Sabrina Lake Trailhead

[Liteliner]

Im doing a backpack trip on the Sabrina Trailhead over the July 4th weekend with some friends. Our goal is to get to Hungry Packer Lake area. This will be our first time and was hoping for some tips and info. Like fishing info and weather info. Know any sites I could check out? Things of that nature. Any info would be awesome for this Backpack newb!!!
:Embarrassed::Embarrassed::Embarrassed:

[SierraPeaks]

Just a suggestion here...if it's your fist backpacking experience, I would suggest the trip to Big Desolation Lake out of North Lake and over Paiute Pass. You'll see some incredible country, have a chance at catching some large Golden's at Big Des (my buddy caught a Golden just under 2 pounds and we caught several in the 1 to 1 1/2 pound range) and the hike is fairly easy for a newcomer to the experience. The hike is only around 11 miles and easily made in 2 days. The first day will take you to Locklaven and Paiute Lakes (we camped at Paiute, the 2nd lake you arrive at) Both lakes are breathtakingly beautiful. The 2nd day you reach the top of Paiute Pass in a few hours and will see Golden Trout Lake off to the left. Head north and you'll reach Big Des in about 3 hours. Heading back a stopover for a night at Golden Trout Lake is a treat too. At GTL I caught well over 20 Goldens in less than 2 hours from 7 to 9 a.m. Although much smaller than the Golden's caught at Big Des, it was still a blast with a fish on with nearly every cast.
I'm not trying to convince you to change your plans...but it's a trip that I would recommend to anyone. If you don't go on this trip, make a note of it and do yourself a favor and make the trip sometime in the future.

[Sierra_Smitty]

Fishing in Hungry Packer is supposidly very good. Not as many rainbows as their used to be, but still good fishing. I think I'm going to give Sabrina Basin a try in August this year - my goal is to fish Echo where there are rumored to be some very healthy wild 'bows.

Some general tips about backpacking this season.......
1. Bring a ton of repellant (100% deet) - its going to be a horrid skeeter season due to the wet winter and cold May.
2. Be prepared for all weather conditions - it could very well snow on you any day of the year up here.

Peace,
Smitty

[Liteliner]

Thanks for the info guys. I will make sure to be stocked up on the bug spray. That North lake trip sounds awesome. Probably our next time out we will try that. Hopefully I can find a golden or two on the Sabrina trail also.

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

Hire a packer and have them pack you in. Bring coolers with adult beverages. Advice from an old fat guy....

[Liteliner]

Hire a packer and have them pack you in. Bring coolers with adult beverages. Advice from an old fat guy....

LoL. Probably wont hire a packer but I will remember to bring a bottle of Remy!!!

Anybody else got some 411 to share?

[Natural Lefty]

I went to big Desolation Lake once, and in my opinion, the fish were much too sparse, at least when my friend and I went there. We did not see or catch a single fish in the big lake, except that we might have seen a few fingerlings in there, so I wouldn't expect any success there, but it does have some large ones. I had better luck in the pond downstream from the lake and even in Forsaken Lake upstream from the big lake, for smaller Goldens. After that, my friend got altitude sickness and we had to leave. It's really high altitude there, but that area is reallly beautiful in a superalpine way, and the great majority of the fish in the Piute Creek drainage are Goldens I understand. That is all we caught, for sure. Lower Desolation Lake looked promising too, but we didn't fish there.

[teejay]

The trail crosses the outlet from Lake George. I was up there one year in June when there was a lot of run off. The crossing was a little intimidating for me. Use caution.