Huron from Clohesy

[Rambler]

I've searched around the forum and found some info from 3 or so years back but not as much info recently. We will be backpacking up the 4x4 road from Rockdale to camp either at Clohsey or just north of it Aug 6th. Looks like there are 2 ways to do this. One follows the drainage from the south end of Clohesy, up to Lois Lake, across the basin, then up to the Huron/Pt 13,518 saddle where you pick up the standard route. The other that Roach describes uses the basin to the north of that, which you would gain either through the avey chute near the mouth of Clohesy or a trial a little further north downstream. Then you would gain the saddle of Browns and pt 13,518, skirt around pt 13,518 to the west, follow the ridge to the standard route again. For those of you who may have done this which would you recommend? Any links, pics, or other info would be much appreciated. Attempting Huron Aug 7th and Missouri (Bel/Ox?) Aug 8th from Clohsey base camp.

[Jim Davies]

I did the beeline from Lois Lake to the Huron/13518 saddle once, and didn't like it. After an endless boulder field full of those nice talus spiders that build their webs between the rocks, the saddle itself was a mess of loose rock and dirt. Going around the north and then west side of 13518 looks more solid, although I've never been there exactly. I suspect there's some kind of social trail in the woods that leads to the north side of 13518.

The other reason I'll probably never do this route again is the creek crossing. Wading it barefoot early in the morning was COLD!

[Navigaiter]

I went up Lois Lake and down the basin to the north. If I did it again, I would go back down Lois Lake in a heartbeat. The descent of the basin to the north was much slower, and there was a ton of deadfall down the headwall that made it tortuously slow. I actually enjoyed going up Lois Lake for the scenery. It's a beautiful little basin. I agree with Jim that it got a bit loose near the top, but I was OK with it. The talus spiders there were more numerous than anywhere I've ever seen too.

The advantage of descending Lois Lake is the nifty rock gully that was solid on the uphill and would me much quicker on the downhill than the basin to the north.

[Rambler]

Jim- thanks for the info, we are leaning towards that Northern route
Navigaiter (just typing that, now i get it) was this a recent trip in regards to the deadfall? might consider that as a return just to break it up

Thanks again guys, anyone else?

[thebeave7]

I've used the Lois Lake route a bunch, check any of my Nolans14 trip reports, always use that way, even in the dark. If you stay more toward the outlet stream down low you can avoid the worst of the deadfall. Once at Lois Lake there's a semi-cairned use trail that takes you into the high basin, hard to find in the dark, but pretty easy in the daylight.

Eric

[Navigaiter]

Jim- thanks for the info, we are leaning towards that Northern route
Navigaiter (just typing that, now i get it) was this a recent trip in regards to the deadfall? might consider that as a return just to break it up

Thanks again guys, anyone else?

No it was WAY back in 2001. Who knows, maybe 13 years is enough time for it to have rotted away. I honestly thought the trudging through the talus down that basin to be as bad as the deadfall, and I love going through talus. It could have just been fatigue.

Either way, it was definitely slower than the return down Lois, even when tired. Once you get past the talus in the Lois Lake basin, there is a lot more dirt and smooth ground than to the north. The outlet stream thebeave7 mentions is a dream compared to the descent of the basin to the north.