TR: PCT-SHR Donner to Piute Pass Jul 13-Aug 10 2016

[Stanley Otter]

paul -- thanks! here's some more
balzaccom -- well that makes perfect sense: a mattock, of course -- thanks for clarifying
old and slow -- glad to know I have a fellow sufferer -- I have only ever experienced one windier night camping than the one at Aloha and I had a canoe that I could set up as a windbreak -- a canoe this time would have been nice but portaging it all that way would have been rough -- thanks
Troutdog 59 -- thanks for sharing your story and memories

July 24 — Day 12: 6.0 hrs, 10.5 miles, +1975/-1575
A First Encounter With Old Man Willow
The plan for this day had always been to take it relatively easy, so I tried to sleep in but a jay in the tree above my tent took to squawking at 5:30 AM and I finally gave in to its demands and rousted myself out of bed at the luxurious hour of 7 AM. The goal for the next three days was to make my way south and east by trail and cross country travel to Spiller Creek Canyon where I would join the Sierra High Route. I wanted to stay as high as possible for reasons obvious to everyone on this forum and also to get some more straightforward off trail experience to supplement the meager two days I had logged in the Winds last summer. So after stretching my morning routine to an unseemly two hours, I started back up Kennedy Canyon and picked up the trail (former road) that goes right up over Peak 10825 on its way to High Emigrant Lake and Emigrant Pass. While studying the maps last winter I thought this had to be the craziest idea ever, but of course if you really do need a road between Kennedy Canyon and the Emigrant Lakes this is where you have to put it. In any case, the grade was mercifully shallow and after eating enough high octane food for second breakfast I started feeling pretty good.

The north side of Peak 10825 was barren and rocky, but at the top and all the way down to High Emigrant Lake, Emigrant Pass and Grizzly Meadow the wildflowers were putting on another show. A low key affair due to the relative lack of water, but I found several varieties I had not noticed before. And the views down to the Emigrant Lakes were simply beautiful — lakes near and far with meadows in between and white granite slopes with just the right dusting of conifers. I ate lunch at High Emigrant Lake at the dammed outlet stream, and made my way over Emigrant Pass which was sort of a non-event given how broad it is. My original plan was to spend the night in Grizzly Meadow, but I found it a little uninspiring compared to what I had been seeing, so I decided to press on south and east around Grizzly Peak on the high trail that stays well above Summit Meadow. The trail is not well defined and fades out in places, particularly where it crosses the seasonal creek beds where the willows get thick. The first couple times this happened I just tried bulling my way through, doing the bushwhacking thing that unnecessarily saps energy. But even at my age I can learn new tricks, and started spending the time to scout for narrower expanses and going “with the grain” when possible. As a result, there were a few times where I thought Old Man Willow was leading me down the Withywindle, but we reached a truce of sorts at East Fork Cherry Creek where a rock outcrop with views of Summit Meadow and Snow Lake virtually begged to be camped on. So I did. The day was hot and the creek was warm, so I did another round of laundry and bathing. Exploring and photography followed. As the sun set I was worried that I was seeing smoke from fires on the horizon, but I didn’t smell anything. It took me a while to realize that if it was hot up here, it must be blazing down below and that it was smog after all. I had not seen anyone all day.

Day 12 -- Emigrant Meadow Lake & Middle Emigrant Lake.jpg

Day 12 -- Emigrant Lakes.jpg

Day 12 -- Yellow Paintbrush.jpg

Day 12 -- view north to Peak 10825.jpg

Day 12 -- Grizzly Peak.jpg

July 25 — Day 13: 9.75 hrs, 11.3 miles, +2800/-2600
Off Trail At Last!
Up and on the trail by 7 AM. I decided to climb higher in the hope of rediscovering the high trail on the bench above Summit Meadow. Given that I could see Bond Pass a mile or so in the distance, I was not too concerned. I found and lost the trail again a few times and finally just slalomed downhill through open forest until I found the lower trail that led to the PCT and Dorothy Lake. There I ate a snack and drank some water, all jittery in anticipation of striking off cross country over what I was calling Helen-Tower Pass. My first hour or so was pretty comical. The topography around Stella Lake and Lake Ruth and all their satellite pools turned to be mildly complicated with no good vantage points to get an overview, so I was bouncing around in there like a pinball. I finally reined in my enthusiasm long enough to actually break out the compass and take a reading, which led me to Lake Helen without too much additional flailing.

