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A?safe Southbound work-around?would be to leave the trail at Piute Creek, exit Wilderness at North Lake, re-enter at South Lake and take Bishop Pass back to the JMT. Re-supply in Bishop would be easy and come about mid-trail. No talus, no use trails.

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I think I recall a nasty cornice at Bishop?Pass some years, but otherwise it just adds?some miles but would traverse nice terrain with?those miles.?

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Seems better than sticking to the East of the SFSJ, or the Darwin Bench route, both for the environment and for hiker safety. Some people would object to?the added miles, or hiking less of the?iconic route, but they?could always exit early if they needed to (Roads End SEKI via Bubbs or Kearsarge Pass).

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The PCT hikers, in particular, seem likely to use a South Lake - North lake alternative.?

Ned Tibbits and Elizabeth Wenk tell me that it is possible to go along the East side of SFSJ as far as the Goddard Canyon Junction. But that would require an added crossing of Evolution Creek -- just below Evolution's cascade down the switchback section, so faster flow rate, and presumably probably a narrower and deeper stream cut just before Evolution empties into the South Fork.

So larger drainage area (more snow to melt,) faster flow and deeper water. Bad combination.