Bear and Royce Lakes Basins via Italy, Dancing Bear, Merriam, Pine Creek, and Royce Passes.
ROUTE 2 - Italy-Merriam Pass
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Bear and Royce Lakes Basins via Italy, Dancing Bear, Merriam, Pine Creek, and Royce Passes.
(Mouseover triggers interactive features.)
A "Sierra classic," this cross country loop traverses Bear Lakes Basin to Seven Gables Lakes and Merriam Lake, crossing Italy, Dancing Bear, Merriam, and Pine Creek Passes in about four days. A side trip through the Royce Lakes on the way out, returning over Royce Pass, is well worth an extra day. The total distance, with side trip, is 29 miles.
Permits are available at the USFS station in Bishop. For the trailhead, take Pine Creek Road, about 10 miles north of Bishop on US 395, west past Rovana. The paved access road turns southwest; the Pine Creek trailhead (and pack station) is on the left before reaching the inactive mining operation.
The route initially follows a closed road to the old Brownstone Mine. Ascending the switchbacks can be a bit of a long, hot slog - two miles as the crow flies, but twice that and 1000 ft by trail - so it's probably best to start when it's cool. It's not really until you arrive at Pine Lake that it starts to feel like the high country . Leave the main trail at Honeymoon Lake and ascend the scenic Granite Park
. Some maps show an unmaintained trail part way, or all the way, over Italy Pass and the going is easy. A bivouac above Honeymoon Lake might be a more pleasant choice if the mosquitos are active. [For future reference, the loop reconnects to this trail near (below) the stream crossing just above Honeymoon Lake.]
From Italy Pass (12,096 ft), follow the crest south and west (perhaps over snow) to Dancing Bear Pass (12,076 ft) - Class 2. The lake in front of you as you cross the pass
is White Bear Lake, and you want to angle down and left to a saddle. Pick a path through smaller ponds
on some of the more rugged terrain of the route to reach the southwest outlet from Black Bear Lake.
Descend the outlet creek course southwest, crossing a granite shelf between Big Bear Lake and Ursa Lake. Continue southwest, climbing though an obvious notch, and descend a ramp toward Vee Lake
, which is a great bivouac.
Traverse the north shore of Vee Lake and cross its outlet, descending south into the Seven Gables Lakes basin toward Gemini Peak . Easy terrain leads to the northwest approach to Merriam Pass. Crampons, ice axe, and mountaineering skills may be helpful on steep snowfields lower down
, and the pleasant rock scramble to the top
is Class 2-3. Merriam Pass (11,877 ft) offers a spectacular vantage in both directions.
The southeast side is easier Class 2. Descend to a shelf with a small lake and scope a path southeast toward Merriam Lake . From here it is slabs and large blocks - leg breaking terrain if you aren't careful - down to the lake. Keep more left, and eventually traverse out left to avoid steep slabs at the bottom. Merriam Lake offers good bivouac opportunities, including back from the lake on the broad, flat plateau to the southeast.
shows the descent line from across the lake, and the lower slabs to avoid.
Meander over easy terrain down the lake's outlet and across large and scenic meadows - Merriam Pass is the right center notch - picking up a trail (shown on some maps) at about the tree line (10,700 ft). The trail is hard to follow in places - it's "going back to nature" - but the navigation is straightforward. In fact it is not obvious where it intersects the main trail in French Canyon
.
The French Canyon trail leads northeast, past the falls marking the outlet of the Royce Lakes , reaching the broad Pine Creek Pass (11,015 ft) in 3.1 miles
. Descend north and return via the trail to the Pine Creek trailhead, or take a side trip through the Royce Lakes (recommended).
To reach the lower Royce Lakes, traverse WSW, slowly gaining altitude on easy Class 1 terrain until the lower lakes and Merriam and Royce Peaks come into view to the west . Contour north to the upper lakes; Royce Pass (11,723 ft) is just around to the right, and out of view in
. Royce Pass hardly rises above lake level and isn't much of a "pass" in this direction - just the most obvious way down. Descend northeast toward Honeymoon Lake and the Pine Lakes over Class 1 terrain that is easier than some trails
! Find an opportunity for one last bivouac in the high country;
shows the pass in morning light from the northeast.
Reconnect with the Italy Pass trail above Honeymoon Lake and follow it 5.9 miles back to Pine Creek trailhead.