I had read a few trail reports about the Helen-Tower Pass on the forum, but I was still unsure what to expect. When I got a clear view it seemed moderately doable, and after I studied it for a couple minutes I decided to go straight up the middle part way and then left (northeast) to “follow the green” up to the top. As I was to discover in the coming days, this is a very tame Class 2 pass in comparison to others, but at the time I was pretty damn proud of myself and enjoyed the views from the top. Those to the east were just spectacular — front row seats for Tower Peak and Tower Lake with Hawksbeak Peak in the middle distance. In my opinion, the hunk of rock that towers over Tower Lake is much more impressive than the actual Tower Peak further to the south. On the way down to Tower Lake I made the mistake of aiming for the outlet end of the lake, figuring it to be the most direct and avoiding the boulder field at the other end of the lake. I ended up having to down climb big boulders and short cliffs among the brush and trees, which was a whole lot more work and much slower than if I had just walked over the boulders. This was to be the first of many teachable moments on this part of the trip.

I had finally made it down to Tower Lake and was standing on a flat rock about two feet above a grassy area basking in an undeserved sense of accomplishment, when all of a sudden I found myself coming out of a somersault on the grass. A section of the hiking pole I was leaning on had collapsed, but there appeared to be no damage so I went down to the lake for water and to take some photos. Turns out I had rolled onto my point-and-shoot camera and it would not focus for wide angle shots, only telephoto. Rather than weep uncontrollably at the vistas that would go unrecorded for the remaining two weeks of my trip, I let experience be my guide. You see, I have a Relationship with this camera, so I know its fickle ways and how to coax good behavior out of it. Last year I had this camera with me on the JMT, and I was at Garnet Lake taking some photos when I turned it off and put it in my front pants pocket. I don’t normally keep it there, but I was just going to walk a few yards to another vantage point and snap more photos. As I was walking, the camera managed to turn itself on *and* decide that a telephoto shot was called for. Okay, so now it’s “Hello, Hiker! Is that a telephoto lens in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” The geometry of the situation was such that all the slack in my slacks, if you will, was taken up by the extended lens which was not responding to the power off button, so I could not extract it from my pocket without, well, you know, taking my pants partway off. Next to the trail. Where impressionable youngsters hike. Oi. The ultimate lesson I took away from this was that a hard reset induced by taking the battery out of the camera for a few minutes caused it to return to its default state of good behavior, so I did that at Tower Lake and all was well.

After some lunch I started my first attempt at contouring cross country, based on accounts I have read here about making one’s way up the valley below Hawksbeak Peak. I descended a few hundred feet from Tower Lake and started to make my way at 9200’ around Peak 9422. This forced my second confrontation with Old Man Willow on some very steep terrain which made contouring something of a pipe dream and he got the better of me this time. As a result, I ended up simply climbing over the ridge to the southeast of Peak 9422 and stopping for a rest at the tarn up there. From there I followed a southeasterly course and let myself lose a little elevation as I gradually joined the valley beneath Hawksbeak Peak. My goal for the day was Thompson Canyon, which appeared from the maps to have only seasonal water sources in its upper reaches, so I stopped about 50’ below the saddle to water up before crossing over into the canyon. Turns out there was plenty of water. I made camp on a sandy pad next to a boulder right at the top of Thompson Canyon, which was quite scenic in the late afternoon light. At this point, please allow me to make my single politically oriented observation of this trip report: a long-time resident of the state of Wisconsin of a certain political orientation will experience a great deal of cognitive dissonance at the boundary between two geographic features named the West Walker River drainage and Thompson Canyon. I’ll just say I took some NSFW photos and leave it at that.

