Minnow Creek #27e02

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Features Commonly Backpacked · Fishing · Hot Spring · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Minnow Creek Trail wanders down a wide glacial bench above the south side of the deeply carved Cascade Valley. After the first mile, it is not very exciting by itself as it passes under trees, near meadows, small ponds, and Grassy Lake. It exists to provide access to trails leading to the many lakes on the northeast side of the Silver Divide.

Minnow Creek trail branches from Goodale Pass Trail #28E20, just above Papoose Lake, very close to Chief Lake, and only 1/2 mile from the JMT. It starts with a short climb and then a steep drop over steps to the beautiful Lake of the Lone Indian, which sits in a granite basin. The lake has a great campsite on the western shore, a short distance from the trail. Leaving the lake, the trail climbs up a 200-foot ridge.

Note: the Tom Harrison, "Mono Divide High Country" map shows a shortcut trail leaving Goodale Pass Trail #28E20 at 10,550 and dropping to the ridge past the Lake of the Lone Indian. This trail is unsigned, but I believe I saw both ends. If you're in a hurry, you can skip the lake and avoid the climb back up.

From the ridge, the trail drops down and at 1.9 miles reaches the signed Wilber May Lake #27E68 trail, a beautiful lake only an easy 1/2 miles away. At 2.5 miles, the signed trail to Peter Pande Lake is well worth a side trip. The Minnow trail continues fairly level past a large meadow to reach Grassy Lake at 3 miles. There is some camping here, but as the name implies, the lake is grassy on 3 sides and can have a lot of mosquitoes.

A short distance below Grassy Lake is the signed, but unmaintained, trail to Olive Lake #27E16. Olive Lake is beautiful, but not quite up to the level of Peter Pande. The Cascade Valley Cutoff #27E12 is reached it 5 miles. It drops into Cascade Valley from where you can continue over Duck Pass.

From there on, the Minnow Creek trail is listed as not maintained, which in 2020 only meant that there were a few downed trees that you must step over or go around. At 5.5 miles we meet Long Canyon #27E15 with Beetlebug Lake 2.9 miles away just below Silver Peak. At 7.4 miles a side trail climbs only about 300 feet to reach the 3 Lost Keys Lakes.

The trail then begins a precipitous drop. Just before Sharptooth Creek, is the unsigned, unmaintained Sharptooth Pass trail #27E01, which passes Sharptooth Lake and goes over the divide to Silver Creek Trail. We continue to the Fish Valley Trail near Iva Bell Hot Springs. The trail to Iva Bell is 1/4th mile up the Fish Valley trail.