Worst - or Best - Pass in the Sierra

[Herm]

Re: Tom's previous note:

I call the pass above Virginia Lakes "Frog Lakes Pass." By the little ice-fed lake that's behind the pass, there's an incredibly beautiful population of Saxifraga tolmiei, surrounded by shooting stars.

Here is a photo from July 2008 of that little pond just over the pass above Virginia Lakes. Too bad the photo doesn't show the incredible shade of blue from the water. And we saw abundant wildflowers all along that trail. Beautiful country.
Herm

[balzaccom]

Passes that I simply did not like due to ..., Avalanche (false summits)

I am with you on that one, Daisy!

[rlown]

JD: Haekel col.. wow. That's about where i lose clarity on what a pass is vs. a col. For me, a Pass kinda has to have a trail up one side and then down the other side. A col can be a "pass"age, but is it really a pass?

[BSquared]

Never met a pass I didn't like...

John, does "North Goddard Pass" go from Martha Lake to (well, "toward") Ionian Basin? And is that the Ionian-Basin side in the photo?

[East Side Hiker]

Herm - thats the one. Good photo. What a beauty that little lake is, with the ice shelf above it. If I knew how to attach a picture, I have one of the clarity of the blue quality you spoke of.

The Saxafrage and shooting stars are in that little mdw in the lower right hand of your photo. Also, the tiger lilies on the trail up there are awesome.

[East Side Hiker]

New Army Pass is really great, as is the entire Horseshoe area. Many different passes. Kinda reminds me of Mineral King in that regard - big bowl with many passes out. Down in Mineral King, Coyote Pass is another wonderful treasure. Used to be part of my patrol area long ago.

But the best thing about New Army Pass is the walk up to Langley.

[John Dittli]

John, does "North Goddard Pass" go from Martha Lake to (well, "toward") Ionian Basin? And is that the Ionian-Basin side in the photo?

I'm referring to a pass between the north "Goddard Lakes" and Davis Lake. The photo is at the tongue of the Goddard "glacier". Near here:

_MG_5437.jpg

JD

[Herm]

Herm - thats the one. Good photo. What a beauty that little lake is, with the ice shelf above it. If I knew how to attach a picture, I have one of the clarity of the blue quality you spoke of.

The Saxafrage and shooting stars are in that little mdw in the lower right hand of your photo. Also, the tiger lilies on the trail up there are awesome.

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Here is the tutorial from which I learned how to post photos on High Sierra Topix - I hope you can figure this out, because I would love to see a good picture of that glacial blue water.
And I have a few photos of wildflowers from that trail that I would love to share.
Herm

[EastSideClimb]

Best Pass: Koip...imposing, grinding exposed, literally almost made me cry. Beautiful views and you'd think you were in Afganistan.

Worst Pass...any one you take westward back to "reality."

[Cross Country]

I think my favorite pass was Goat Crest between Grouse and Kid Lakes. It's probably because it was my first x - country pass (with Lee Starke). I went over it many times. It's out of Kings Canyon up the Copper Creek trail. Here's a picture of me on the pass.

For me the hardest pass was probably Taboose because it was difficult for my 2 sons Mike and Jim, 7 and 12-yo, also because I was carrying a monster pack.