Here's what the guide book said:
Directions: From Lee Vining, drive about one mile south on US 395, then turn west on Forest Service road 1N16 (look for the sign indicating Upper Horse Meadow.) Drive approximately 3 miles to the trail head at the end of the road.
Trail notes: The 2.7 mile hike from Upper Horse Meadow to Gibbs Lake is one of the truly great day hikes in California. Since the trailhead is not located at a lake or other attractive destination, nobody get there by accident. It starts at upper horse meadow, elevation 8000 feet, and climbs up Gibbs Canyon to Gibbs Lake, 9,530 feet. That figures to a 1,500 climb, and except for a half mile of switchbacks at the beginning of the trail, most of the route is a steady grade along Gibbs Creek. It is a pretty spot, backed by bare granite, fronted by conifers, the trail ends at Gibbs Lake, meaning you will not be competing with backpapckers arriving from other trails for trail space or a picnic site.
Here's what the guide book should have said:
Directions: From Lee Vining, drive about one mile south on US 395, then turn west on Forest Service road 1N16. The road is completely unsigned and is, by the way, a dirt road. drive past the squatters in broken down RV's and hope you're going the right way because the actual sign for the road doesn't appear until you are a mile in. Also the sign is faded and almost unreadable. Go ahead and add a mile to the hiking distance, because unless you have a four-wheel drive you're not going to be able to get to the end of the road.
Trail Notes: The 2.7 mile hike from Upper Horse Meadow to Gibbs lake is one of the worst hikes in the Sierras. Since the trailhead is not located at a lake or other attractive destination, good luck finding it. It starts at upper horse meadow, elevation 8000 feet, and climbs up Gibbs Canyon to Gobbs Lake, 9,530 feet. The trailhead has no sign so, again, cross your fingers and hope you're going the right way. The 1,500 elevation gain is a straight uphill slog up the side of a mountain. The trail never switchbacks, it is a straight uphill climb that will have you winded in about 5 minutes. After the first half mile the incline decreases from 85 degrees to 70 degrees. But don't worry the incline jumps back up to 85 degrees again after about 10 minutes of walking. Gibbs creek can be heard as a distant trickle somewhere in the distance. for the duration of the trail you won't be able to see 10 feet in front or behind you because of the severity of the incline. Gibbs lake is an average lake by Sierra Nevada standards so unless you absolutely have to see it. Stay the hell away from this trail!
4 comments:
btw: he isn't exaggerating. it was terrible and exhausting!
I'm still impressed that you guys hiked all the way up. I would have been out for the count after about 20 minutes.
thanks for the review... you should write your own trail book. funny how those old trail books are rarely accurate and how every hike is more spectacular than the next.
After studying my maps for a couple of years and planning different hikes, all of a sudden this little Gibbs Lake trail caught my eye yesterday after having skipped over it a multitude of times. Tonight I decided to do a little virtual hiking to see what trip reports and pictures I could find. I found two that were of no help, then I found yours; so glad I did! I will not be exploring this hike any further! Thanks for the warning!
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