TR: Guyot-Young-Hale October 2018
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 5:12 pm
It is now the middle of October, the first light snow has melted, sunny days are forecasted, and I need to escape Los Angeles, so I escape for a semi-aggressive trail-based trip to hit several peaks in the Whitney high country, starting at Horseshoe Meadows, going over Cottonwood Pass, following the PCT, and then the JMT over Whitney Col and down to Whitney Portal.
There is a slightly longer trip report at https://www.trailnamebackstroke.com/guy ... hale-2018/
Yellow aspens are a feature of September and early October trailheads; it is now late enough in October that much of the vegetation now takes on a darker golden hue. Oh yeah, even in the middle of the day, water collection becomes an issue. I regularly have to break ice to get water. First stop- Mt Guyot, 12,283’, a class 2, 1 mile, 1,400 ‘ ascent off the PCT. The day is clear and the views are great. The Kern Canyon looks impressive. Best view of the giants on the trip, right to left: Whitney, then Russel-Carillon Pass, Russel, Morgenson, and then the last peak on the left is my next destination, Mt. Hale, 13,494.’ Curiously, the hut on Whitney is not visible even at this height vantage. The dots show the prominent mountains that are part of the trip and view. From left: Young, Hale, Russel, Whitney, Muir. Two years ago I failed reaching the summit of Russel, and I still carry some trauma over the experience. I also failed climbing Muir the last 50 feet, and had considered a second go this time, as I will pass close by it. However, several internet posts about Muir confirm my previous sentiments; it has some class 4-worthy exposure, and the last part of the ascent is variously described as “spicy”, “saucy”, and “stiff”. Alright, I will return with a rope next time. Okay, it is cold. I spend the night at Trail Camp, and am back in Los Angeles by mid-afternoon.There is a slightly longer trip report at https://www.trailnamebackstroke.com/guy ... hale-2018/