High Sierra Topix

Friday, 15 May 2009 (day 1 of 3)
Bales Peak, Southern Sierra

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Flowers


Junipers


Relaxation


history

Welcome Back!
A bouquet for you

Thanks Ridgeline! You're so sweet! I haven't seen any snow flowers yet this year! Maybe this weekend!

Here's day 2:

Saturday, 16 May 2009 (day 2 of 3)
Crag Peak, Southern Sierra

PHOTOS: http://snownymph.smugmug.com/gallery/82 ... 0083_2YayW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

About an hour in on the PCT


The bridge was familiar, this is where I did my first backpack with SnowDude in '97


Looking up the Kern River


The burn area


Water in Crag Creek saved us later, we ran out


These flowers were all over the burn area


Start of the 2,200' climb in a mile, bushwacking in high temps with skeeters up higher


TomG was the bulldozer


Some climbing over obstacles


I did it!


Steep and dusty with loose rocks, this is what it means to 'eat my dust'


Almost climbed the wrong summit (big rock slabs), got 100' below when I checked the GPS and found out it was 0.24 mi to the south


Took a different way back, cut off 2 miles from our route up


Lots of fresh tracks


TomG after the hike, "I didn't know pavement could feel so good!"

Nice pictures Cori!

I love the "rock of the day", and especially the juniper trees. They have such character.

I found this Juniper on the way to Vogelsang... it had a beautiful "woven" texture to the bark.

Nice trip, really like the carpets of purple flowers, with the right lighting they
would make for some really nice photo's.
Something tells me from the pic's I have see from different areas in the sierra
that this may be a great spring even at the mid to upper elevations for
flowers, I can hardly wait.

Thanks Rosie! I love Junipers. So many of them in that area. Nice pic, btw!

Maverick, the flowers were magnificent (got U2 going in my head!), but my little S80 couldn't capture it. The G9 only worked in macro mode, and only sometimes. Going back for repair again. I've been surprised to find flowers out with all this heat.

Last of the 3 day trip:


Sunday, 17 May 2009 (day 3 of 3)
Chimney Peak, Southern Sierra

PHOTOS: http://snownymph.smugmug.com/gallery/82 ... 5317_2q7pW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Still a few wildflowers out



Spreading out in the boulders


Steep


Approaching Chimney Peak summit


This guy rattled for the whole 10 min we watched him, and only stopped 3 short sec, probably to take a breath.


Sierra Sparkles dropping into the birth canal


Snow Nymph on the other side of the hole


Rockslide above the hole


Hole in the wall


After hike beverages


And treats for a hot day!

I thought you'd be going for the HD dark chocolate with chocolate ice cream Snowy!