Day 13 -- Summit Meadow & Snow Lake.jpg

Day 13 -- Helen-Tower Pass.jpg

Day 13 -- Lake Helen & Lake Ruth.jpg

Day 13 -- Tower Peak & Tower Lake.jpg

Day 13 -- Hawksbeak Peak (left) and Tower Lake.jpg

Day 13 -- Hawksbeak Peak B.jpg

Day 13 -- Upper Thompson Canyon.jpg

Dennis

[frozenintime]

this is great

[Stanley Otter]

frozenintime -- thanks! here's some more...

...the last of my calluses sloughed off this week and I have returned to my usual tenderfoot state -- it has taken me several days to recover from the emotional trauma induced by this...

A passage from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, which I picked up again this week: "Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then, when you're no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn't just the means to an end but a unique event in itself."

July 26 — Day 14: 8.0 hrs, 12.9 miles, +3100/-3200
To the SHR’s Doorstep
Upper Thompson Canyon to Matterhorn Canyon beneath Sawtooth Ridge
I awoke to the call of some coyotes that had also sung me to sleep last night. I found myself in a significantly wet tent and quilt since the sand pad I was camped on was saturated from the meandering meltwater streams at the the top of Thompson Canyon. Campsite selection lesson learned (temporarily, it turned out). Nevertheless, I was up and on my way by 7:30, headed up to the saddle that would then take me down to Kerrick Meadow and back on the trail for the rest of the day. The saddle is a pretty broad target and the stroll through the boulder studded meadows in the upper reaches of Thompson Canyon was very pleasant in the morning sun. I ended up a little high on the saddle. This was to develop into a theme for the trip (witness yesterday’s struggles with proper contouring) and by the end I was considering giving myself the trail name Too High. On this occasion I found a pretty nifty chute that led south and down to an easily navigated wooded slope that dumped me into Kerrick Meadow.

It was then a simple matter to head east across the meadow until I picked up the trail that parallels Rancheria Creek. About 50 yards to the north on that path I encountered the trail to Peeler Lake and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon making my way on trail through the complex terrain from Peeler Lake through the Robinson Lakes area and past Slide Mountain on the way up to Mule Pass. It was a pretty hot day and I struggled with lightheadedness all day long, which did not help with my first conversation (with somebody other than myself) since the day I crossed Sonora Pass. I met a father and his two sons on the east side of Peeler Lake who were headed west, and he asked me if the campsites at Peeler Lake were occupied. When I told him it was a no camping zone and posted as such, he asked what they were supposed to do. I wanted to suggest Kerrick Meadow but my brain wasn’t up to the task of recalling its name much less putting it into a coherent sentence. After an awkward silence, we said goodbye. Oops.

The trail along the north shoreline of Peeler Lake is an impressive bit of construction, as were other sections of trail that led up to Mule Pass. I am always taken aback by how much physical labor is invested in our trail system, and I wonder what its current-dollar value is. I cannot imagine trying to secure funding for equivalent projects today. Such were my thoughts as I hiked onward and upward. Given my ongoing acclimatization issues, it took me quite some time to gain the 1000’ from Peeler Lake to Mule Pass — I just about collapsed in dismay upon reaching the high, pretty meadow beneath Slide Mountain only to see there was more climbing to be done to reach the pass. Fortunately, it was only something like another hundred vertical feet. The views from the top were, once again, simply astounding. Sawtooth Ridge leads the eye right to Matterhorn Peak and then around to the Finger Peaks with upper Slide Canyon nestled in between. I stopped for a late lunch and to soak in the views. On my way down from the pass I met the last group of people I would see for another couple days and then headed up Slide Canyon along Piute Creek. My original plan had been to cross Matterhorn Col into Spiller Creek Canyon, but it was clear to me that I could not possibly go that far so I picked a spot a fair distance off trail at the top of a set of falls with lovely views of the Finger Peaks, Sawtooth Ridge and Matterhorn Peak. After supper I did a food inventory, which conclusively proved a) I would be coming into Tuolumne Meadows in two-and-a-half days on fumes and b) I was an idiot for sending food home with Stacey eight days ago…

