2013 Expedition

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RoguePhotonic
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2013 Expedition

Post by RoguePhotonic »

So Saturday is the day and I once again wonder off into the Sierra not knowing what will await me. For some reason this year feels different. I have been excited to get back out there and I just have a good feeling about this summer. Hell maybe that means I wont be coming back. :p Regardless at least this year I am 20 pounds lighter than the other years when I hit the trail and I am in pretty decent shape since I was working 7 days a week leading up to this trip so things should go better from the start even with the added camera gear weight which is about 8 pounds.

I'll make a post when possible but I think this year it will be along time between posts. The first one probably wont be until I reach VVR 41 days in. I'll check to see what sort of information comes out with the search for Larry and if he is found before I am out there looking.

My final itinerary is below. I made a couple last minute changes while adding routes to my GPS. The two main ones are I decided why should I go down to Mono Resort at Twin Lakes when I am not going to resupply there? That is allot of altitude loss and gain and is it even worth it? Instead I am going to take Burro Pass and then Matterhorn Pass. Doing this left me with some extra days since I need to get to Reds Meadow no earlier than the 28th so I figure i'll take a stab at Matterhorn Peak. Then I will cross Stanton Pass and climb Stanton Peak then Grey Butte and stay at Soldier Lake. I thought about taking a shot at Virginia Peak but with a class 5 summit block it's probably not worth the effort. Then when plotting along the SHR I thought that it looks more boring on that section so I decided to go around to Upper McCabe Lake and then across Don't Be A Smart Pass to the Young Lakes. Then climb Mt. Conness and onto Tuolumne. Still having one extra day I am going to take a stab at Mt Lyell which I have had my eyes on for 4 years now. I also want to throw in a day and take a shot at Black Kaweah later in the trip.

