Trip Report: Miter Basin to Mount Whitney
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 2:11 pm
From New Army Pass to Miter Basin involves dropping down 1,510' to the lower Soldier Lake, and then up just about 750" to reach a very nice place to camp, right in the center of Miter Basin- Sky Blue Lake (11,545'). Earlier in the same day I went up New Army Pass (12,310') from that first Cottonwood Lake at 11,000," so add in another 1,310" up or so, for a day's total of just over 2,000 feet. Note that anywhere on the stretch between Soldier Lake and the bench just before Sky Blue Lake would be a wonderful place to camp (although in summer, it could be a marshy mosquito zone?).
There were coyote and marmot tracks in abundance, so many tracks so close together that I wondered if I might come across the two converging, and ending in a bloody dead marmot?! As some of you know, I usually have my dog "Bear" by my side, and I did miss him. So I began following the coyote tracks in hopes of befriending one, and perhaps getting him to come along with me for part of the way. I never caught up with them though, so I plodded lonely on.
More photos:
Sky Blue Lake is set above a rock terrace, and there are scrambling routes up near the cascading outlet. Once there you are surrounded by mountains. It's a mountainous setting comparable to that of Dusy Basin or the upper Evolution Valley, but without the crowds.
The great 1000 foot cliffs of Mt. Newcomb in the image above, and the cliffy peaks, of Mt. Pickering below- due west and southwest from Sky Blue Lake.
I got my water from this melted edge of the lake. I had to break the frozen crust in the mornings, and then toss in my water bottle attached to a cord. It was a bit of an effort to fish it back out again, but I have no interest in early morning dunkings in icy lake water, so I practiced caution. When I set out early to climb the passes and the big mountain, I was very tempted to cross the lake, like I commonly do in mid-winter on skis, but I could see that there was only about a foot of frozen ice left over this very large lake. I practice discretion over valor when alone in the backcountry, so I walked the long shoreline most of the way around. However, when I was nearly around, I recalled that the theme of this trip was "A Fool's Errand," so I decided to nip ever so lightly across the last few hundred feet of probably frozen lake. What a Fool indeed! Three quarters of the way across and I experienced that dreaded sound/feel of the lake ice cracking! I blasphemed the rest of the way across, and then counted my blessings. I promised myself to reform this sort of errant behavior in the distant future.
What a hell of a way to go, thrashing about to get out of the pack, and usually skis, as one sinks ever deeper into a freezing lake! I've lain awake contemplating that form of death.
Here is the brazen Marmot that I found snuffling about my campsite, looking to chew some socks to pieces. Believe it or not, this carnivorous herbivore (?) took an interest in my heel, and took two exploratory bites at it. Perhaps I can finagle a "service dog" permit for "Bear," saying that he is needed for marmot protection? When the marmot started to nibble on the shoulder straps of my backpack, I chased him off with sand and small gravel. There were also a few pika about, and more of my favorite mountain bluebirds.
My next visitor of note was a single bald eagle, who soared in over the western cliffs, which from then on I called the "Eagle Cliffs." Was the eagle casing the valley for fishing spots? I did see one very big trout in the melted out portion of Rock Creek (10,600' elev.) on my hike out. The rest of my bird friends up at the high camp were the usual guys: rosy finch, water pipit, and junco.
A glacially erratic landscape, with "The Miter" on the right, and Mt Mallory and Irvine to the left.
This is the view to the west-northwest into the cirque of great cliffs of Mt Newcomb.
My final submission will show the route up to Crabtree and Discovery Passes, and on to Fishermens Peak/Mt Whitney.
There were coyote and marmot tracks in abundance, so many tracks so close together that I wondered if I might come across the two converging, and ending in a bloody dead marmot?! As some of you know, I usually have my dog "Bear" by my side, and I did miss him. So I began following the coyote tracks in hopes of befriending one, and perhaps getting him to come along with me for part of the way. I never caught up with them though, so I plodded lonely on.
More photos:
Sky Blue Lake is set above a rock terrace, and there are scrambling routes up near the cascading outlet. Once there you are surrounded by mountains. It's a mountainous setting comparable to that of Dusy Basin or the upper Evolution Valley, but without the crowds.
The great 1000 foot cliffs of Mt. Newcomb in the image above, and the cliffy peaks, of Mt. Pickering below- due west and southwest from Sky Blue Lake.
I got my water from this melted edge of the lake. I had to break the frozen crust in the mornings, and then toss in my water bottle attached to a cord. It was a bit of an effort to fish it back out again, but I have no interest in early morning dunkings in icy lake water, so I practiced caution. When I set out early to climb the passes and the big mountain, I was very tempted to cross the lake, like I commonly do in mid-winter on skis, but I could see that there was only about a foot of frozen ice left over this very large lake. I practice discretion over valor when alone in the backcountry, so I walked the long shoreline most of the way around. However, when I was nearly around, I recalled that the theme of this trip was "A Fool's Errand," so I decided to nip ever so lightly across the last few hundred feet of probably frozen lake. What a Fool indeed! Three quarters of the way across and I experienced that dreaded sound/feel of the lake ice cracking! I blasphemed the rest of the way across, and then counted my blessings. I promised myself to reform this sort of errant behavior in the distant future.
What a hell of a way to go, thrashing about to get out of the pack, and usually skis, as one sinks ever deeper into a freezing lake! I've lain awake contemplating that form of death.
Here is the brazen Marmot that I found snuffling about my campsite, looking to chew some socks to pieces. Believe it or not, this carnivorous herbivore (?) took an interest in my heel, and took two exploratory bites at it. Perhaps I can finagle a "service dog" permit for "Bear," saying that he is needed for marmot protection? When the marmot started to nibble on the shoulder straps of my backpack, I chased him off with sand and small gravel. There were also a few pika about, and more of my favorite mountain bluebirds.
My next visitor of note was a single bald eagle, who soared in over the western cliffs, which from then on I called the "Eagle Cliffs." Was the eagle casing the valley for fishing spots? I did see one very big trout in the melted out portion of Rock Creek (10,600' elev.) on my hike out. The rest of my bird friends up at the high camp were the usual guys: rosy finch, water pipit, and junco.
A glacially erratic landscape, with "The Miter" on the right, and Mt Mallory and Irvine to the left.
This is the view to the west-northwest into the cirque of great cliffs of Mt Newcomb.
My final submission will show the route up to Crabtree and Discovery Passes, and on to Fishermens Peak/Mt Whitney.