Day 14 -- Hawksbeak Peak.jpg

Day 14 -- Peeler Lake.jpg

Day 14 -- Robinson Lakes.jpg

Day 14 -- Robinson Creek & Kettle Peak.jpg

Day 14 -- Crown Lake & Slide Mountain.jpg

Day 14 -- Slide Mountain.jpg

Day 14 -- Sawtooth Ridge & Upper Slide Canyon.jpg

Day 14 -- Sawtooth Ridge & Slide Canyon.jpg

Day 14 -- Momma & Baby.jpg

Day 14 -- Sawtooth Ridge & Matterhorn Peak.jpg

Day 14 -- Piute Creek & Finger Peaks.jpg

Day 14 -- Matterhorn Peak.jpg

Dennis

[Stanley Otter]

July 27 — Day 15: 10.0 hrs, 10.0 miles, +4050/-4100
I Did Things on that Pass For Which My Wife Would Never Forgive Me if She Found Out
Matterhorn Canyon beneath Sawtooth Ridge to Shepherd Lake Creek @ 9850'
The mosquitoes were out in force this morning, so I ate breakfast inside the tent. Then I quickly broke camp and was back on the trail at 7 AM heading up the last stretches of Slide Canyon to Burro Pass. There were some snow fields to cross, but nothing treacherous and I was feeling much better than yesterday. I had camped two nights in a row at about 10,000’ and took some extra salt pills at the end of the hot day yesterday, all of which may have helped.

The view east from Burro Pass just stopped me in my tracks. I now had my first close look at Matterhorn Col a little more than half a mile away and 700’ up and it was daunting for a novice cross country traveler. The final bits at the top looked quite vertical from that vantage, and I found myself thinking “Helllllloooooo, Tuolumne Meadows!” I hemmed and hawed up there for quite a while, trying to visualize an approach and get my courage up. In the back of my mind (and stored on my phone) I had RoguePhotonic’s cross country pass description, which made it clear the *other* side of the col was even more difficult. I finally decided I hadn’t come all this distance just to walk away without at least going up to the damn thing and looking it right in the eye, as it were. Unfortunately, there were some strategically placed steep granite ramps between me and the pass, so I had to drop down several hundred feet to skirt them at their base and make my way back up. The expansive views of upper Matterhorn Canyon and the Finger Peaks from this area were quite nice, and the climb up to an obvious staging area a hundred feet or so below the pass was steep but doable. It was good to walk in the shadow of Matterhorn Peak and look out into the brightness downward and across the canyon to the south. Several times I picked up and lost a use trail that approaches the col on the southwest slope of Matterhorn Peak.

The final scramble was sharp and short and a surprise to me — welcome, Dennis, to the granularity of the pass rating scale. My main grump about the subjective ratings given to the cross country passes I was to encounter these first few days on the SHR is that you can pretty much drive a truck through the difference between a Class 2 and a Class 3 pass. Of course, this issue has come up before: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=11913 By the end of the trip, I had come to a fuller understanding of the great variability in Class 2 designations, and in my own little world I decided the difficulty scale with a 25-30 lb pack on my back goes Class 2 Hiking (with poles), Class 2 Bouldering (must put poles away, but no exposure/possibility of injury), Class 3 Hiking/Bouldering (must put poles away, with exposure/possibility of injury). Thus, the west side of Matterhorn Col in my book is Class 2 Bouldering. The views from the top were just beautiful and breathtaking — the view across Spiller Creek Canyon to Virginia and Stanton Peaks justified the climb for sure.

But how to get down? The guides mention a Class 2 chute south of the pass, and when I looked that way I saw something that looked like death on a stick. I found out later I had not gone far enough south to find the actual chute, but in the mean time I relied on RoguePhotonic’s description of a Class 3 route a little further north upslope on the ridge leading to Matterhorn Peak. I dropped my pack and went on a reconnaissance mission. I found what I am pretty sure is his route down — there is a boundary marker at the top of the pass and if you scramble over two small ridges of rock you come upon a steep ramp with a reassuring wall on the left hand (north) side — photo below. I went back up, had my second breakfast for courage and endurance, and started down. There were two spots where I had to leave my pack, down climb and pull my pack after me (butt sliding down a short very steep ramp once and a vertical, tight step down between boulders of three or four feet). On the way down, I spotted what looked like the so-called Class 2 chute, and I have to concur with RoguePhotonic’s judgment of “screw that!” viewtopic.php?f=31&t=10219 . I am not quite sure what I would have done if I had been going the other away across this pass.

