High Sierra Topix

maverick wrote:Hi Tanngrisnir3,

Welcome to HST!

Huge fans of the East Side, but finally getting to know SEKI and finding it is what
Yosemite is often thought to be but more, better and less crowded.

Right on with that assessment, though Minarets, Silver Divide, and Mono Divides have
some special spots too. What type of photography?
Clouds Canyon can be very pretty in the Fall, though early Summer with the
wildflowers at their peak it can be absolutely magical.

Thanks! We both do fine-art landscape stuff and I'm itching to way out to the back of beyond and spend a few days for the right light to get shots that others simply don't have.

Yeah, as someone who makes a partial living from landscape photography, ones
pursuit of capturing the most magical light possible, leads one to re-visit some of
the same scouted locations year after year, when possible. Visiting these locations
during bad/stormy weather has exposed me to some of the most beautiful lighting
conditions possible in the Sierra, and that is something we photographers find our-
selves constantly chasing, but rarely does it materialize.

maverick wrote:Yeah, as someone who makes a partial living from landscape photography, ones
pursuit of capturing the most magical light possible, leads one to re-visit some of
the same scouted locations year after year, when possible. Visiting these locations
during bad/stormy weather has exposed me to some of the most beautiful lighting
conditions possible in the Sierra, and that is something we photographers find our-
selves constantly chasing, but rarely does it materialize.

Very true. It occurs to me that we might know some of the same people.

And while it does only rarely materialize (often while driving home, south on the 395. Grrrrr...) that just means I have to spend more time in the mountains.

Bump

Hi everyone. My name is Will and I am a long time lurker but not a poster. Well that has to change. Thanks to Maverick for asking me to introduce myself.

I live the San Francisco Bay Area (in the east bay). I am a former US Marine infantryman. I used to do a lot of "humping" which is basically putting a heavy pack on your back and hiking X amount of miles at a fast pace. Sometimes I had to jog to keep up. It wasn't fun at the time, but in retrospect, I would do it all over again. That being said, I had no desire to backpack for a long long time.

I became interested in backpacking a few years ago after fishing lakes and the North Fork of the American River in Placer County and driving some of the back roads near Auburn and Forresthill. I enjoy smallmouth bass fishing and I am starting to enjoy trout fishing.

My backpacking experience so far has been great thanks to this community, backpacking light community, and various members who responded to my questions via PM. Thankyou.

So far all of my trips have been to the Emmigrant Wilderness. Mainly Kennedy Meadows and Crabtree Trailheads.

Next year, schedule permitting, I want to go to do several trips in the SEKI area.

I look forward to contributing to this great community.

Hi Will,

Welcome aboard HST! Semper Fi.

My name is Chuck and I'm from the Central Coast area of California. I started backpacking a little over 10 years ago when my brother-in-law who was an eagle scout took me on a trip in Yosemite. I loved being able to see areas most people can't drive to and being able to live off what's on your back. I was hooked after that. For the next couple of years, I mainly stuck to popular trails in Yosemite. I've since started to focus more on trails in SEKI as it is less crowded in the summer and just as beautiful. I also enjoy backpacking in some of the local Coast Range spots when the weather is cooler and there is water flowing.

My highlight trips so far are hiking the JMT from Tuolumne to Yosemite Valley, Going from Horsehoe Meadows to Whitney Portal via Cottonwood Pass, and day hiking Mt. Whitney. I just did a trip over labor day weekend to the base of the Silver Divide at Graveyard Lakes which was amazing also. I'd love to eventually do the Rae Lakes Loop, High Sierra Trail, and the JMT full length. I just recently watched the movie "Mile, mile and a half" and loved it.

Alot of my trips lately have focused on hikes I can do with my kids as they are starting to get the age that they can backpack and fish. We've done a few trips to Weaver Lake in the Jennie Lake Wilderness that has been perfect for them. I'd love to find some other spots that would be good for them, so any suggestions are welcomed. I am an avid fly fisherman, so all my trips are focused on good fishing spots now also.

Thanks for putting together a great site,
Chuck

Hi Chuck,

Welcome to HST! Looking forward to reading some TR's for the both of you, Chuck and
Will, sometime in the near future.

Bump

bumping this as we approach high season. Intro's are great!