On one of my earliest backpacking trips I had a view of the Sphinx rock formation. When I got home, I eagerly Googled it and discovered trip reports about the off-trail approach to Sphinx Lakes via the Avalanche Pass trail. This route along Sphinx Creek came with horror stories of bushwhacking, nasty rock scrambles, and difficult route finding. As a beginner backpacker at the time, I filed it firmly into the “NOPE” file.
Trip Report
So, going into this trip, this was the day that filled me with dread. There is a lot more information available than there was back in 2002, but it still looked sketchy and I still couldn’t find a clear route description for a descent. This wordy and detailed description describes the climb so I brought along the details and referred to it as the day went on. It was helpful.
Our first test was descending to the main twin Sphinx Lakes from our camp at the upper large Sphinx Lake. It was a steep descent but we picked our way down through the slabs and rocks to the western of the twin lakes.
Rather than boulder hop the southeast shore, we walked on easy grass and rock all the way around the west side and north shore until we reached the head of the Sphinx Creek canyon on the northwest shore of Lake 10514.
We headed north, down into the gentle slope that would naturally carry us down to the small lake at about 10,000 ft. The terrain around the east shore of the lake was heavily wooded but easy to travel through.
At the lake’s outlet we crossed to the west side of the creek and looked for a rumored use trail. Sure enough, we found it and quickly switchbacked down a marshy area above the next lake at about 9600 ft.
We stayed on the west side of this marshy area and lake until we got to the outlet and found a good crossing point back to the east side of the creek. From here on out we would stay on the east side of Sphinx Creek.
For a short distance it was easy cross-country travel through a lightly forested slope that descended gently along the creek. At about 9300 ft we found ourselves at the top of a steep slab. We very carefully found our way down this slab, using a combination of friction walking, cracks and broken rocks to descend.
At the bottom we had a short distance of bushwhacking before finding a nice meadow and place to stop for lunch and a relaxing foot soak. Within moments of sitting down smoke started blowing in again, thick and heavy.
The next stretch of the descent was quite nice since I took one piece of advice I had read to heart – find the sweet spot between the bushy creek and the boulders above. There was a strip of nice terrain in between the bushwhacking and the boulder hopping that was easy. Until we reached the boulder field (8900′).
There is a short boulder field that must be crossed, and the key is to use the boulder field to descend a bit. If you’re coming down, if you go straight across the boulder field you’ll end up in a bunch of bushes. If you use the rocks to descend about 100 ft you’ll find more forested terrain to travel in.
Once back in the trees, it’s a short distance and about 200′ of descent back to trail through straightforward forested terrain. We reconnected to the trail at 36.7561, -118.5317.
Oh, there are bears out here. And they poop in the woods.
After four days of cross-country, I might have tried to kiss the trail. But, overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the hike down Sphinx Creek. It was almost entirely enjoyable and the route finding was not as complex as I expected. I expected this to be a one-and-done route but I would go back, especially to see the gorgeous Sphinx Lakes again.
We zoomed down the trail towards Bubbs Creek, but as the views opened up I got more worried about the smoke. It was still heavy in the air and I could barely see across the deep canyon.
Fortunately, I had some interesting things to look at in the immediate vicinity. Like the trail. Starting at about 7500 ft, the trail becomes and engineering marvel. Carved out of the sheer granite canyon walls, the trail drops steeply down to intersect with Bubbs Creek at about 6300 ft. We had started the day at 11,000 ft. Our knees were not happy.
At the creek we tanked up with water and soaked our sore muscles in the creek. We still had about 5 miles of hiking up along Bubbs Creek to Junction Meadow, our night’s intended campsite.
Remember how I had thought ahead about climbing Bubbs Creek in the heat on Day 2? It was just as hot as I expected and we were in the shady stretch! It did work in our favor when it came to campsite selection, however!
Arriving at Junction Meadow, I saw a lot of people camped under the trees near the bear box. Tired and running out of daylight, I trudged ahead hoping to find SOMEWHERE to camp before it got too much later. Just beyond the crowds I found a beautiful campsite with a view, nice flat sandy camping, and good water access. I wondered why no one had chosen the spot since it looked nicer than the ones that were taken.
Well, for starters, it came with a bear (shoo!)
Second, as we realized the next day when the sun rose, it was exposed and HOT! Everyone else had arrived before the sun was down far enough to provide shade. Arriving late, it was already shaded and cool by the time I dropped my pack. Our campsite success continues!
Gear Tips
I’ve always been a chemical water treatment person. Aqua Mira has always been my treatment of choice and since Sierra water is so clear I’ve never bothered with pre-filtering. However, I was looking for something I could carry on dayhikes that wouldn’t require the wait (5 minutes to mix, 30 minutes to drink) that Aqua Mira requires. I picked up a Sawyer Squeeze Mini and carried it as a backup in my daypack for a year without using.
At the last minute I decided to bring it 
This is my gear choice for this day since I was running out of water and parched on the hot descent to Bubbs Creek. As soon as I got to water I was able to guzzle a bunch right through the filter. Had I been relying on Aqua Mira, the wait would have been excruciating!
