Trip Report Northern Kings Canyon 7/6-7/16/17

[robertseeburger]

OK.. answering some questions... from the post..sorry for the delay.

From Wandering Daisy.. I guess I got it wrong from memory on your prior post. My mind must have played tricks on me as I saw the steep snow going into the lake...and remembered your post. The one picture I posted was only an example ..there were many on both sides. On the way to Mcgee Lake, I asked Ranger Dario how best to get there and I followed his suggestion. Go to the very top of Colby Meadow ( not McClure Meadow), and cross in a spot that is flat, wide and slow similar to the Evolution Meadow Crossing. His recommendations were perfect and accurate, and while it was another crossing hip high, there was no problem. From there, find the use trail that goes up to McGee Lakes. Again, it took me like 5 minutes to find it and it is a well ducked trail...no problem following. An old map shows the "trail" coming from McClure Meadow and Dario suggested not to do this..plus McClure meadow was more of a lake than a meadow.

As to equipment, I could have used ice ax and crampons going over Sapphire Pass on the east side, and if I chose to try to go around Davis Lake. I could have used nicrospikes many times, and probably should have in retrospect.. Walking on snow, which I did a lot of...I slipped a lot and fell perhaps 10 times, but also in slipping without falling many many times, I know I risked pulling a muscle ( thought I did once but I worked it out), plus just the act of slipping with a pack on is exhausting. Pulling a muscle not good for solo hiker. So, I will remember this for the next big season. I am not going to bring ice ax and crampons...just not my style.

For AlmostThere..again great to meet you.. and a predicament for other hikers..as in what to do? You are on your last day, you were sloppy putting up camp, you didn't put up rainfly for the tent, you plan to wake up at 5:30 to hike out, and then the clouds role in and it starts raining at 3:45 AM, complete with lightning and thunder. Do you get up and re set up camp? I thought about it as my first inclination was to do nothing..and decided to get up and pack in the rain, and just walk out by headlamp. First time in my life I have walked 11 miles by 8AM!... got home to the Bay Area by 2PM and surprised my wife....

Thanks to all who commented on the grub and fly options also.. I would say that they were in general a size 12 or 14.

[AlmostThere]

For AlmostThere..again great to meet you.. and a predicament for other hikers..as in what to do? You are on your last day, you were sloppy putting up camp, you didn't put up rainfly for the tent, you plan to wake up at 5:30 to hike out, and then the clouds role in and it starts raining at 3:45 AM, complete with lightning and thunder. Do you get up and re set up camp? I thought about it as my first inclination was to do nothing..and decided to get up and pack in the rain, and just walk out by headlamp. First time in my life I have walked 11 miles by 8AM!... got home to the Bay Area by 2PM and surprised my wife....

I've actually done the same thing before. It starts raining, I can't sleep, I got up and packed and hiked in the dark with the good ol' umbrella.

I actually had to wake up my friend - he didn't put the tarp over his hammock and he's a sound sleeper. He'd probably be wet before he awoke. Then we slept in a little longer than we intended... love sleeping in the rain.

Bet that steak was great.

[Dwwd]

On the topic of stomach contents . . .
Scuds seem a close fit to the photo by RobertSeeburger as suggested by RiseToADry.

Does anyone have a suggestion how to test, or verify the presence or absence of scuds that might be inhabit a lake at ~11,000 ft?(Assuming there are no willing trout to spill their guts.) Scuds have a preference for dim light, which would make them difficult to see. There is no adult flying form. And I wonder how they might have arrived in that high altitude environment.

Will they show up in the light of a flashlight after dark?
Just curious about natural trout food for winter, ice bound, sustenance.