That Time Again

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RoguePhotonic
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Re: That Time Again

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Yeah I do plan to do that. If everything goes smooth I think I will be heading back in at Florence Lake on Thursday the 9th. But I think what I will be doing is going that first day to the Blayney Hotsprings and then I will probably go up Goddard Canyon to the fire line. Then I will go almost over the actual Goddard Creek Pass to the lake at about 12,300 feet below Mt. Goddard which is where I will be back onto my paper written route.

The big maybe is the damn battery for the new camera. Of course it does not use the NB-7L batteries the G12 uses so I am stuck buying a new one which was sold on Amazon by another dealer. I did over night and the camera already shipped for arriving Tuesday. I just hope the battery will do the same other wise I will have to wait. So if it arrives Tuesday I will get someone to come Wednesday but even if they made it early I am going to have to charge the new batteries so that means heading out Thursday.

I really don't think I can make it to Lake 12,300 in less then 3 days so that's why I plan to camp where I am. No point in going any further.

As for people of course the Muir Trail is crowded but I did not see a single person in Ionian although I did run into a couple that came out Goddard Creek Pass an hour after I did. I also ran into 2 others on their way into Ionian. And I ran into another couple in Goddard Canyon.

I was amazed I saw a couple at Ladder Lake. I was just about to strip down and jump in the lake nude when I saw a couple coming down the hill.

Hester Lake was a nice blue. Sure a mess though with all the aircraft pieces scattered down the shore for 100 yards. The more ominous piece there was a ragged piece of cloth sunk by the outlet. It looked like a piece of clothing from one of the killed crewman.
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cgundersen
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Re: That Time Again

Post by cgundersen »

Rogue,
Well, we may be on the water taxi with you Thursday morning. Two old dudes with ancient A16 backpacks and a distinct lack of savoir faire. Cannot wait!
cg
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: That Time Again

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Maybe you will. Not sure if I will be able to do their 9am ride. Probably will get some breakfast at VVR and then have family drive me to Florence. But everything is a go for heading back out on Thursday. My family got my packages today and then they are coming tomorrow and staying the night.

I'll be glad to get back out. Hopefully the weather will clear up and this fire burning near Florence will get under control. I'd hate to be on Goddard and then have smoke blowing over the views.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: That Time Again

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Back at VVR again. Been out now for 84 days which is hard to believe for me because it all seems to be going so fast!

Well I went back into Ionian when some of the worst weather hit me while I was completely exposed at 12,300 feet. I climbed Goddard but couldn't do Scylla due to the weather. I also couldn't climb the small peak going into Mcgee Lakes because of weather. I did climb another random peak as I crossed what I am calling Emerald Pass but there was nothing on top. No signs of being climbed at all. I did the SHR section from Muir Trail Ranch to the Second Recess almost exactly as planned although I did not stay at Toe Lake and kept going to Lower Mills Creek Lake. As a result I got out to VVR last night instead of today as planned. So Saturday morning I will be headed back up Mono Creek although since there is no ferry I am going to have to add another day in this coming section as I wont be able to reach Third Recess Lake in one day.

I'm really happy that this year I have not been lazy with the cross country at all. I feel as normal off trail now as I do on trail and I never have a thought about not following my route as planned. I actually am fighting a constant urge to do far more. I just have a desire to climb every peak I see. Who knows maybe next year I will head out with plans to climb about 50 peaks. :wink:

Hopefully I am sending more people to this site as I constantly mention this forum and 80% of the people I run into have never heard of it.

Well I will be around today and tomorrow and then back into the wild. I plan to do serious exploring of Brownstone Mine this year including climbing hundreds of feet up the ladder systems in the mine. We'll see if I come out of that one alive! :D
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gary c.
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Re: That Time Again

Post by gary c. »

Happy to hear from you Rogue, glad to hear that things are going so well. Keep letting us know whats going on with your adventure. Tell Jim in the store that Gary from facebook says hello and that I owe him one for the very last ferry ride out of dodge.

Take care of yourself,
"On this proud and beautiful mountain we have lived hours of fraternal, warm and exalting nobility. Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. It is hard to return to servitude."
-- Lionel Terray
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: That Time Again

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Back at VVR again!

The last section was a crazy bit. When at Third Recess Lake I decided I wanted to explore Fourth Recess more then just crossing the ridge into Little Lakes Valley which I did judge to be possible.

