|
(Last updated 2022).
This is a long loop that takes you to the LeConte Divide and explores the lakes to the west of it.
The trailhead is at the Courtright Reservoir (elevation 2,490m) Take hwy 168 east towards Shaver Lake but turn right before the lake into Dinkey Creek Rd that turns into McKinley Grove Rd. Follow the signs to Courtright Reservoir to the end of the road where the dam is.
At the dam you get three choices: to the left you can drive the paved road to the expensive campground and to the Cliff Lake trailhead (western shore of the lake); straight ahead you go to the boat landing and to a free campground; and to the right you drive over the dam itself to the southeastern corner of the lake. Turn right, cross the dam and follow the paved road around the eastern shore to the dead end, which is the parking lot for the Maxson trailhead (roughly two hours from Fresno).
This parking lot is at least two parking lots into one. One is just a little loop around a gravel area. The other one is much bigger thing, and fully paved, with toilets.
There are multiple ways to get on the trail, none of them obvious. If you can find it, there is actually a "Maxson Trailhead" sign at the beginning of the paved parking lot. Otherwise there are cryptic signs "Trail".
The trail starts by descending steeply to the dirt road down below (that goes to some campground).
After about 1 km, on your right there is the entrance to the proper trail.
There is no information other than a ban on vehicles. This entrance is marked by big logs.
There is absolutely no information about what trail that is until you reach the junction for Hobler Lake.
Note that signs are posted very high on trees: if you are looking down at your steps you might miss the signs. Even when there are names, there are no distances.
Initially the trail stays flat and crosses swampy meadows and then rises somewhat steeply towards a plateau.
Turn right at the Hobler Lake junction (i.e. don't go to Hobler Lake) and continue towards Post Corral. In between you will pass the Long Meadows and a junction to Burnt Corral.
From the Hobler Lake junction to the (big) creek crossing the trail descends nonstop. This will be painful on the way back...
Post Corral is not marked anymore (the sign is there, nailed up on a tree, but you can't read what it says).
At Post Corral the trail turns south and about 2 kms later it reaches that big creek crossing.
On the other side of the creek there is a junction: go left towards Red Mtn Basin (which really means Fleming Lake).
The trail now starts climbing.
When the switchbacks end, the trail starts heading northeast.
There are no tricky junctions and the foresty route is fairly uneventful until you reach Fleming Lake.
After this lake there is a junction with the Rae Lake trail: go right towards Disappointment Lake and Hell for Sure Pass. As of 2022, the sign is missing.
Someone must have used it as firewood because it has completely disappeared.
Make sure you don't turn left: you'll end up climbing north towards Rae Lake.
Turn right and you'll be heading east.
The names here are ridiculous so we renamed Disappointment Lake as Tagore Lake and Hell for Sure Pass as James Joyce Pass.
The trail does not coast Tagore Lake (3150m), but you will see it well.
The trail now becomes an abstraction but usually there are plenty of cairns to guide you.
You pass another lake, Chagrin Lake (on your left), and then the trail begins the ascent towards James Joyce Pass (3500m).
It is not obvious where the pass is but, once you start the ascent, it becomes
obvious which of the many chutes is the one leading to the pass. The trail here
is sometimes simply a staircase.
On the other side the trail then descends east to an altitude of 3100m where it bends sharply south and eventually joins the Goddard Canyon trail that coasts the Joaquin River at 3000m of elevation.
The trail is initially in very good conditions but further down you may lose it.
No worries: just go straight down towards the river and you'll hit the trail.
Turn right into the trail and
follow the Goddard Canyon trail along the South Fork of the Joaquin River.
This is a very scenic route. The canyon is truly majestic and there are at least
two impressive waterfalls.
It is a long grueling if mild ascent to the cirque. Once at the cirque you still don't see Martha Lake because it's on your left, up above a ridge.
If that's your destination, bend left and climb the ridge on the left (at this point it is trivial to cross the "river").
Martha lake (3,354m) is a starting point for climbing Mt Goddard: scramble up the west ridge of Mt Goddard which is mostly class 2.
Confusion Pass is a seldom used pass (N37.10205 W118.76500). When you arrive at the cirque go almost to the end bearing right. On the right side of the cirque you notice a diagonal line that heads towards the LeConte Divide. Climb up there and you'll be welcomed by the view of Bench Valley: five lakes one after the other. Stay on the ridge to the right of these lakes and eventually the ridge will rutn right (north). You are now on top of Holster Lake. Descend into the drainage south of this lake and cross to the other side. Ascend this ridge and you'll have Wah Hoo Lake and Six Shooter Lake on your right. After Six Shooter Lake, head north, passing Schoolmarm Lake (N37.10988 W118.78821) on your left, or continue past this lake and head north right after it. On your left, down below, you'll see Crabtree Lake. Now you have an imposing ridge in front of it. Climb that one and you'll freak out when you see the next ridge. This ridge is not impassable as it looks but certainly requires some careful planning: avoid the vertical cliffs and climb to their right, and then head slowly left to find the pass. You find another ridge in front of you, but you don't need to climb it. Turn right and find a chute that goes down into the drainage down below. That drainage takes you (more or less gently) to Big Shot Lake, Small Shot Lake and finally the much bigger Devils Punchbowl Lake. Stay on the right of these lakes, slightly above them, ideally into the forest. At Devils Punchbowl Lake (N37.12628 W118.83180) you'll probably catch the trail that coasts the lake and takes you to the big trail going from south to Fleming Lake. Now you have two ways to return to the Courtright Reservoir: 1. you can turn right into the trail, go back to Fleming Lake and then walk back the same way you came; 2. you can walk down to the Jiggers Lakes (use the north ridge to descen as the south ridge has steep granite), reach the lower one (N37.12609 W118.83972), and continue in the general west direction until you hit the trail coming up from the Courtright Reservoir. Note that 2., while a lot shorter, involves moving to the ridge to the right of the river, a rather painful experience. You do it as soon as you see the river down below because later the gap gets bigger (more elevation loss, more elevation gain). Once on the ridge of the trail, keep moving west until you hit the trail (Around N37.11972 W118.87012), turn left and you're on your way back to the reservoir. Click here for pictures with notes
|
Camping at Courtright Reservoir There is one expensive campground ($24 in 2015) just before the Cliff Lake trailhead. Everything else is free as long as you can park safely and as long as there is no "no camping" sign. The whole east shore up to the parking lot is free camping (NOT the parking lot itself). There is potable water at both the expensive campground and the free campground. |