High Sierra Topix

I'll be going out of Mineral King with the Sierra Geezers to the Big 5, Little 5, and 9 Lakes Basins the last week of July and 1st week of Aug (W to W). I like to get to at least one area new to me each year and this is it for 2009. I camped in the Redwood Meadow Grove up the Middle Fork Kaweah last May and in the early season, could only lust after the higher elevations.

It's great to hear others' plans. I'm going to add some of them to my to-do list.

Cabin fever is getting really bad here with this 9 month old puppy with too much energy and big muddy feet.

My 16 yr old son and I will be going to Humphrey's Basin (his favorite place) for a basecamp/peakbag trip August 3 - 7. Then I am taking a solo trip over Italy Pass to the Bear lakes Basin and out over Feather Pass to French Canyon September 13 - 20. Those along with some time in the Canadian Rockies with my son in June and July burns up all my time off work, but I will still get out a few more times for overnight weekend trips to be determined.

Rosabella wrote:I'm planning a N-S JMT this summer, but I can't apply for a JMT permit until I hear from our friends at the Bishop Wilderness Permit Office regarding an overnight Whitney permit application.

This summer is the 50th aniversary of the first time some of my family members and I went up Whitney! I was only seven yrs. old and fell in love with Whitney and the Sierra. A lot of my family members will be going on this trip, so I've applied for the maximum 15 people. I submitted four pages of date options - and have my fingers crossed.

Once we get the overnight dates for Whitney, I'll back up about three weeks for my JMT entrance date. Hopefully I won't have any trouble getting a permit so late. I am SOOO looking forward to this summer. As soon as I've got some dates, I'll post 'em.

Well… we didn’t get our Whitney Permits. I was really disappointed.

So now we go to “Plan B”. I’ve got my JMT N-S permit with a start date of July 29th. B2 – looks like you’ll be finishing yours the day I start! . I’ll be solo; I’m so looking forward to some real “Sierra Therapy” (I think Cori coined that phrase )

I’ll be getting to the Portal on August 21st, and my family will meet me there. We’ll camp at the Portal for a couple days, and our HOPE is to pick up walk-in permits for Sunday for an overnight Whitney trip. We’re going to have the 50th anniversary hike… maybe not all the family, but as many as we are able to permit.

Hiking the JMT later in the summer will be good as far as mosquitoes, but I’ve been watching the snow pack charts and they’re a little scary. Hopefully water won’t be a problem.

Rosabella wrote:...B2 – looks like you’ll be finishing yours the day I start! . I’ll be solo; I’m so looking forward to some real “Sierra Therapy” (I think Cori coined that phrase )

Well, that's too bad, Rosabella! I was looking forward to meeting you, but maybe on another trip. Good luck with your "Sierra Therapy!" There's definitely magic in those mountains...

-B²

I understand about the extreme cabin fever and the compelling urge to get to the Sierra, especially on a perfect spring day in the Bay Area.

I have my permit already - I start getting cabin fever in February and paranoid about the quotas by the end of March, so once I have the itinerary pretty much figured out, it's a matter of getting my wife to agree to the specific dates for me to be gone and when she does I fax in the application.

I'm going over Piute Pass on July 28 and then to Merriam Lake, Bear Lakes basin, Italy Pass, Royce Lakes, and then back over Piute on August 4. I'm also hoping for a trip in late September or early October, but the location is not really settled. Basically, I can't face winter in the lowlands without a fall trip to the Sierra.

BSquared wrote:In case I haven't blabbed it all over the board sufficiently yet, a friend and I are doing the JMT N-S starting 10 July. We'll meet two other friends at Charlotte Lake on 23 July, planning on getting out at Whitney Portal on 29 July (probably spend the night of the 28th at Trail Camp and climb Wotan's Throne in the early morning for the sunrise on the Whitney Wall). We're hoping to see Markskor in the Valley the night before we leave and then again perhaps near 1,000-Island around the 13th, and we'd love to intersect with anyone else on the board; if you think we might link up, drop me a line.

-B²

Wow, B2, you should be heading out west in a few days! Have a wonderful trip! I sure wish our trips would have crossed. I'll be starting exactly on the day that you plan to finish, so I won't even be able to read your reports until I get back.... unless I can use the computer at Vermillion.

HIke well and safe, and I look forward to comparing our JMT notes and pictures!

Rosie

BSquared wrote: a friend and I are doing the JMT

-B²

Have fun. Savor the wonder and our blessedness at having such places to get lost in.

Thanks so much, Rosie and Sierra. Frankly all the logistics have me a little frantic right about now, but that'll pass. We start hiking on 10 July, and with any kind of luck you can follow us here if you're interested: http://snipurl.com/lrzp2. My friend David is the one with the SPOT, not me, so I'm not exactly sure whether we've got it all set up properly, but give it a whirl. Hope to see some of you out there!