High Sierra Topix

The worst thing is the giant marmots - not much you can do to protect your car from them!

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At least they're friendly. Here's my wife posing with one.

DoyleWDonehoo wrote: ...Going over Sawtooth Pass from Mineral King is just cruel and unusual punishment. They have "improved" the trail from the lake to the pass some recently, but it is still a sliding mess.

Yeah as bad as slogging up the gruss to Lamarck Col from Darwin Canyon. With the huge weight I carry, my boots sink in even more. I habitually wake up at dawn in the backcountry and would likely be stumbling up the modest 1400 feet up route from Monarch well before sunrise so it would at least be in pleasant cool shade. Even if I wasn't interested in doing some photography by Monarch there is no way I could go over the 4k pass in one day like many do. 3k vert is about my limit carrying 70 pounds or more.

Wow Dave, 70 pounds - now that's backpacking.

I agree with Doyles comments about Sawtooth Pass, but then again I've been up it more times than I care to admit so I am apparently not the brighest guy in the back country.

And Moutaineer - you now have me thinking about that snow gully on Florence too!

PS. Damn, that is one big honking Marmot

Wow, that Giant Marmot is pretty scary...are they just at the trailhead?:)

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