Once down, I enjoyed moseying across the top of Spiller Creek Canyon and finally joining up with the Sierra High Route. I briefly considered contouring around the head of the canyon to avoid losing elevation, but the far side on the slopes of Virginia Peak had some long sections of talus at unpleasant angles. Besides, walking on turf for a while can be quite restorative, especially for the high country traveler approaching the next challenge of the day — Stanton Pass. Lovely views back across the canyon to Whorl Mountain, Matterhorn Peak and Horse Creek Pass with expanses of blue sky kept me from dwelling overmuch on the more formidable looking wall below Stanton Pass. I followed the recommendations of Roper and others on this forum to approach from the south to avoid cliffs to the north on the Virginia Peak side. Nevertheless, I found myself in one spot where I was pretty sure I could not go back down and was having a heck of a time finding a decent handhold to help pull myself up with. On the third attempt, chanting “Don’t Panic” a la The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and finding strength in the fact that I remembered to bring my towel, I gave it my all, swung my center of gravity ever so briefly over nothing but air, and made it up to the next ledge. Class 3 Bouldering, indeed.

More spectacular views from the top, especially across Virginia Canyon and up along Shepherd Crest. It was pretty straightforward to plot a route down the other side that did not involve any tricky down climbing. In short order, I was approaching the saddle west of Grey Butte and descending the ramps above Soldier Lake. Following my clambers over the two passes earlier in the day, ramp travel seemed positively luxurious. I especially liked being on the slabs that were hollowed out underneath, which gave a percussive accompaniment to my boots and poles. Alas, it did not last long, and I was unceremoniously shunted onto forested slopes with fairly dense undergrowth. I pressed on downslope, stepped across the Virginia Canyon Trail, and headed up the other side. Here the forest opened up quite a bit and the spaces between the trees were often filled with lupine in full bloom. My original plan had been to camp this night at Shepherd Lake, and it was clear I would not reach that goal, but I was quite happy to have crossed two major passes — I would gladly trade a couple miles and some hundreds of feet of elevation for that. I followed a use trail for a while and left it when it veered away from the stream running down from Shepherd Lake. I found a mostly flat spot well above the stream and made camp. For supper, I stumbled upon a most delicious recipe: Trader Joe’s Mac & Cheese with olive oil and all the leftover spice dust from a package of Trader Joe’s Thai Lime & Chile Almonds. I did my best to practice Mindful Eating and savor each bite in an attempt to tamp down my hunger, but I could easily have eaten another box or so of the stuff…

Day 15 -- Matterhorn Col & Whorl Mountain from Burro Pass.jpg

Day 15 -- Matterhorn Col.jpg

Day 15 -- Virginia Peak from Matterhorn Col.jpg

Day 15 -- Class 3 descent from Matterhorn Col.jpg

Day 15 -- Class 2 chute Matterhorn Col.jpg

Day 15 -- Spiller Creek Canyon.jpg

Day 15 -- Whorl Mountain.jpg

Day 15 -- Stanton Pass.jpg

Day 15 -- Virginia Canyon & Soldier Lake.jpg

Day 15 -- Virginia Canyon.jpg

Day 15 -- Shepherd Crest.jpg

I must confess at this point that I have not been traveling entirely alone. Meet Boone (as in my boon companion). He ostensibly belongs to my teenage daughter, but I bearnapped him a few years ago on my first solo trip so I could send her photos of him in exotic locales. I enjoy his company because he does not question my decisions, he listens when I need someone to talk to, and he doesn’t mind serving as a pillow at night. On the other hand, he weighs 6.6 ounces, and he doesn’t do the supper dishes or pitch the tent when I ask. Mostly, I rely on him for a sort of probability insurance: after all, what are the chances of encountering two bears at the same point in space at the same point in time?

