High Sierra Topix

I don't think I shared these, finally just finished with the captions. Just another section of the JMT from August, this is the trip I met Gordon on.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/554104766eQbfFS

Wow, great pictures, great hike! One of these days, I'm obviously going to have to get up into French Canyon -- been by there countless times but never with enough time to go in. Particularly lovely flower pictures -- man, that blazing star...!

What a great trip! Took awhile to go thru all the pics. Great flower photos, and lots of them! I love the lakes above French Canyon and Seven Gables! Great trip!

WOW!!!! What a beautiful area!!! That's it....I'm making plans to go to that area next year!!! That trip had everything; peaks, lakes, flowers, forest, waterfalls, cascades...don't know if it can get any better than that!!! I can't tell you how jealous I am! Tell me there were lots of mosquitoes, or lots of horse poop on the trail...that trip looks too perfect! Reminds me of why I HAVE to get back to doing some trips longer than a couple of days; you can really immerse yourself in your surroundings. Great stuff!!!!

p.s. Ran into Gordon at Horseshoe Meadows after this trip; he mentioned running into you on the trail.

Oh Sooz,

What a teriffic collection of High Sierra photos. You expanded my wildflower knowledge big time. So many place to see!!!!

Thanks. It was a fun trip.
SN- Sorry about the large amount of photos. I hate leaving stuff out. Believe me, it's really ALOT less than I took!!
Trekker- Can't give you any really bad news about the trip! There weren't really any mosquitos swarms, there was horse poop, but I hardly noticed tromping right through it while I was gazing at my surroundings! You should go next summer!
BSquared- yeah, that Blazing Star is amazing. I must have taken 30 pics of 'em. It was my first time up French Canyon and I couldn't wait. It lived up to my expectations!
-Sooz

Ah, the John Manure Trail! Great area and I'll also echo the nice flower pics. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks you guys! The flowers are so cool, sometimes ya just gotta take the time to look!

Hi tailtrekker2004,

I'm due for new boots too. Heavy duty $200 backpacking boots I just bought in March of 2005 that have worn two holes in the toes with soles now flat. Nice to hear you got into beautiful Bear Creek. My favorite stream in the Sierra. Looks like you have to visit up the East Fork of Bear Creek some day to see Seven Gables more. I believe #65 is eriophyllum lanatum aka wooly sunflower. #67 is sedum lanceolatum aka stonecrop. Did that sage grouse hen just talk to you without running away? That green rock Susan posed on there looks like it has some large tourmaline crystals. Never seen those falls from Royce Lakes closeup before. Nice look from below. I caught a large golden trout at Puppet Lake way back in 1982. I've been up at Puppet Pass too and on top of what you call "the bump". Fine view looking down at all those lakes in the morning. See you dayhiked up to Granite Park. I've camped by the right pond in #153 during a couple trips. The old mining road down to the Pine Creek trailhead is one of the few places on high country trails to see blazing star,. As I was getting towards the end of your pic show I knew you would be taking an image of the scarlet monkeyflower patches. They are rather uncommon. Another nearby place to see them is up behind Pratt's Crack. Lots of trail miles on the week long trip. Any layover days? ...David

Thanks Dave! I'll add those names to the pics. We had that one layover day at Moon Lake when we hiked around by Puppet Lake and up to the "Bump" and around the area. The next day to Honeymoon was really short, so we had time to look around in Granite Park. I really love it up there. I had originally wanted to do a trip in July back in there, over the pass, in and around the Bear Lakes, over to Vee and up Seven Gables, but the snow and water levels stopped me. **sigh** Next year. Or the next! Still gotta get back in to Dumbell Lake and Ampitheater Lake area, maybe climb Observation...so many places. If I could just win the lotto.....