Final pack adjustments last night. 64 pounds on my digital scale and will add 6 more, boots, clothing, pocket stuff, for a total carrying weight of 70. 3 more than on last yea'rs 9-day trip over the Silver Divide due to having to lug the disliked Garcia.
Osprey Aether 70 backpack. In the pics above numbers are:
1 = a potato chip container protecting the top of my new Fenwick Eagle GT rod.
2 = spare sock wrapped around a clear plastic tube protecting my fishing rod. Also a 2 mil polyethelene 50 gallon 36x50 inch garbage bag for storm storage of gear is wrapped around the outside of the tube so the sock buffers it and is stuffed in the left side pocket.
3 = an OR fanny pack with inside my Canon SX130 12mp camera and various small photo gear.
4 = Blue Nalgene water bottle on a carabiner.
5 = Marmot Pinnacle 15F 800 fill sleeping bag
6 =
Vasque Bitterroot boots
7 = Induro CT113 graphite tripod with a Manfrotto MH054M0 ballhead
8 = Rear elastic side sleeve on the Aether 70 I stuffed my Thermarest Neoair pad into plus a blue plastic ground sheet for my Big Agnes UL1 tent that is inside the pack.
Thanks for inputs on the route. On following ACME map links I use the crosshairs at map center to indicate where I am talking about. Switching to the Satellite tab changes to the exact point the topo was at and vice versa which is a useful feature.
This ACME mapper page is on top of the crosshairs 8757 which is Groundhog Meadows. (aka marmots!)
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=36.45574,-118.58587&z=15&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Switch to the ACME satellite tab and zoom to one notch below max zoom. Now you will be able to see the maintained horse trail at the exact spot it crosses Monarch Creek then starts switchbacking up the forest slopes south. From 8757 will head crosscounty northeast on bearing 45 degrees to the foot of a metamorphic scree slope at 9200. This is the crux of the lower route.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=36.45703,-118.58366&z=15&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Switch to the Satellite tab and zoom in again and will note a narrow scree slot between brush. This view shows where the old trail meets this section higher up at 9350:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=36.45746,-118.58159&z=19&t=S" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The old trail circles the steep scree slopes on the north side of Groundhog Meadow as shows on the old 15 minute topo and satellite views. However lots of scree has buried sections of that unmaintained trail. Switch back to topo and one will see how the old trail was cut across ugly steep areas. Moving the cursor along that trail reaches this point where the trail crosses the creek at 9420:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=36.45548,-118.57935&z=19&t=S" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Switch back to the topo tab and note how travel along the south side of the creek to 9600 is mellow. We will be stopping late morning at that point, taking a dip, eating lunch, spending 2 or 3 hours napping, then deciding whether to head up the Glacier Pass route or continue up Monarch Creek on the old trail. If we see water coming down from the GP route am likely to go that more direct way. However if dry in this droughty year will stay on the old trail as we are carrying much too heavy loads to make the pass on the first day so will be content to just do 3k or so. Next morning at dawn will break camp quickly and ascend the sand slog to the pass in the cool morning shadows.