Day 15 -- camp beside Shepherd Lake outlet stream.jpg

Dennis

[rlown]

and Boone is small if I remember correctly the size of the patch.

Nice report. Thanks for sharing..

[WarrenFork]

Dennis—

I was over the same passes last week but took few photos due to wind, cold, and snow so I'm especially grateful to you for sharing. Many thanks. Turns out we share the same probability strategy regarding bears. Here is Delbert taking a rest stop in Spiller Creek Canyon just as the first flakes started to fall.

[Stanley Otter]

rlown -- Yes, he is small, but fiercely protective of me when cornered. Or so I hope... Thanks.
WarrenFork -- Delbert is a cutie! And appropriately dressed for the weather, too. I would love to take some autumn hikes in the Sierra someday. I hope you enjoyed your hike. Had you been over the passes before? In the immediate aftermath I vowed never to return, but my opinions have mellowed with time.

July 28 — Day 16: 9.25 hrs, 10.3 miles, +3800/-3750
Angle of Repose
Shepherd Lake Creek @ 9850' to Mine Creek just outside Monroe Hall Research Area
Up and on the trail by 7:15 AM. I made relatively good time up to Shepherd Lake, but the talus-o-rama from there to Sky Pilot Col took me a good long while. I tried to be clever and go high around some of it to no avail — just more up and down in the end. I spent three hours hiking about two miles from my camp site to the pass despite using some lingering snow fields, which in my altitude-fueled cleverness I thought of as the Yosemite Area Rapid Transit System (YARTS). Just yuckin’ it up out there. On the scramble up the gravel and scree of the final pitch, which was at the angle of repose and indeed “offensive” as Roper puts it in his description of the other side, I encountered a few beautiful clumps of sky pilot but could not stop to get my camera out for fear of sliding back down from whence I came. There was one pretty sorry looking plant right at the top that somebody had built a little shrine around. Photos and second breakfast at the top were followed by a rapid, non-offensive gravel-glissade down the other side. Down past Secret Lake and Cascade Lake, contouring around the east ridge of North Peak and up the east ridge of Mt Conness. Here I took only a cursory look at the map without benefit of a compass reading, decided I knew where I was, and started climbing. And climbing. And climbing. By the time I decided to get over on top of the ridge I discovered I was I-don’t-know-how-many-hundred feet higher than necessary, which afforded some nice views south to Green Treble Lake and made planning the next stage straightforward. I had just sat down for lunch and enjoy the views when I heard rumbles of thunder coming from the south near Mt Dana where clouds were gathered, so I packed right back up and scampered down to the meadowy area around Green Treble Lake. From there it was straightforward to find Spuller Lake and follow the trail around Fantail Lake and out of the Hoover Wilderness. I camped about fifty feet from the boundary not far from Mine Creek, doing my best to make sure I was legally camped. As I was setting up camp, I saw my first people in a couple days — they were flyfishing Mine Creek (and making some strange hooting sounds -- does this draw the fish or were they just happy?). I did some laundry and then it rained for a couple hours. Wet clothes for me in the morning. Oh, and somewhere on the way up to Sky Pilot Col I snapped the carbide tip off one of my poles, leaving only slippery plastic. Nice. My sorry attempt to fashion a new faux rubber tip with duct tape lasted less than a quarter mile. Over the next days the plastic eventually wore down to the metal beneath. Problem solved.

