Day 1: Over Shepard's Pass to a small lake a mile or two west.
Day 2: Over "Wright's Pass," into Wrights Lake Basin, explored lake basins on either side of Mt. Barnard
Day 3: Climbed Mt. Barnard, cross-country over to Wales Lake
Day 4: Epic day hike somehow ending up on the top of Mt. Russell, returning to camp by moonlight at 9 pm
Day 5: Back up through Wrights Basin, camped by Diamond Mesa
Day 6: Upper Kern Basin, lake just west of Lake South America; received inhalation therapy from the smoke in the late afternoon
Day 7: Continued exploring Upper Kern, made the mistake of taking the Kern cut-off trail back to Diamond Mesa area. Endless zigzags, needless up and down, needless steepness heading in the wrong direction, need I go on? (memo to self: this is why you hike cross-country.)
Day 8: Back to car, loved every inch of the 500 foot climb on the way "down."
I discovered Wales Lake on a side trip from a group hike of the HST in July, and vowed to return. This is why.
The sign at Shepard's Pass always cracks me up. Damn, foiled again!
Wright's Lakes basin is unusual in that lakes are just spread out seemingly at random in a huge meadow.
This is in the bowl/cirque formed by Mts. Tyndall, Tommy Trojan and Barnard.
Looking towards the Kaweahs
Russell and Whitney, as seen from near the top of Mt. Barnard
Mt. Barnard is Class 1, but my natural instinct would have been to go up this way.
Wallace and Wales Lakes from the top of Barnard
Ancient civilization, discovered near summit of Barnard
Blessed with an instinctive skill for route finding, this was part of my x-country route to Wales Lake
Mt. Hale, over Wales Lake
These were the only clouds (as opposed to smoke) in the entire 8 days, but they were sweet
On my way to Mt. Russell, and more evidence of my knack for route-finding
So I go up this, only to discover there's a real cliff on the other side, and I have to come halfway down and traverse to a saner crossing point
Finally made it to Tulainyo Lake, the highest lake in the continental U.S. and the hardest to spell. Notice how blue the sky is.
Oh boy, my kind of route! This is the only way to the Russell-Carillon saddle. Believe it or not, it's Class 2, although I naturally discovered a Class 3 route instead.
The beast lies just ahead to the right
One heck of a sliding board
Just like climbing stairs
But don't look back
I considered being terrified, but then figured, "what's the point?"
What's left of me, on top of Russell. Smoke in background is from my central nervous system.
My feet after discharge from the hospital the next morning. I've been wearing the same boots the whole summer, what's with this?
In Upper Kern Basin, smoke in background.
I know the Great Western Divide is there somewhere
I got to witness the creation of the universe
So it was slightly clearer the next day
I'd be willing to spend the rest of my life here (side canyon from the Kern basin)
Rest of the photos are here:
