Trip Report: High Sierra Trail/Nine Lakes Basin

[LMBSGV]

http://www.sonic.net/~words/ASITHSTripReports.html

I swore I'd get this done by Christmas. I made it, barely. The rain the last several days has kept me from getting outside and being able to put off clients until Monday has allowed me to finish this trip report. Editing down pages and pages of random notes to a coherent narrative always takes longer than expected. Going through and scanning the photos also requires more time than anticipated.

A special thank you to Wandering Daisy and giantbrookie for the camping at Buck Creek suggestion.

I’m planning on actually getting to Kaweah Basin and Red Spur in 2012 (2011 already looks like it’s probably out of the question due to family plans).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and all of you.

[maverick]

Thank you LMBSGV for taking the time to put this great TR & pictures together.
Sorry about your toe it must have been extremely painful, but as your wrote you'll
try again in 2012, which answers the question I asked you in a PM I wrote a while
back to you.

[quentinc]

Yes, beautiful pictures and great report. I did the HST at the end of July, so it was particularly fun to follow your progress (although I didn't get to explore upper Nine Lakes Basin, because I was too busy trying to find the top of Mt. Stewart). I also liked the way you powered on despite your toe -- I can relate to that sort of thing!

As for the packers, the last time one of them told me the horses spook easily, I replied "so do I."

[sirlight]

Great pictures and thanks for the trip report. Bummer that your toe gave you so much trouble.

I did the High Sierra Trail in late August of 2006. One of my favorite places on the hike was precipice lake. There was a sizable block of ice in the middle of the lake when I was there. I have been wanting to go back ever since and see if the ice was there year round. Based on your pictures it appears that my question has been answered.

Here is my picture of precipice from 2006:

P1020157.jpg

[Wandering Daisy]

Did you ever figure out what made your toe so sore? I had a similar problem once when I bought shoes that were too long and the shoe bent right on top of my big toenail. Ouch!

[LMBSGV]

When I got home I looked it up on a few of the reliable medical sites. It seems to have been an "acute fracture" of the big toe from the symptoms and how long it took to fully heal (4 weeks). I suspect a rock landed on it just right a little above Hamilton - the trail was pretty scrabbly in places since the trail crew hadn't gotten around to cleaning it up yet and I was paying more attention to the view then where and how I stepped.