Day 16 -- Shepherd Lake & Shepherd Crest.jpg

Day 16 -- view back to Virginia Canyon.jpg

Day 16 -- Sky Pilot Col to right of block.jpg

Day 16 -- Sky Pilot Col.jpg

Day 16 -- Saddlebag, Steelhead & Cascade Lakes.jpg

Day 16 -- contact zone at Sky Pilot Col.jpg

Day 16 -- North Peak.jpg

Day 16 -- Shepherd Crest, Cascade Lake & Steelhead Lake.jpg

Day 16 -- Conness Lakes & North Peak.jpg

Day 16 -- Mt Dana, Maul Lake & Green Treble Lake.jpg

Day 16 -- White Mountain & Mt Conness.jpg

Day 16 -- wildflower meadow.jpg

Dennis

[Stanley Otter]

...okay, semester is over and grades are in, time to finish this trip report

July 29 — Day 17: 5.0 hrs, 9.5 miles, +1350/-2575
The Permit Issue Resolved
Mine Creek just outside Monroe Hall Research Area to Tuolumne Meadows
Up and on the trail by 6:30 AM — I wanted an early start to ensure I had time to do all that needed doing in Tuolumne Meadows. Resupply, real food, permit clarifications, and of course a beer or two. The climb up to Mine Shaft Pass with the morning sun shining on the rock face was nice and I soon warmed up as my clothes dried. I found the little hidden valley that takes you a good way to the top, and the short scrambles between ledges the rest of the way to the top were straightforward. I spent a little time around the ruins and then picked up the trail down to the uppermost Gaylor Lake where I met the first of several parties headed up to the pass. Leaving that trail I struck out across wide open meadows led forward by the chirping of the ground squirrels whose morning routine I had disturbed. In the distance the Cathedral Range was laid out long and low in the distance beneath spacious blue skies. Very nice. With nothing but fumes in my bear canister, I opened up my stride and kicked on the afterburners. In short order, I was in the forest on Moraine Flat above Tuolumne Meadows and met quite a few people on their way to Granite Lakes. Fording the Dana Fork was chilly but easy. After crossing I noticed two things: lots of birdsong and a pervasive smell of horse manure. Welcome back to civilization and hiking on trail in a very popular national park. My resupply package was waiting for me at the location I expected (sweet!) with some extra surprises and notes from home. My much anticipated burger from the grill was a total let-down, but the salad and beer more than compensated. Off to the backcountry office to resolve my permit conundrum, which I have already written about. In addition to the positive outcome with regard to the permit, I should also relate the following: There were no fresh isobutane canisters to be had in the entire park at that time, according to the people at the store. I mentioned it in passing to the ranger who issued my permit, making a joke about learning to like al dente pasta for the next week, and she took me out back to their flammables locker and gave me a spare canister from their supply. How nice. Armed with my new YNP-issued permit I paid for a night at the backpacker camp and set up my tent. I spent a pleasant couple hours making phone calls back home and sipping beer. Then the PCTers came home. For their third festive night at the campground, as I overheard them discussing with the campground supervisor. I had read about these rolling parties but never experienced one as a participant or an observer. It went on and on. And on. And on. Until 1:30 AM to be precise.

Day 17 -- Fantail Lake.jpg

Day 17 -- Gaylor Peak.jpg

Day 17 -- Great Sierra Mine ruins.jpg

Day 17 -- Gaylor Peak & Gaylor Lakes.jpg

Day 17 -- Cathedral Range.jpg

Day 17 -- Cathedral Peak.jpg

Day 17 -- water will win out eventually.jpg

Day 17 -- Unicorn Peak & Cathedral Peak.jpg

Day 17 -- refreshment.jpg

Dennis

[Stanley Otter]

July 30 — Day 18: 9.5 hrs, 18.4 miles, +3725/-3050
Filling in Some JMT Gaps Day 1
Tuolumne Meadows to Sunrise High Sierra Camp
Up late. I wonder why. My plan had been to rise early and hike to the top of Lembert Dome before starting south on the JMT. I didn’t want to give it up, so after a none-too-quiet breakfast I tidied camp and left for the dome. A pleasant walk in the woods and a short climb up nice, solid rock with nary a bit of talus to contend with and voila, views. A couple hours later I was packed up and on the JMT. My goal for this part of the trip was to hike the part of the JMT I did not do last year — in particular, I wanted to see Cathedral Peak and take in the views from Clouds Rest. It was pretty warm, and at one point I stopped to give some salt pills to a young couple who had driven up from the Bay Area the day before and who were obviously having trouble with the heat and altitude. For the next couple days I felt like a cross between a traveling doctor and a drug dealer passing those things out to vomiting and wobbling hikers. Pssst! Experiencing a little hyponatremia? Here, take these…

