TR: Maverick's 2015 Annual HST Meet-Up 7/22-7/24/15

[Gazelle]

Day 6 Picket Guard peak

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Today I was planning on Picket Guard peak and anything else that may come along. Went over picket creek pass then contoured around and under
picket guard Peak then up, all class 2 nice rock.

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Got to what I thought was the summit but NO alittle further west, then a nice summit block which gave me pause, then decided to go for it, great summit register for a remote peak. Decided to go off the North side down a gully, not a good choice so worked over a small ridge/arête to the class 3 north route again decent rock.

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Headed for a nice looking lake towards the Kern/kaweah till I could find a way down the cliffs, then contoured back towards Picket Guard Lake, don’t think I was on the traverse most people use but it worked and popped out at the lake. Went to the East side as I wanted to take a look down to the river, looked across the lake to see someone lying on the rocks!

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Went over to find out it was Hobbes (Yea at least someone showed up) We talked and then walked together to island lake to find oleander swimming and being told others are there also (double YEA). Everyone hung out and talked of how they got there and how they were leaving, great fun!

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continued

[Gazelle]

Day 7 Island Lake to Spring Lake
Had a big day planned wanted to do mt Kaweah and gray/2nd Kaweah today. I was the first to leave, made my way to the dreaded kaweah pass, started out absolutely beautiful till I got to the HORRID scree/boulder field of the pass. I had come in pretty high so I needed to traverse and work up to the pass,

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I will tell you this is one SCARY pass everything moves and I am talking not just what is under your feet but a whole section! Needless to say I went slowly placing each foot with care, did not stop to take pictures, drink water, nothing I was puckered! Was glad to be alone as if someone else was there they would have to be a great distance away to be safe. Anyway I am not one to get excited when I get to the top of something peak/pass but I let out a big yell of relief when I reached the top of this pass! Do you get the picture this is one nasty scary pass!

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Took my last pictures of the Kaweah Basin and worked my way around the tarn all still nasty but at least not as steep, worked around Mt Kaweah to the east ridge class 3 and decided not to do it. Made my way to the Chagoopa plateau passed some Indian grinding rocks,

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then down some steep cliff area then around to where I found the HST.

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Followed it to the ranger cabin, then back up to Little Five Lakes, over Hands and Knees pass and down to Spring Lake, a big day! Set up camp in the same spot as my 1st day.

Day 8 Spring Lake to Sawtooth Peak to mineral King TH
Always nice when you get to backtrack where you have been before, followed the use trail (still lost it once) to Glacier pass dropped my pack and made my way to Sawtooth Peak way too many cairns just go where you think is right. Beautiful view from the peak, was going to go to Needham also but decided getting done early and driving the 6 ½ hours home made more sense.

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Went back to the pack and down the old trail which I did find most of the way to the main trail to the parking lot by 2 then the long drive home.

A great trip even with the rain/hail/lightning, met great people and saw some fantastic country want to come back for the peaks I missed and some I just want.

I know not the best writing but at least I finally wrote it!

Thanks Kristine

[Gazelle]

I finally wrote this TR cause it is raining today on Donner Summit!

[Rockyroad]

Kristine, thanks for writing this up. I really enjoyed your narrative and photos. I've never seen Precipice from that perspective.

[MN2CAPisco]

Great report Kristine! Glad you had time to write it up, and considering the past several winters I'll selfishly applaud that the reason is rain! Given your prowess in off trail travel and description of it, I'm doubly happy to not have chosen Kaweah Pass to be my entry point into the basin.

[maverick]

I finally wrote this TR cause it is raining today on Donner Summit!

Lucky us! Thank you for the great write up and great pictures, of a truly wonderful location.

[Hobbes]

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but some/many/most of your photos don't really convey how critical and sketch those peaks and passes actually are in person.

While the Sierra challenge starts from established THs and is ostensibly a group activity, a casual reader probably wouldn't connect both the solo aspect and the fact that those places you visited are about as remote as one can get.

It will be good to catch up this summer - you can scare me again with your peak bagging stories along the way to the meet-up location. LOL

[Gazelle]

Hobbes you should join me for Electra and Rodgers on the Thursday of the meetup if all works well for me getting there on time!