High Sierra Topix

Bobby: Just guessing that 49 may be your birth year? Kinda cool being a 49er, no? Similar arithmetic suggests that the guy you encountered may have made this an annual trek to notch 50 ascents since '68? And, yes, he's got some combination of good genes, good medical care and an angel on his shoulder. cameron

I'll second the comment about visibility. I can remember seeing the Coast Range from Moro Rock....not any more. And frankly, I don't remember every summer being fire season 50 years ago.

Balzac,
Yep, the diminished visibility is perhaps my greatest concern. It was not till the early part of this century that San Joaquin smog started penetrating over the Sierra crest into the Owens Valley (being an Angeleno for >40 years, I regard myself as a smog expert; and, yes, I get the part of the Owen's lakebed generating particulates; I'm talking about stuff clearly wafting over the Sierra crest). And, now, wildfires add to the burden. I looked back at old photos to see whether they confirmed Daisy's impression that smog was a problem in the "good old days" and yes, for sure, you can see the San Joaquin gunk layer in the distance, but by the time one reached Glen Pass or Kaweah Gap, the crap was a LONG way off and, yes, one could regularly see the coastal range on good days. Don't remember the last time that happened: maybe after a good winter storm? cameron