Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

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hikerduane
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by hikerduane »

rlown, I do some weekend, group trips with a Yahoo group, NorthCA Hiking. There is a core group that gets out every month of the year, we have a trip to Yosemite for New Year's Eve weekend. I also worry about my vertigo and holding a bunch up if I can't move until the next day. My solo trip in the Whitney area in early Oct. started that way. Fortunately, I had made my destination for the day, just didn't get to eat dinner. I forgot to take some Tylenol at the start, not sure if that helps, but I haven't been sick when I take it before cutting/splitting firewood or bping/ Coordinating with others unless you are good friends is hard. I have had two trips out of the last three to four years where I can planned on meeting someone along the way or changed my plans to accomodate them in early Oct., only to have them not show or decline at the last minute. I save the grief and go solo. This year I would have stayed the whole week if someone was along though, instead of going home a couple days early. It was some nice, xc scenery that not many see and country that some here said to visit.
Piece of cake.
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SSSdave
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by SSSdave »

I think many experienced backpackers would enjoy their time in the backcountry more if they hiked less with their packs and instead had more layover days. That is one reason decades ago from my early days I yearly dismissed joining national Sierra Club outings because almost all such advertised trips were hike from 9am to 6pm marches where leaders seemed intent filling their itineraries with as much as possible, staying anywhere little. Thus instead of having the usual elaborate itinerary of reaching several imagined must see destinations, consider being content once reaching the timberline country to basecamp or move just small distances each day within the general zone. In the case of your trip, once reaching the Horseshoe Lake area there is much in short easy reach to satisfy most for days. I mention experienced backpackers because young unexperienced urban visitors may not yet have discovered how they might use their time if forced to layover and easily fall into spending all day with little purpose lazing and eating about camp. There isn't anything wrong with more strenuous and elaborate itineraries however such work best for those that have already made a few shorter summer trips in recent weeks, are in prime backpacking condition, and are able to better gauge what is within their limits of effort and comfort.
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TehipiteTom
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by TehipiteTom »

Great trip report, Take-a-hike. Tough trip in a lot of ways...good that you now have the perspective to look back and see the positives. That is some remote and beautiful country, and I'd love to get back in there sometime (I've never been beyond Windy Ridge).
SSSdave wrote:I think many experienced backpackers would enjoy their time in the backcountry more if they hiked less with their packs and instead had more layover days. That is one reason decades ago from my early days I yearly dismissed joining national Sierra Club outings because almost all such advertised trips were hike from 9am to 6pm marches where leaders seemed intent filling their itineraries with as much as possible, staying anywhere little. Thus instead of having the usual elaborate itinerary of reaching several imagined must see destinations, consider being content once reaching the timberline country to basecamp or move just small distances each day within the general zone.
S and M/S trips, maybe. I always scheduled a coupla layover days on my trips, and on hiking days we usually got into camp by early-to-mid-afternoon. But then, I'm lazy. ;)
I mention experienced backpackers because young unexperienced urban visitors may not yet have discovered how they might use their time if forced to layover and easily fall into spending all day with little purpose lazing and eating about camp.
Hey, now--there's nothing at all wrong with "spending all day with little purpose lazing and eating about camp".

Did I happen to mention I'm lazy? ;)
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rlown
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by rlown »

SSSdave wrote:I think many experienced backpackers would enjoy their time in the backcountry more if they hiked less with their packs and instead had more layover days.
So True.. It's painful anymore to pack up everyday just to meet the next goal 8 miles away. I now configure my trips so that i get layover days in great fishing basins. It gives me and my friends time to bond, relax and not complain about getting up early to bug out to the next target.

Obviously, plans change during the trip, but that's why i make it clear that we're out for the fun of where we are and not the daily march.

Russ
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Re: Lake Basin Death March...

Post by DoyleWDonehoo »

Take-a-Hike wrote: Then two days before I re-read Doyle's account, realized he had an extra day for one leg I'd planned on doing in one day, so sent him an email about his layover, told him my plan. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for responding promptly and talking me out of my idea: He said, basically, I was nuts for doing this thing counterclockwise, go it clockwise up Copper Creek trail.
I was wondering what became of your hike! [-o< Glad it went OK and glad you found what I wrote useful! I would not wish the counter way on anybody. This was one of the best hikes for me, despite the broken leg in the Blanco. I am impressed as hell that you made it to Grouse Lake on the first day, Lower Tent Meadow being a perfectly reasonable first day goal. I got to Horseshoe in three easy days, with a rain day thrown in for good measure. You did it in two. (And paid for it I imagine. :-k ) My trip was a stroll compared to your near death-march. Its too bad you did not make it to Bench Lake, a real jewel. Sorry you had trouble in the Chute: can you imagine 100 Sierra Club mules going down that thing? We took a layover day to tour the Basin and I wished we had climbed up DumbBell Pass: we had more time than I thought. SSSDave is right about the layover issue. There are some great cross-country destinations out there that would be nice to combine with some layover days.
And in case anyone is curious, we did not bring along a water filter on our trip.
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by ndwoods »

Nice TR! I love that "trail." I've done that trip twice in the last 15 yrs. I too found the slide down to Marion nerveracking...both times! And I too like to do it clockwise. And I'm lucky my husband hasn't killed me over the years...for planning and then dragging him on so many death marches...grin!
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mokelumnekid
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by mokelumnekid »

Hah! Hey there T-A-H. I've been in Thailand for the last month and so missed your post till now. Yes folks, that's me and the missus in that pic there with him. Recall our trip report from a few months back as we were headed into Dumbbell Lakes when we met up at Cartridge Pass as he was heading out.

Glad to get the full story and people should know that his wife is a four-star trooper as that was a serious route. Lord knows it has had me cussin' at times. I'm one of these crazy fools who has married a woman who is an animal in the back-country, and a full-bore athlete in the front country. She has taught me a lot about pacing and endurance, hence we cover lots of ground in good form because I've changed the way I hike. But's that's off-topic. AND I agree with SSSDave, we don't usually plan trips with breaking camp every day- usually do a brutal first one and a half. days (like last year when we went to Merriam Lk in a day from North Lake) then 2 or more days for peak bagging from camp, etc.

Anywho, great to see that as winter closes in, the memories and dreams of summer still beckon.
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Re: Lake Basin Death March or Marriage Encounter From Hell

Post by Cross Country »

An activity that makes one slow down and "smell the roses" is fishing. It's a great source of protien too. You went to, or close to, several good places to fish. These are Granit Basin, Horseshoe L, Carttridge pass L. Window Peak L. Striped Mt. and others nearby. I never took this trip but fished most of this area on 15 other trips. I believe trips are better savored than soley accomplished.
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