Lurkers Please Introduce Yourself =)

[maverick]

Hi Jessica,

Welcome to HST! Thank you for the great intro! Looking forward to the Rae Lakes TR. Have visited the Subway in Zion yet? Nice places to spend your anniversary, did you get a chance to visit beautiful Lost Lake while on that trip?

First of all I just want to thank everyone else on here for all their posts and trip reports! It's been so helpful in planning my trips, and fun to read when I'm procrastinating work.

[PackratAmongGiants]

Hello High Sierra Topix,

I'm posting here at the suggestion of maverick (and thank you for the nudge). I found this board by googling "sierra mosquito report" while preparing for a recent trip, and lo here you are, and here am I.

I grew up vacationing in the Sierra, and have lived in the central Sierra off and on for the last 15 years. I am lucky to have recently returned full-time to the Yosemite area. My Significant Other and I got distracted from backpacking in recent years (okay, I'll spill: Golf is sooooo much more fun than I can conscientiously justify), but now that I'm living near Yosemite again (and have a new job that allows for vacation), we are planning to double down for the 2015 season.

My S.O. and I are both finicky about mosquitoes -- we routinely carry Bug Shirts, and we always carry nasty DEET, and we have found the added weight and chemical ickiness to be well worth it for trips that we would otherwise have terminated early -- so I sincerely appreciated finding the HST's Mosquito Report. Hopefully I can share some trail beta and some love in return.

With enthusiasm,

Packrat

[maverick]

Hi Packrat,

Thank you for taking the time to write up an intro!

[GSDad]

I've hiked in various parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and most recently, California. I did the entire JMT (North to South) in 2009 and go back to the Sierras as often as possible. Now that my partner and I have a furry baby (a wonderful but anxious German Shepherd), we're looking for places to take him hiking with us.

Great to see this vibrant community! I wish I had known about it before some of my hikes that presented unexpected challenges (from mosquitos to downed trees)!

[maverick]

Hi GSDad,

Welcome to HST! Any pictures of your previous hikes, would be highly appreciated. We have a "Beyond The Sierra Nevada" section where your hikes outside of the area would be great. Oh, pictures of furry puppies in the outdoors is especially appreciated.

[crazyexplorer]

hello. Just want to introduce myself. I'm only starting to get into hiking/backpacking. Last year we did a horse pack trip to East Lake for 9 days which was awesome. First time experiencing the wilderness of the remote lakes. Since then I have been trying to prepare myself to do one of these trips on foot. Since camping at East Lake, I hiked up to the base of Mt. Brewer in search of some secret golden trout pond that the guide told us about. However didn't find it. Only found one pond which was pretty low and didn't see any golden trout. I did see golden trout in the creek heading up about 3-5 incher. We also did a hike up to Lake Reflection which i finally caught a golden trout!! It was a great feeling to finally catch one since it has completed one of my goals.

Anyways sorry to ramble on. I'm trying to learn as much as possible so I can prepare and do more of these hike/fish trips.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v8wah05ycj4jz ... o.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7i1le7imey5q ... o.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ta3ouma3hwl0 ... o.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/00lh0cfkvif7l ... o.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q2m6ng28flcie ... o.jpg?dl=0

[maverick]

Hi Crazyexplorer,

Welcome to HST! No need to apologize, we all understand, and have experienced the excitement, and enthusiasm one feels when doing what on loves in the mountains!
I am sure if you ask about that pond near Brewer, that contains those secret golden trout in "The Fishing Hole" section, someone will chime in with the location of it.

[KingMouth]

Longtime lurker and first time poster. (Makes me feel like a caller to a talk radio show.)

I grew up in the outdoors and always spent time in the summer camping, hiking and fishing with my family. I was also a long time Scout with a troop that emphasized backpacking over earning ranks and badges.

Last year my youngest finished up her college athletics career, graduated and is working in another city. I now have a lot of free leisure (and Vacation) time on my hands, so I have been reintroducing myself to all the things that family responsibilities got in the way of over the years like Hiking, Fishing and Skiing. I just finished up year three in Skiing and am entering my second summer hiking. I am adding fishing this summer, and have actually got into much better shape doing dayhikes in the local Santa Susana and San Gabriel Mountains.

Thanks to everyone for all the information I needed to get started again last summer. It made my learning curve sooo much easier. I am also grateful for all the accounts by older people that it is possible to do this even at ages when my body just doesn't recover as quick. Mostly I'm thankful to the manufacturers of those air mattresses that make all this possible.

I'm looking forward to my first overnighter in the Sierra next weekend to Lake Ediza. Keeping my fingers crossed on the weather. I'll post a trip report afterwards if the weather holds.

Hugh

[maverick]

Hi Hugh,

Welcome to HST! You will love Ediza, and the beautiful Minarets! Looking forward to your TR, and hopefully some pictures too .

[Plumgold1]

Hi my name is Chad. I'm a 30 year old outdoor enthusiast. I like to hunt, fish, and backpack every chance I get. Been hiking deep into the mountains for as long as I can remember. I've spent lots of time in Emigrant and hoover. It was about time I joined and added something to the community. Any questions just ask.

[maverick]

Hi Chad,

Welcome to HST! Thank you for the intro, and for including pictures.

[stokejob]

Hello HST,

I have been a lurker for a few years, posted a photo or two, and am now finally introducing myself! I have been exploring the Sierras for about 20 years, via backpacking for the past 12 or so, and focus on cross-country navigating to escape the crowds. I usually center my trips around a fishy stream or body of water and I tend to explore an area in depth to find hidden water falls and secret fishing holes, rather than through-hike. I have an awesome wife who also enjoys exploring the Sierras with me and a good old black lab who carries the beer.

That's me in a nutshell. I don't have many pictures of myself, I'm mostly holding the camera. I will post a TR one of these days.

Shaun