I found the use trail to Budd Lake without trouble and left my trailmates behind at that point. Budd Lake is very pretty, nestled between Unicorn Peak, the Cockscomb, Echo Peaks and Cathedral Peak. Unfortunately, I only had the low-res Harrison map of the area with me, which didn’t give me enough detail to choose a route to Matthes Lake. I tried having Stacey look some things up for me in Secor’s book yesterday when we talked on the phone, but I couldn’t reconcile what she was reading with my map. Discretion. Valor. Another day and all that. Guess where I am starting next year’s hike? Anyway, I walked around Budd Lake and picked up the JMT just above the Cathedral Lakes. I am not entirely sure I satisfied the conditions of the permit I had by doing this, but I camped just outside the Sunrise High Sierra Camp. I did not realize until the next day that there was a designated hikers campground, and there was no reason for me to go sneaking into camp after dark to use the throne room. I had purposefully avoided that area thinking it was part of the formal camp — the nearby handwritten signs for backpackers seemed to be directing me all the way to Sunrise Lakes another mile or so down the trail. Given my less than satisfying experience at a group campsite the night before, I wasn’t really upset at having to camp alone.

Day 18 -- Lembert Dome.jpg

Day 18 -- view NE from Lembert Dome.jpg

Day 18 -- Cathedral Peak & Tuolumne Meadows.jpg

Day 18 -- Cathedral Range.jpg

Day 18 -- Cockscomb.jpg

Day 18 -- Budd Lake & Cathedral Peak.jpg

Day 18 -- Cathedral Peak.jpg

Day 18 -- Crazy People.jpg

Day 18 -- Cathedral Peak & Echo Peaks.jpg

Day 18 -- Echo Peaks & Matthes Crest.jpg

Day 18 -- Echo Peaks & Matthes Crest (1).jpg

Dennis

[Stanley Otter]

July 31 — Day 19: 10.25 hrs, 18.5 miles, +2800/-6000
Filling in Some JMT Gaps Day 2
Sunrise High Sierra Camp to Moraine Dome
Up and on the trail by 8:00 AM. The hike to the top of Clouds Rest was uneventful. Lots of haze, which was a little disappointing but the views were still amazing. Kind of fun to be looking down on Half Dome. I started down just after noon and basically tumbled all the way to Nevada Fall. On the way, just before the Half Dome Trail Junction I passed a group of four dudes with their music player blaring and about five minutes later encountered a ranger on his way up checking permits as he went. As I produced mine for inspection, the dudes come along and the ranger asks them for their permit. “We need a permit?” “Yes, you do. Like his. Where did you camp last night?” “Oh, we were up on Clouds Rest.” “Did you notice any bear activity up there?” “Oh, no, but it was okay anyway because we hung our food in the trees.” “Okay, I am going to need to see some IDs…” I left as he was explaining his enforcement role. I wonder what is involved in writing out tickets and escorting violators out of the park. Gravity and water put on a powerful show at Nevada Fall. I was pretty sure I would not be allowed to stay at the LYV campground on my permit, so I walked through the burned area and set up camp beneath Moraine Dome near the Merced River. I would like to have seen LYV before the fire — I’ll bet it was just beautiful. All in all, I am glad to have come this way. Tomorrow I have to make up for it, though.

Day 19 -- Paintbrush.jpg

Day 19 -- Leopard Lily.jpg

Day 19 -- Half Dome & Yosemite Valley.jpg

Day 19 -- Tenaya Canyon.jpg

Day 19 -- Lizard at Clouds Rest.jpg

Day 19 -- Crow at Clouds Rest.jpg

Day 19 -- Half Dome.jpg

Day 19 -- Mt Starr King.jpg

Day 19 -- Nevada Fall.jpg

Day 19 -- LYV.jpg

Day 19 -- LYV Cascade Cliffs.jpg

Day 19 -- Moraine Dome.jpg

Dennis