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TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:26 am
by schmalz
http://calitrails.wordpress.com/2013/02 ... canyon-np/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Special thanks to Maverick and Cgunderson for providing intel for this trip, even if I didn't end up using it. I will hopefully be in this area many times in the future so that information will not go to waste.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:43 am
by fourputt
Wow! Epic trip, great pix and report! Thank you so much.
I've found that "stimulants" such as bourbon don't help with altitude adjustment after a hard/hot day ... at least early in a trip ... but I haven't found a source for EPO yet :)

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:02 am
by schmalz
fourputt wrote:Wow! Epic trip, great pix and report! Thank you so much.
I've found that "stimulants" such as bourbon don't help with altitude adjustment after a hard/hot day ... at least early in a trip ... but I haven't found a source for EPO yet :)
Yeah, I don't think so either but I hesitate to place any specific blame on why I got sick. I'd just been on a 4 day trip about 10 days earlier, and had easily day hiked whitney a week before that, all with similar "stimulants" in play and absolutely no issues with altitude.

In general it's not ideal to drive from sea level and immediately hike to 12k feet. I'll probably be putting an increased emphasis on building in more acclimation time for my next big trip.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:10 am
by rlown
A very comprehensive TR! Thanks!

We kind of do the same drive thing (sea level to altitude). You really have to acclimate and drink a LOT of water on the way. Last Sept, we didn't get to sleep at North Lake as the campground was full. We hiked in about 3/4 mile and camped there. My friend Paul, didn't take me up on the water offer during the 7 hr drive. He suffered large the next morning. Not to be crass, but I notice almost immediately that my urine turns deep yellow and the amount greatly reduces. So, I try and force myself to drink more water, with the appropriate salts.

Not a fan of alcohol for the first few days of an east side entry trip, unless I planned in a layover day.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:36 am
by Carne_DelMuerto
Great TR! Thanks.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:44 am
by Fly Guy Dave
Great TR and fantastic shots! Thanks for taking us along.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:37 pm
by papasequoia
I could and should write a bit about the pleasure derived from reading your report. However, you used up all of the good adjectives and have left me relatively speechless. Thanks for taking the time and effort to write it up, I enjoyed it a lot! Jon

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:58 pm
by maverick
Hi Schmalz,

Was waiting for you to post this TR, and it was worth the wait. Sorry to hear about
your altitude sickness it can make things quite uncomfortable. It sucks when you
loose a key part of your tripod thus making it not functional and then the weight is
on your back the rest of your trip as a reminder. Had my camera in for sensor
cleaning a week before one of my trips and they require you to remove everything
off of the camera. Got it back one day before my trip because of a delay and in
my haste forgot to reattach the "L"bracket plate so my tripod like your was dead
weight as was my RRS Multi-row Panorama setup, some more dead weight. :\
Gallats was quite strikingly beautiful the last time on my visit through the area which
was in Sept, it was a beautiful golden color with some NPS horses grazing in the the
grass, it is still a picture that seems like yesterday, but was almost a decade ago.
Bulbs? Those are Snow Plants/Sarcodes and can be quite beautiful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcodes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Good picture of Old Ranger/Mike's home for a few season at Roaring River Ranger Station.
Yes you are right Bighorn Plateau can be a photographers dream landscape in the
right conditions! Thanks for the enjoyable TR and photo's.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:25 pm
by chrisdiercks
Schmaltz, i'm hanging out at home sick today and your TR made me feel a lot better and more focused on getting out soon. Classic area you went through. Sorry to hear about the altitude sickness and hope you are able to get a handle on that for the next trip.

Re: TR: Circle of Solitude (7/14-7/21 2012)

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:18 pm
by hikerdmb
Great TR and amazing photos. You went through some beautiful areas. Good job overcoming some adversity and completing your trip.