High Sierra Topix

quentinc wrote:I was just there this weekend, traversing around to the Hitchcock Lakes.

Did you go over the pass & down through the watershed and back up past the ranger station? The boys asked me what lakes these were - I told them the Hitchcock lakes, but no one ever goes there. Looks like I was wrong - LOL. Did you return from whence you came, or go out over Whitney?

So who named it "Yeager Basin"? Or is that just what a few locals call it?

Just imagine what would happen if those Right Stuff guys pulled that frat boy stuff today.

I was on top of New Army Pass a few years ago and came across a large U.S. Forest Service group, with horses and mules. I mentioned being buzzed by a few fighter jets earlier in the trip, and they were all ears, wanting to know details and ready to call in a complaint. Apparently it's a persistant problem.

Mike

Hobbes: I left the "trail" by lower Crabtree Lake and tried traversing around the eastern shoulder of Hitchcock. It was somewhat successful, although I had to drop elevation at one point. Then I went up the shelf on the south side of Whitney Creek, which fortunately dropped down to Timberline Lake. Otherwise there was a deep gorge to cross to get to the other side of Whitney Creek.

I didn't do Whitney, figuring it could survive without having me on top for the 26th time. I went back out along the PCT, although I did as much hiking off the trail as I could to avoid the hordes.

Mike M: I was buzzed continually in Miter Basin last October. I wasn't sure if the pilot could see me giving him/her the finger.

Mike,

Unless I'm vastly mistaken, I believe "Yeager Basin" was coined by Hobbes for this report, as I've never heard the Crabtrees called by this name either. Usually it's "Yeager's favorite lake" or something like that.

quentinc wrote:Hobbes: I left the "trail" by lower Crabtree Lake and tried traversing around the eastern shoulder of Hitchcock.

This shoulder?



Have you ever gone up via Discovery Pinnacle from #3 or contoured around under McAdie?

More like where marker B is, assuming I did this right. (This would have been more apparent if I knew the difference between east and west -- I should have said west shoulder!)



There was a guy at Crabtree Pass who was planning on going over Whitney Pass. Looked like an awful lot of scree crawling to me. Of course, so was climbing Mt. Hitchcock, when I did that a couple of years ago.

Unless I'm vastly mistaken, I believe "Yeager Basin" was coined by Hobbes for this report, as I've never heard the Crabtrees called by this name either. Usually it's "Yeager's favorite lake" or something like that.

I think you're right. It messes with my mind when people change the names of (already named) places to honor friends/villains or their own little universe -- Secor and his L.A. climbing buddies do it too often. (Puppet Pass is an example.)

Funny, back in the day, I always called Crabtree Pass "McAdie Pass" not knowing others had already given it the Crabtree moniker.

Mike

When i was in miter basin a while back there were jets flying over every few hours, i kept wondering why they were flying over.

quentinc wrote:I should have said west shoulder.

Ah, yes, I wasn't sure if that is what you meant. I had originally thought about contouring around myself, but I wanted to get to Guitar before dark. Actually, it was quite pleasant zoning out and just following the trail. In fact, the trail is so little used, it's almost like a use trail. I didn't see anyone until the ranger @ the RS. (I took the old trail and crossed the creek further up to join the JMT.)

There was a guy at Crabtree Pass who was planning on going over Whitney Pass.

I guess technically one can get to Whitney via Langley, Arc Pass or other ridge top routes. Way beyond my pay grade. LOL