High Sierra Topix

I had a great trip at Sabrina last week, river crossings were all easy rock hops. I spent my first night at Emerald Lakes, pretty spot but the mosquitoes were from hell. Hungry Packer and Sailor Lake had lots of campers, I found solitude at Moonlight Lake, no mosquitoes. Moonlight falls is still going strong, interesting spot to photograph at sunrise with the moon hanging over Picture Peak. Lots of rangers on the trail, I got asked for my permit twice.
Some trip pics.


http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=631604

Magnificant photos Doug! That sure is a beautiful basin.

Great photos, Doug. A friend and I celebrated her b-day at Moonlight Lake Friday night.
We were thrilled to find a secluded, spectacular spot near such a busy trail. Luckily, a trail crew supervisor from Mammoth told us about the perfect campsite, far away from his crew's camp and a pack of Boy Scouts. Just so happens I'd given him a spare pitcher of beer at the Tiger Bar in June Lake last winter...thank goodness for brew karma.
No one asked for our permit, though we were told that 'Ranger Bob' was on the lookout!

Great photographs! Love the falls/moon ones. Thanks!

That's amazing. The whole time my wife and I were backpacking in Rae Lakes-an entire week-we never were once asked for our permit. We only saw a ranger one time and that was when he went to help someone suffering from altitude sickness. The last time I backpacked out of Sabrina the mosquitos were horrendous. Glad to hear there were no mosquitos while you were there. I also like your pictures.

Great photos.

We were in same area last Friday, Saturday, the 11th and 12th. My wife and I took my son and his wife on their first Sierra back pack. But, alas, the "kids" couldn't handle the altitude, daughter in law got sick on Friday nite while camping at Dingleberry, (along with a host of others who were packed in), so we had to cut the trip short by a day. They vacated early Sat morning, but wife and I hiked to Midnight and to Hungry Packer so we can say that we'd been there. We packed out later in the afternoon, racking up 6 miles or so in day hikes, then the 6.5 out w/packs. We'll probably not go back to that area again, due to:
1. Too stinkin many mosquitos...they were atrocious.
2. Too stinkin many people. Might as well been in a road side camp site thanks to the pack trains bringing them in.

It is pretty there, but there's plenty of nice places, I'm sure, without the price to pay of being eaten alive with an audience.

My ranger story; son said that someone stopped by the camp site Sat a.m. and asked if he had a permit, he said yes, but actually, I had it out on our day hike. He said they never asked to see it, maybe cause they were in process of packing up to go out. I had stopped Thursday afternoon in Lone Pine visitor center to pick up permit. They were helpful even though their computer system was locking up. However, he asked if I had a bear cannister, I said yes, but thought they weren't required in the Sabrina basin. He said they were'nt but since I had one, could I use it? I said, I suppose I could, but wasnt planning on it. He said, ok, it's probably not a problem anyway. Then he reached over, grabbed a stamp on the counter, stamped my permit and handed it to me. I later looked at it while in the motel that evening. He had stamped on the permit "Bear Cannister Required". It went un-heeded. There aint bear one in that whole damned basin....I'm willing to bet the farm on that.
Life goes on...
Perry

Those are Gorgeous Pictures you took Doug, Thank you. I have heard how pretty this basin is & always wondered about it. Those falls are really something & still so full, so beautiful.

Thanks - I was on my way out on Friday; I might have passed some of you on the trail. Sabrina Basin is a uniquely beautiful place, but I was also disappointed with the crowds and the amount of furniture people had packed in. There was a large group of fishermen at Sailor Lake, one person told me they were going to have a big fish fry, I jokingly said I’ll bring the beer, I later noticed they really did have beer. That changed the definition of being in a wild place.

Nice work Doug with those falls and the moon. Despite a few trips to that basin I've never got a decent image with those falls. Some nice turf and wildflower areas at the Moonlight inlet stream area.

For those trying to avoid other groups in this popular basin, I'd bet 90% of the visitors camp either along the shores of Midnight Lake or between the triangle of Sailor, Moonlight, and Hungry Packer Lake. Including some predictable morons illegally camping right next to the water on the peninsula and island near the HPL outlet. Thus there are considerable areas lacking people like the south side of Moonlight all the way to Echo.

One secluded camping zone is in the whitebark pines behind Pee Wee Lake. Well off the trail requring a bit of an obstacle course through the big blocks about Topsy Turvy Lake to reach, with a nice view. Not at all surprising mosquitoes are pretty bad there this summer given the likely considerable late melting snowfields. The kind of places I backpack to all the time each summer and manage to cope with while being bit but a few times. One must learn to use DEET and dress wisely. The usual mindset of many, as in t-shirt and hiking shorts just won't do. ...David