So when it came time to drop to Fourth Recess Lake I had no info on where you should. I then entered a deep Col. just to the East of the inlet and it started by a straight vertical climb into it and everything was completely lose. Then slopes that where probably 70 degrees. I then reached a chock stone that I stared at for some time thinking it was not possible but then I said I think I can do it although it seemed like a 5.10+. So I lowered my pack by rope and then against my better judgement tied the end of the rope to me which was bad because if my pack took off when I was not ready for it then it would take me with it. It took almost all 48 feet of my rope just to get the pack to stay on the steep slope. So I get out on the face of the chock stone and barely being able to hold onto what very little there was I said nope! No way! I stood up shaking slightly and my heart pounding at this horrible scene. Inches above me was a pile of rocks that was ready to go at the slightest touch. I then asked myself again "no?" So I went back onto the face again trying anything I could but I decided it was completely impossible without rappelling. So even though I still had my rope on my pack I decided I could not get my pack back because of how the rock was shaped. So I threw my rope down and had to climb back out of the Col. Then I took another horrible way down further East and started up the Col. after my pack. It was so steep and lose that I could barely climb up. I grabbed onto a 300 pound boulder and it came lose and I was able to stagger back just in time for it to miss landing on my foot but then it kept coming so I had to leap out of the way as it missed me by inches. Then I got to another vertical section that was almost impossible to climb as I got sand blasted in the face and eyes by dirt. Over all just climbing up to my pack without a pack on was extremely difficult and now I had to make my way down with a heavy pack? For the first time I was completely confident I was going to die in this Col. I pulled out my camera and did a final entry to a video journal noting that I was probably going to die. As I put my pack on that poem from the movie The Grey came to mind and I spoke out loud as I buckled my pack on saying "Once more into the fray... Into the last good fight I will ever know... Live and die on this day... Live and die on this day..." :p

Then I began down...

I guess I will leave the rest of that horrible experience to another day.

I found an entrance to the Pine Creek Mine but only went in about 100 yards since 32 miles of tunnels will take some time to explore. Maybe next year!

Spent a couple hours in Brownstone mine exploring everything that I felt I could safely. One section of the mine the ladders started breaking on me so I left that area.

Did Italy Pass and went to Orchid Lake. I was supposed to go to Cirque Lake today but when I woke this morning I decided I had to go to VVR for BBQ day! So here I am. I am sticking with my schedule so I will be here until Tuesday morning.

I'lll be around until then.
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cgundersen
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Re: That Time Again

Post by cgundersen »

Hi rogue,
Obviously, we missed you on the ferry. However, from the HST reports, there were gobs of other folks in the Goddard canyon, Ionian basin area in August, so I suspect you had some company up there and probably some good doses of lightning and rain.
Your narrow escape in 4th recess sounds like a not-to-repeat. I crawled into 4th recess from the rear (looping from 3rd recess) once, but I've not found a good way up or down that wall above 4th recess lake which is what I think you were tackling. Or, was it twixt 4th and Little Lakes?
Anyway, looking forward to photos when you complete the odyssey....
cg
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: That Time Again

Post by RoguePhotonic »

Yeah I ended up on the 11am boat.

Goddard Canyon wasn't too bad and the only people I saw in Ionian was a group on a ridge as I climbed Mt. Goddard but other wise saw no one. And yes massive lightning. I was camped at that lake around 12,300 feet as it came in nasty 2 days in a row. I just said oh well if I get struck in my tent then I will never know what hit me.

The nasty section in the Fourth Recess was indeed dropping to Fourth Recess Lake. I went across Third-Fourth Crossing and went down past the Snow Lakes and down to the lake. Certainly a Col. I would advise anyone to avoid even if you do have climbing gear. Once I had got down I thought that the shelves just off the East side of the inlet cascade could probably be gotten down fairly easily. The slope I took with no pack furthest to the East was very steep and lose dirt. I think most people head over to the Western side and make a wide traverse across some scree fields and then down the Western slopes of the lake.

From here it looks like I might have to detour into Mammoth when I hit Reds Meadow which I wish I did not have to do. I got here to VVR and while I set up I stared at my pack for a second and just thought... where is my pad? It is just gone. Before I got in I took my pack off for lunch and the pad was there and I never took it off again until I was here. And the way I strap it onto my pack I couldn't imagine it ever falling off. A mystery for sure. But as a result I am now laying on bare ground which is getting pretty cold at night and they don't sell any pads here. To make it worse the shuttles end at Reds Meadow on the 5th. So that means losing about two days to detour into Mammoth and buy a pad unless I come up with something else first. I also don't want to spend the extra money by going into Mammoth. I'll just see what happens.
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Re: That Time Again

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I am glad your epic had a good ending. I must admit I have been in a pickle like that too, although probably not as severe as your route. I would think you could buy or beg a pad off someone at VR. If I were there and going out I would sell you my sleepig pad! Heck, I always carry a spare in my car - I would GIVE you that one!

I spent 40 days in the mountains in Wyoming and only had lightning twice. It is really an odd year- Rockies are in serious drought - warm and little rain just like the Sierra normally is. I get back and read trip reports and it looks like the Sierra got typical Rocky Mountain weather. I have been out 2 weeks and already am getting cabin fever.
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Re: That Time Again

Post by Moonwalker »

Great read rogue photonic! But that episode sounds quite hairball for solo treking. You be careful out there, hear?
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