High Sierra
Backpacking Miles
Along
the
Eastern
Edge
of the
Emigrant Wilderness
into the
North Yosemite Backcountry
Southbound Traveler
Backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail South from Sonora Pass hikes us along the far Northeastern edge of the Emigrant Wilderness. Our trail first follows the Wilderness Boundary along the Sierra Crest line dividing the Stanislaus National Forest descending the West flank from the Toiyabe National Forest on the East. We bounce between the two as we wind our way through the sea of mountaintops composing the PCT across Leavitt Massif.
Descending the South flank of Leavitt Peak our Pacific Crest Trail route turns East into Kennedy Canyon and solidly into the Toiyabe National Forest for the remainder of the hike into Yosemite National Park via Dorothy Lake Pass, by detouring around the Sierra Crest.
Note that we also have a Southbound Route Option at the Kennedy Canyon trail junction South of Leavitt Peak bringing us over Big Sam and across the High Emigrant Basin into Yosemite via Bond Pass. That route follows the Sierra Crestline.
Connecting PCT & TYT over Big Sam
Enter the Five Canyons
Once we enter Yosemite we find the "Five Canyons of the North Yosemite Backcountry," or the, "North Yosemite Washboard," as this piece of terrain from Jack Main to Cold Canyons, is affectionately called
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Sonora Pass Backpacking
Information
Northbound PCT
Sonora Pass
to
Tuolumne Meadows
PCT
All distances measured are South from Sonora Pass
Shortcut Route up Leavitt Peak
Also is the Wintertime Route
Below is the mileage for the "locals" shortcut up the ridge arm descending down to Sonora Pass off the North-Northwestern shoulder of the Leavitt Massif. The shortcut route intersects with the Pacific Crest Trail where the PCT finally reaches the Northwestern ridge arm.
The shortcut route is also the Winter route up to the top of the Leavitt massif beginning our Winter backpacking trips up and over Leavitt Peak from Sonora Pass. See the map for route details.
JULY 2016 SOUTHBOUND PCT ROUTE UPDATE
New Southbound PCT sign at the Sonora Pass Trailheads:
(NEW North and Southbound Signs)
Along with rerouting the first segment of the Southbound route, while clarifying the previously diffuse route North out of Sonora Pass.
Shortcut Route Depicted and Marked
SHORTCUT ROUTE DISTANCE
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If we take the shortcut route, we must subtract 1 mile from all the subsequent mileages listed below for the PCT route South to Tuolumne Meadows.
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The PCT Route up Leavitt
Rather than heading straight up the Northwestern ridge arm of the Leavitt massif, as the shortcut route above does, the Pacific Crest Trail takes a more circuitous route up the Leavitt Massif.
The PCT turns Southeast from Sonora Pass to cross a relatively flat zone across the base of the North flank of the Leavitt Massif, to where the trail climbs a low ridge arm to gain access to the trail's long East-West traverse of the North flank of the Leavitt Massif. This traverse is along a long well-graded, well-maintained trail between the mountain's Northeastern and Northwestern shoulders.
Southbound hikers will climb this traverse from East to West. Check out the Trail Guide for a close look at our hiking options on the North side of Leavitt Peak.
At the far Western end of the PCT's traverse up the North flank, the PCT and shortcut trail link up, and the PCT turns directly South to work its way up to and around the Western flank of Peak 10,480, which sits atop the North Flank of the Leavitt Massif. Once we get up there Leavitt Peak itself will finally come into view.
Pacific Crest Trail Route
STANDARD ROUTE DISTANCE
Distances are measured from Sonora Pass
As we can see, the shortcut South up from Sonora Pass saves us one mile. But we will have to do a small bit of climbing with our packs on. I have taken this shortcut during all four seasons. Crampons and Ice axe are required during Winter, and expert skills are necessary in Summer if you are carrying a very heavy pack.
The Latopie Lake Loop
Below: 2.38 miles South of Sonora Pass we climb towards a gap along a spur of Leavitt's crest-line running East and West. Great views to the North-Northeast and South-Southeast open up from this gap. At our feet to the South we see Latopie Lake nestled in a few hundred yards below the line of the trail.
The mileage and elevations below reflect the route down from the unmarked Latopie Lake Junction to Latopie Lake, and then back to the PCT via a cross-country hike South of Latopie Lake.
This is marked as the "Latopie Loop" on the 30 minute backpacking map.
In the past I preferred the Latopie Loop to the Pacific Crest Trail through here due to the poor trail quality of the PCT as it crossed a massive ridge of very sharp unstable talus above Latopie Lake. And, I've spent many first nights of trips at Latopie Lake. In recent years the Stanislaus National Forest has broken up this old nasty scree-trail section of the Pacific Crest Trail that loops around and above Latopie Lake into a very nicely bedded trail.
