be quite warm... so pack light, with the exception of lots of water carrying capacity. Escape is never that far away on the route, and it is mostly well-traveled, so going a little bit lighter in the way of clothing and shelter presents minimal increase in risk, IMHO.
Also like AW, I'd suggest going the other direction. Devore to Chantry would be a nice way to finish the loop. And that way, if Idlehour and Lowe prove unexpectedly dry you could hitch a ride (or at worst walk sans overnight pack) from Eaton Saddle up to the food and water atop Wilson.
Elwood and I did a similar loop late summer last year, albeit on a slightly more accelerated Elwood-esque timeline.
Though as AW notes, it could be quite warm... so pack light, with the exception of lots of water carrying capacity. Escape is never that far away on the route, and it is mostly well-traveled, so going a little bit lighter in the way of clothing and shelter presents minimal increase in risk, IMHO.
Also like AW, I'd suggest going the other direction. Devore to Chantry would be a nice way to finish the loop. And that way, if Idlehour and Lowe prove unexpectedly dry you could hitch a ride (or at worst walk sans overnight pack) from Eaton Saddle up to the food and water atop Wilson.
Elwood and I did a similar loop late summer last year, albeit on a slightly more accelerated Elwood-esque timeline.