High Sierra Topix

Yep that is it. I often don't look up fine detail and click the nearest contour line and guesstimate.

Great to read that the both of you, Rogue and Mike, will be able to make it this year!

The easy route is lots of fun and it won't get you killed.

Now that's a great location, one I may be able to build a trip around. My 2017 summer still is wide open and late July may work out for me. The location is close to routes I'd be considering in the area, so it'll give me an anchor point to plan the rest of the trip. Got a few weeks to decide, as I need to request such vacation time half a year in advance.

Now that's a great location, one I may be able to build a trip around. My 2017 summer still is wide open and late July may work out for me.

Sounds great, hope everything lines up and you will be able to attend.

Mav, you must be a mind reader. I've been planning a July '17 trip to climb Arrow Peak and Split Mountain, and the HST Meetup #4 is the perfect coincidence. I'll see you all there.

Mav, you must be a mind reader. I've been planning a July '17 trip to climb Arrow Peak and Split Mountain, and the HST Meetup #4 is the perfect coincidence. I'll see you all there.

Cool.

Interesting.. I am still learning how to navigate all of the different forums. Last July, I did a Taboose Pass/Bench Lake/Little Lakes Basin/Dumbbell Lakes/Amphitheater Lake/Mather Lake loop. (posted trip report). And I was planning a trip to go over Baxter Pass, Pinchot Pass Bench Lake and Window Peak Lake loop trip next summer at least as a possibility. I was looking for trip reports going over Explorer pass, and while I couldn't find any I read many interesting accounts (especially Rogue Photonic going over the passes east of Explorer.). I stumbled upon Maverick's meet up by searching Explorer Pass.

I managed to talk pretty extensively about this area with the ranger (Ranger Bob) at the Bench Lake Ranger station. He had been doing backcountry ranger stations for 40 years I think. And he knows the area very well. I was lucky to find him cleaning fish and with no other responsibilities when I met him.
We talked for over an hour on fishing and backcountry travel. I took note that he was about to go on his solo adventure for 10 days, and he was going to the lakes where the meet up is and he seemed truly excited about it. With all of his experience to be this excited about a place, it must be special.
I showed him a picture of a trout I had caught on the trip and he opened up and he told me his view of the "5 great lakes in Kings Canyon" to fish for large trout.
I had caught large trout in three of them, and have never visited the other two..on my list! The lake where I caught this one is within "backpacking distance" of the lakes of your meet up... so the opportunity is there!

I would love to join the group. I met Roguephotonic and Alpine Mike near Split Mountain on my last summer trip. It would be great to meet others. The only problem is that I have a tendency to do the real planning 9 days in advance, not 9 months. Oh well. I jotted down the date for now.

And that's exactly how to show a trout's true length.. Good Job!

Haha... I read the report of the large brookie in another post... It was humorous. I try to measure the big ones at least when I can.
With regard to that post, I met some deer hunters in Humphreys Basin a year ago October and they showed me some pictures of perhaps 10 very large brook trout they caught...NOT at Muriel Lake. Gotta get back there.