Cross Country Route

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TahoeJeff
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by TahoeJeff »

Man, the Cabin Fever is a little strong right now. I'm not as hard core as a lot of you seasoned veterans here but it seems as if some of you are being kind of harsh on this guy (in a couple of different threads). I read his 2010 TR on the Whitneyzone board, I think it was, and it appears he has some chops. Did anyone else review that before commenting? Is this going to be the level of discourse here 'till the snow melts and we can get out? Just askin'....

BTW Rouge, great little video of catching a nice Golden out of Wallace!
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rlown
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by rlown »

yeah, i read some of it as well. Not that it's a bad plan. Just a questionable year for such a plan.
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Mike M.
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by Mike M. »

We were all young once. (In my case, a long, long time ago.) Personally, I envy all the time Rogue can take from work. It will be quite an adventure. I trust he has the sense to pull back if he finds himself in over his head.

I remember my first true cross-country attempt, back in 1975. I was solo. Planned it from my parent's kitchen table, my trusty topo maps spread out. I had a few year's backpacking experience under my belt and wanted to spread my wings. What did I choose for my first cross country adventure? The Enchanted Gorge, with a second leg that took me over "easy" Cartridge Pass.

Read about it here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4775" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I had a wonderful and memorable time and was hooked.

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Electra
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by Electra »

Short time lurker needs to chime in..I think i may know many of you, this is dan braun. I am one of the founders of southern yosemite mtn guides, owner of the evergreen lodge and way back when, got the yahoo cali high sierra group started...enough background..

When I first read this, like many, I was jealous of this trip. WOW! Lucky guy that Rogue, what a trip!! As I read on and thought about the winter we have had, what was being said by Rogue, past experiences after winters like this, etc..I was concerned enough to speak up.

All I really have to say is that attitude/approach is everything and this young mans approach WILL get him into trouble. I had the same attitude in 1991 when after Miracle March (25feet snowfall), I continued on alone from Kennedy Meadow on my PCT trip (first person to do so that year, DUH!) and was in-snow for twenty miles before needing to climb whitney and resupply in lone pine. I ran out of food the day before climbing the west face of whitney (june 10) and then got caught in a slab avalanche at 12,900' and fell about 700 feet. A lucky self arrest left me about 15 feet from going over a cliff and with no skin on the back of my right lower leg (i was in shorts as it was 70 degrees!). I managed to get to trailcrest and hobble out to a lone pine hospital with the assistance of others....

My point, i was young and had to learn from this experience as i didn't heed the call of others(pct hikers skipping the sierra till later, family, rangers, etc..) as my attitude was 'go for it'...

I wish Rogue well on his adventure and i am still envious but I hope he 'adjusts' his plan as trouble will find him and when it does, i hope he heeds our warnings and plays it safe. Just being in the Sierra is a gift so look around when high water or dangerous snow looms and find an alternative route or just pitch the tent for the night and admire your surroundings. Peace and happy trails. db
Dan Braun
Camp Navarro, Evergreen Lodge & SYMG
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maverick
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by maverick »

Dan thanks for chiming in, and Welcome aboard, hopefully we shall now hear from you
more often in the future.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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balzaccom
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by balzaccom »

I agree! Thanks Dan!

I had a less exciting but still silly trip when I was that age...into the Yosemite backcountry starting Memorial Day weekend...would have been about 1972 0r 73...

Floundered around for a couple of days in the snow, managed to follow my tracks back out (no snowshoes, and the afternoons were postholing to mid-thigh). But before I did that, I took a long hard look at a roaring creek and tried about three different ways to cross it.

I was solo, and finally decided that I couldn't get across. But man...was I tempted to try....

These days I am a little saner!
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East Side Hiker
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by East Side Hiker »

I go very slow and very deliberate. If the conditions aren't right, I go back toward Death Valley, or find something else to do in the general area. There is so much to do, so many directions to go. The Inyos, the Whites, Death Valley, the Nelson Range, Piper Wilderness... So many mdws to explore. I listen to the national weather reports. I look at the sky and the ground. This year, the ground will be a problem after 1.5 years of heavy snow. Unstable snow bridges, high water, quickly changing weather conditions (look what happened last yast year). It takes years and years of experience to react to what's happening in the high country.

And all this stuff about the possibility of getting hurt or dieing, and SARs. Kinda creepy. My goal is to be in the high country as long as possible without involving other people. Talking to people about what they've seen and where they've been and what they've experienced is one thing. Expecting to push forth with the expectation that others will bail you out is another thing. There is so much to do within 50 miles of any trailhead, its exciting.

Last year with the Sheep Fire and the bad weather coming,I went to the desert. Then, when I thought things were getting better, going over Shepherd Pass in late Sept, it got so freezing that things froze in a few minutes. I bailed asap. Went back to the desert.

If you're careful, you can have great times anywhere in the vast general area of the Sierra. There are so many desert peaks and trails... Be careful, think about others and their plans, and futures and families.
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East Side Hiker
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by East Side Hiker »

And this thing about stepping over a rock and being bit by a rattlesnake and rushed to a hospital. I've been trying to get info on rattlesnake bites in the Sierra. As far as I have heard, its uncommon. In fact, in general, its uncommon in the U.S., and usually involves drunk people teasing rattlesnakes. And how are you going to be rushed to the hospital from the area surrounding Clarence King? or anywhere in the High Sierra? I'd be worried about rock slides after a couple years of heavy snow, freezing, and thawing.

Rescues are not fun and do not make people happy.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Yeah that Sheep fire was disgusting. It was in my general view for weeks before I was in the smoke completely.

I did have a couple cold spells on the first and second weeks of September but nothing too bad. Generally 2010 was the most mild summer I ever spent in the Sierra. out of 71 days only had rain on 4 days and thunderstorms on 3 days. Longest stretch with no rain was 24 days. Before that it had been 18 days.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Cross Country Route

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I've given some thought into resupply locations since they are what dictates my time frame the most and I believe my route is possible even if I get held up. VVR closes mid October, the MTR closes September 18th but I can bypass that. Looking at my route even if Cedar Grove closes before I would get there I can go from VVR to Lodgepole or Wuksachi Lodge which is year round. Silver City Resort at Mineral King stays open until October 27th.

So unless the snow is crazy on June 26th when I plan to leave I will still leave then. When I reach Mineral King I will have crossed Farewell Gap at 10,600 feet. I will also have views of the high peaks around Mineral King. If the snow is too much to want to continue I will linger around the Mineral King area doing small hikes to numerous lakes around the area for a week or so until the snow melts more and I can continue as planned. This of course would push my hike over 100 days and into October but it still could be done as long as the weather permits.
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