Planning a hike to Dusy Basin very end of July. Heaven on Earth to me are places such as Evolution Valley/Lake, Ediza/Iceberg Lakes, Minaret Lake and above (but man is it buggy on that side), Tuolumne Meadows/Lyle Canyon, Sam Mack Meadow, etc. Can anyone tell me how Dusy compares? I've not been beyond Bishop Pass. Have only one opportunity to take my son to a BEAUTIFUL place and want to choose carefully. I love hiking in and around alpine meadows, lakes, streams, and rivers. Never been to Humphrey's Basin, either, so that's another consideration. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Dusy is more beautiful than Humphreys, IMO. It is one of the more easily accessed basins on the eastern escarpment within Sequoia or Kings Canyon. Both basins are expansive with vast vistas, but I find the mountains in Dusy incredibly spectacular... they are huge and magnificent. I have not been to Dusy in quite a while, but it has always been one of my favorite basins. The main thing to appreciate is the elevation in both basins is over 11,000 feet, trees are scrawny and scarce. Also, Dusy has been targeted for frog habitat restoration (no fish once finished restoring). I'm not sure where the budget or the timeline is on the frog project, but it might be worth checking out if you plan on fishing.

Dusy would be hard to compare to Evolution Valley given the difference in Elevation and the fact Evolution Valley is relatively narrow. It would compare more similarly to Evolution Basin. But again, the eastern escarpment in Dusy is what separates the likes of it from many other basins.

If you go with Dusy, Knapsack Pass makes for a great day hike for easy access into Palisade Basin.

If you love hking around alpine lakes and streams, Dusy Basin will not compare to the hikes contained in the basins of the South Fork and the North Fork of Big Pine Creek in the Palisades for the reason given above. There is nothing on that side of the crest in that area comparable to the grandeur of Temple Craig viewed from Third Lake . Glacier Lodge Road would be more feasible than Knacksack Pass to the Palisades.

I haven't been to the other places you mention, but I have been to Dusy, and it was spectacular. It won't disappoint.

And I second what biadh said about the mosquitoes. When I was there in mid-July, I practically ran through the basin to keep the swarms from landing on me!

Dusy Basin is one of my favorite spots, and is particularly nice because most people hiking the Bishop pass trail seem content to camp at one of the lakes on the north side of the pass (granted it's very pretty there), so it's possible to spend the night there with little company.

(Last lake (Bishop Lake?) on North side of Bishop Pass)


Uh.... on second thought, you'll hate it. It's ugly, no mountains to speak of, no water, and the mosquitoes are always terrible.

Here is a photo looking into Dusy Basin from the approach to Thunderbolt pass:



And here's a photo looking into the Basin from Thunderbolt pass itself:



One of the nearby peaks (North Palisade from Thunderbolt Pass)

dmjette wrote:Planning a hike to Dusy Basin very end of July. Heaven on Earth to me are places such as Evolution Valley/Lake, Ediza/Iceberg Lakes, Minaret Lake and above (but man is it buggy on that side), Tuolumne Meadows/Lyle Canyon, Sam Mack Meadow, etc. Can anyone tell me how Dusy compares? I've not been beyond Bishop Pass. Have only one opportunity to take my son to a BEAUTIFUL place and want to choose carefully. I love hiking in and around alpine meadows, lakes, streams, and rivers. Never been to Humphrey's Basin, either, so that's another consideration. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy! Let's dig out the comparison photos! I've got a set of each area, both from the end of July time-frame.

Dusy/Thunderbolt Attempt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moosepics6 ... 734951108/
Pilot Knob Day Hike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moosepics6 ... 578846674/

(Actually, before I do, I just wanted to say that Dusy/Humphreys Basins are different animals than everything you listed above. But I LOVE your list for variety. Proof that every nook of the Sierra is completely amazing (ok, except the chute of death on The Hermit, but I digress).

Both start by looking a little moon-ish:
Dusy (D):


Humphreys (H):


But with water comes greenery:
D:


H:


And with greenery comes color:
D:



H:




And with that time of year come clouds and thunderstorms:
D:



H:



All in all, I think it's apples, and, um, apples. Both basins are large, have lots of scrambling and climbing activities in all directions, and have lots of walls to look at from the shores of the lakes. As incredibly intimidating as the Palisades look from the west, equally inspiring is the drop down into French Canyon from Pilot Knob. Knapsack and Thunderbolt Passes lead to the Palisades Basin; Hutchinson Meadow offers shelter in the trees (?!?!?!) from impending weather. Really, you won't go wrong with either one.

JHH60 wrote:Uh.... on second thought, you'll hate it. It's ugly, no mountains to speak of, no water, and the mosquitoes are always terrible.

Damn! On second thought, he's right.

-Laura

Okay, here goes. I just replied to one of you, but don't know what happened to it, so let's try this again. Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts and photos. Sounds like Dusy is a beautiful place. And the gorgeous photos show it. SOLD! I'll deal with the mosquitos. I, too, have looked like a scene out of a cartoon where they were swarming me and chasing me as I literally ran. Eating with a net on the head is an adventure in itself! I'll warn the kid (he's not really a kid, just my kid) he'll be like having my own pack animal (I raised him right-hahaa!). Now I can't wait. I saw Palisades Basin on the map and must admit, it intrigued me. As did way too many other places. Next step - getting a permit. I really appreciate your thoughts. This is a cool forum, I can see. THANKS!

Both areas are very pretty, but as other have mentioned I also favor Dusy. I think I like the area better in part because of the hike up Bishop Pass (which like Dusy itself can get pretty crowded at times) and because IMO the fishing is better in Dusy. Humphreys is more vast and wide open. A nice side trip or camp spot in the Humphreys area is up to Desolation Lake and surrounding lakes.

A few Dusy photos from back in 2006:

Bishop Pass (Chocolate peak / Inconsolables):


Lower Dusy Basin (T-bolt/North Pal in the distance):


Mushroom on Bishop Pass (At least 8 inches in diameter):


Lone Pine and Langille Pk (for which there is still no page on SP!) just below Dusy basin.

Yes, July brings on way too many mosquitos, but the beauty of the blooming flora more than makes up for having to dip in DEET!

Will definitely check out the frog project. Sounds interestingly cool. Dusy sounds like it has its share of majestic views. Better not forget my camera!

I'll give that a try in lieu of Deet. Thanks.

butitsadryheat wrote:Try a little Picaridan instead of DEET and see how you like it. I prefer it.

Absolutely. It's marketed as ""Cutter Advanced." As one whom the skeeters adore, I swear by it.

Wow, the photos you all have sent are beautiful. I was up in Mammoth last weekend, and couldn't believe how much snow is still at the 9,000-10,000 range. Dayhiked to Iceberg Lake and it was still frozen over. Got a little worried about going to Dusy this weekend, but am driving out to Bishop today to get permits to enter (hopefully). Then, will come back home and pick up the kid and head back out. Crazy stupid but sometimes that's part of the adventure. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and opinions. I cannot wait to get outta here!