That's a lot of hard work with sledgehammers, and my thanks go out to the trail crews who did the hard work to break up all of this high altitude skree into a well-packed gravel walkway easing our way through this beautiful, but difficult, landscape.
In any case, if we decide to have lunch or camp at Latopie Lake we don't have to backtrack back up to the PCT the same way we came down to it. Continuing a bit down and a bit South a short distance past Latopie Lake brings us to a hanging valley that we can work our way Southwest into for a short cross country route back up to the Pacific Crest Trail. We rejoin the PCT at the top of this hanging valley where the PCT passes onto the South Flank of Leavitt Peak through the gap dividing the Leavitt Lake basin from the Kennedy Lake valley.
See the map for specifics on the Latopie Lake Loop. It's a nice little walk.
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Latopie Lake Loop
(1.64 miles total from leaving to rejoining the Pacific Crest Trail)
Distances are measured from Sonora Pass
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Standard Distance
along the
Pacific Crest Trail Route
Location |
Elevation |
Mileage |
Latopie Lake trail Junction |
10,780 |
2.66 |
|
|
|
-140 |
1.83 |
|
|
Gap above Kennedy Lake
Hikers to the top of Leavitt Peak turn Right here, while hikers Southbound on the PCT follow the trail Left to Kennedy Canyon. |
10,640 |
4.49 |
|
|
Taking the Latopie Loop route takes .19 of a mile off of the Pacific Crest Trail route.
Total elevation Gain
Bay to Pass
+ feet
over
8.88 miles
|
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Sonora Pass area options
RECAP
We have two trail options for "shortcuts" heading South between Sonora Pass to the Gap overlooking Leavitt Lake's basin to our Northeast, and down at the valley to our Southwest cradling Kennedy Lake.
The first shortcut is the "locals" shortcut from Sonora Pass straight up the Mountain's Northwestern ridge-arm reaching down to Sonora Pass. This route shortcuts the Pacific Crest Trail route by 1.01 miles.
The second is the Latopie Lake Loop. Comparing the Latopie Lake Loop with the Pacific Crest Trail's track around Latopie Lake indicates that taking the the Latopie Lake loop is shorter than following Pacific Crest Trail route by nearly 1.2 miles. Though shorter than the PCT route, the advantage of the Latopie Loop is that it brings us first to the beauty of Latopie Lake, then through very desolate terrain to reconnect with the PCT.
The distance from Sonora Pass to the Gap on the Pacific Crest Trail above Kennedy Lake, with no shortcut or Latopie Lake Loop is 4.49 miles.
The distance from Sonora Pass to that same Gap on the Pacific Crest Trail taking both the shortcut and the Latopie Lake Loop is 3.29 miles
Continuing South on the Pacific Crest Trail
mileages are measured from Sonora Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail route
The Kennedy Canyon junction offers us the option of backpacking around the Emigrant Basin on the Pacific Crest Trail or cutting through the Emigrant Basin to enter Yosemite at Bond Pass. Bond Pass lays West of Dorothy Lake Pass.
See the Kennedy Canyon to Bond Pass Miles and Elevations.
This is a fantastic alternative route to the PCT or TYT, using pieces of each trail, also making the Kennedy Canyon trail junction critical to backpackers planning long loops around the Emigrant Wilderness, as well as the most direct route across the Emigrant Wilderness.
See the Sonora Pass to Bensen Lake 30 minute map.
Also See: North Emigrant Wilderness Backpacking Map.
The Tilden Lake Junction is the Last derivation of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail off of the Pacific Crest Trail route South to Tuolumne Meadows. The Tilden Lake Loop measures
5.36 miles
from where it departs Jack Main Canyon and the Pacific Crest Trail South to where it rejoins the PCT for the hike down to Tuolumne Meadows East of Wilmer Lake.
Tilden Lake Loop Miles
The Pacific Crest Trail route measures 3.55 miles between the Tilden Lake junction in Jack Main Canyon to the Tilden Lake Junction East of Wilmer Lake.
Also see the Sonora Pass to Bensen Lake 30 min map for a big view of this route derivation and the
North Yosemite, Jack Main Canyon, and Tilden and Wilmer Lakes Backpacking Map
for details.
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The
Tilden Lake Loop
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Into
The Heart of The
North Yosemite Backcountry
Miles and Elevations
Surrounding Us
Our Options
North of Sonora Pass
South of Tuolumne Meadows
NORTH
SOUTH
All
Miles and Elevations Index
Lake Tahoe
to
Mount Whitney
Stanislaus National Forest
Miles Schematic Map
Emigrant Wilderness
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