Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

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schmalz
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by schmalz »

Of course I haven't forgotten. This is easily my favorite place to talk/read about the Sierra.

I only got back a few days ago and have barely started processing photos. It will be at least a week before I've compiled my thoughts and photos onto calitrails. When I put the post up, I'll be sure to link it here immediately.

I do want to thank you and everyone else who chimed in with some info. It was very appreciated. Unfortunately, I got sick midway through and had to bail on my plans for Picket Lake and Milestone Basin. I didn't feel comfortable going offtrail by myself in my weakened state, and I also wanted to give myself as much time as possible to get back to the car. Realizing you are sick but still 40+ miles from your car is an unfortunate feeling. My tripod ballhead also broke midway through :(

Good trip though, and thanks for the kind words on the Reflection shot. I'm quite happy with it too. I'm really happy I made that little sidetrip. It's one of the most amazing places I've had the privilege to spend a night.

A few notes: There are no mosquitoes left out there pretty much. They were bad at sphinx creek and a few other creek areas, but for the most part, there are none. There were none in big wet meadow!!!!

Everything is really dry. Most meadows are already yellow.

The canyon southeast of Colby Pass is not very nice. There are tons of downed trees, the trail is a mess, and the whole area feels barren and lifeless. There aren't many good views there either. Definitely the disappointment of the trip. I'm sure once you get into Kaweah Basin it's a whole different world, but hiking along the trail in that canyon was not that nice.
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maverick
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by maverick »

Sorry to hear you did not make it too Picket or Milestone, but there will be a next
time. Hope you have recovered from whatever ailment you were suffering from.
Loosing your tripods functionality is a big thing, it allows you to really focus in on
your subject, compose the photo to its fullest potential, allows one to shoot in low
light conditions, and shooting multi-exposure shots like the one you took of Lake
Reflection without movement. By the way was that a 2 or 3 shots blend?
Plus when not useable it becomes some serious dead weight, which just adds insult to
injury.

Was Gallats Meadod affected much by the blow down also? This meadow can be quite
exquisite especially when the grass turns golden during the fall with Triple Divide
area as the back drop.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by TehipiteTom »

Hey Schmalz, what day were you at (upper) Sphinx Creek? Did you (briefly) meet a tall older guy with a beard and black plastic-rim glasses? Because I ran into a guy who was doing your route (or one very similar).
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by maverick »

PM sent Schmalz
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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schmalz
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by schmalz »

TT - That person sounds familiar. When I arrived at the creek on the avalanche pass trail, there was someone there that sounds like your description. I didn't arrive there until about 8PM though, and at that point I was exhausted and had to quickly make camp, so there wasn't much socialization between the two of us. The older gentleman seemed like he was hoping for some solitude, which I invaded, so he retreated back to his camp in the woods shortly after I appeared. He was gone by the time that I got up the next day.
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by TehipiteTom »

schmalz wrote:TT - That person sounds familiar. When I arrived at the creek on the avalanche pass trail, there was someone there that sounds like your description. I didn't arrive there until about 8PM though, and at that point I was exhausted and had to quickly make camp, so there wasn't much socialization between the two of us. The older gentleman seemed like he was hoping for some solitude, which I invaded, so he retreated back to his camp in the woods shortly after I appeared. He was gone by the time that I got up the next day.
Yeah, that was me. You did seem pretty beat--I think you told me you had already done 12 miles before the climb up Sphinx Creek?

I was in bed about 15 minutes after we met, and up and on the trail by 7:00 the next day.

Anyway, glad you completed your trip okay, and sorry you didn't make it to Picket or Milestone.
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by schmalz »

Ha, it was nice meeting you then :)

I had hiked down from Lake Reflection that day, so it was close to 12 miles before I started the ascent up the hill. Didn't start it until 5pm. It was very tiring to charge up that thing with a 50 pound pack.
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Re: Trip Advice: Circle of Solitude

Post by cgundersen »

schmalz,
Great shot of Reflection! Will look forward to more; even if you got laid low there had to be a few more highlights!
cg
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