June 1 - 1 - Eleanor Creek
June 2 - 2 - Edith Lake
June 3 - 3 - Twin Lakes
June 4 - 4 - Bonnie Lake
June 5 - 5 - Twin Lakes
June 6 - 6 - Layover
June 7 - 7 - Cow Meadow Lake
June 8 - 8 - Lord Meadow
June 9 - 9 - Flora Lake
June 10 - 10 - Lake Eleanor
June 11 - 11 - Laurel Lake
June 12 - 12 - Bearup Lake
June 13 - 13 - Tilden Lake
June 14 - 14 - Lake 8920
June 15 - 15 - Benson Lake
June 16 - 16 - Layover
June 17 - 17 - Piute Creek
June 18 - 18 - climb Matterhorn / Spiller Creek
June 19 - 19 - Soldier Lake
June 20 - 20 - Upper Mccabe Lake
June 21 - 21 - Upper Young Lakes
June 22 - 22 - Climb Mt. Conness
June 23 - 23 - Tuolumne Meadows
June 24 - 24 - Layover
June 25 - 25 - Upper Lyell Canyon
June 26 - 26 - Climb Mt. Lyell
June 27 - 27 - 1000 Island Lake
June 28 - 28 - Reds Meadow
June 29 - 29 - Trail Work
June 30 - 30 - Trail Work
July 1 - 31 - Trail Work
July 2 - 32 - Trail Work
July 3 - 33 - Trail Work
July 4 - 34 - Trail Work
July 5 - 35 - Trail Work
July 6 - 36 - Pika Lake
July 7 - 37 - Cecil Lake
July 8 - 38 - Little Mcgee Lake
July 9 - 39 - Climb Red & White Mountain
July 10 - 40 - Pioneer Basin
July 11 - 41 - VVR
July 12 - 42 - Layover
July 13 - 43 - Big Margaret Lake
July 14 - 44 - Climb Sharktooth & Silver Peaks
July 15 - 45 - Climb Saddle Mountain
July 16 - 46 - Devil's Bathtub
July 17 - 47 - VVR
July 18 - 48 - Layover
July 19 - 49 - Climb Volcanic Knob & Camp West of Recess Peak
July 20 - 50 - Hilgard Lake
July 21 - 51 - Climb Mt. Hilgard
July 22 - 52 - Seven Gables Lakes
July 23 - 53 - Big Moccasin Lake
July 24 - 54 - Three Island Lake
July 25 - 55 - Climb Seven Gables camp at Sandpiper Lake
July 26 - 56 - VVR
July 27 - 57 - Layover
July 28 - 58 - Florence Lake
July 29 - 59 - Red Rock Basin
July 30 - 60 - Climb Mt. Shinn & Ward
July 31 - 61 - Hell For Sure Lake
August 1 - 62 - Lake Confusion
August 2 - 63 - Lake Ambition / Climb Reinstein
August 3 - 64 - Cathedral Lake
August 4 - 65 - Climb Finger Peak
August 5 - 66 - Tunemah Lake
August 6 - 67 - Layover
August 7 - 68 - Climb Tunemah Peak
August 8 - 69 - Lake 10,232
August 9 - 70 - Climb Scylla camp at Lake 12,080
August 10 - 71 - Muir Trail Tarns
August 11 - 72 - Upper Dusy Basin
August 12 - 73 - Parchers Resort
August 13 - 74 - Layover
August 14 - 75 - Dusy Basin
August 15 - 76 - Lake 11,120
August 16 - 77 - Climb Giraud Peak camp on Palisade Creek
August 17 - 78 - Lake 10,960
August 18 - 79 - Climb Mt. Shakespere camp at Lake 10,565
August 19 - 80 - Lake 10,240
August 20 - 81 - Layover
August 21 - 82 - Dumbbell Lakes
August 22 - 83 - Marion Lake
August 23 - 84 - Lake 10,240
August 24 - 85 - Climb Marion Peak camp at Marion Lake
August 25 - 86 - Leconte Canyon
August 26 - 87 - Dusy Basin
August 27 - 88 - Parchers Resort
August 28 - 89 - Layover
August 29 - 90 - Upper Dusy Basin
August 30 - 91 - Lake 11,676
August 31 - 92 - Climb Mt. Sill
September 1 - 93 - Lake 11,475
September 2 - 94 - Climb Goodale & Striped Mountains
September 3 - 95 - Lake 11,607
September 4 - 96 - Lake 11,388
September 5 - 97 - Layover
September 6 - 98 - Lake 11,680
September 7 - 99 - Climb Mt. Wynne & Pinchot
September 8 - 100 - Below Arrow Pass
September 9 - 101 - Climb Arrow Peak camp at Lake 11,000
September 10 - 102 - Paradise Valley
September 11 - 103 - Roads End
September 12 - 104 - Layover
September 13 - 105 - Bubbs Creek
September 14 - 106 - Upper Vidette Lakes
September 15 - 107 - Below Mt. Tyndall
September 16 - 108 - Climb Mt. Tyndall
September 17 - 109 - Whitney Creek
September 18 - 110 - Kern Hotspring
September 19 - 111 - Layover
September 20 - 112 - Forester Lake
September 21 - 113 - Crystal Lake
September 22 - 114 - Climb Sawtooth Peak camp at Columbine Lake
September 23 - 115 - Redwood Meadow
September 24 - 116 - Lodgepole
September 25 - 117 - Layover
September 26 - 118 - Lonepine Creek
September 27 - 119 - Lake 11,710
September 28 - 120 - Climb Lawson & Kaweah Queen
September 29 - 121 - Lake 11,600
September 30 - 122 - Lake 10,600
October 1 - 123 - climb Picket Guard Peak
October 2 - 124 - Chagoopa Plateau
October 3 - 125 - Lake 11,800
October 4 - 126 - Layover
October 5 - 127 - Climb Red Kaweah
October 6 - 128 - Climb Black Kaweah
October 7 - 129 - Hamilton Lake
October 8 - 130 - Lodgepole
October 9 - 131 - Crescent Lake
October 10 - 132 - Lake 9840
October 11 - 133 - Ferguson Creek
October 12 - 134 - Connector Creek
October 13 - 135 - Lake 11,280
October 14 - 136 - Josephine Lake
October 15 - 137 - Layover
October 16 - 138 - Glacier Lake
October 17 - 139 - Climb Triple Divide Peak
October 18 - 140 - Junction Meadow
October 19 - 141 - Crabtree Lakes
October 20 - 142 - Primrose Lake
October 21 - 143 - Horseshoe Meadows

I think this route takes me over about 65 passes and I have like 35 mountains planned to climb.

Everyone backed out of the trip except for one guy I have not met who wants to come along for the Kaweah Basin trek and my dad wants to come along for the 5 day loop out of VVR which I certainly have mixed feelings about. I feel like for his own good I should not let him come when the first day is 14 miles up over 3000 feet when he has not hiked since the 2011 trip with me.
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copeg
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by copeg »

Be safe Rogue. Looking forward to your reports during and after
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larroyo33
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by larroyo33 »

Good luck on your trip
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by Shawn »

Holy mother of all mountain trips! :eek:

That is (yet another) life long trip mashed into one summer adventure. Have a blast Rogue, be safe, and look forward to seeing your updates.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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TahoeJeff
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by TahoeJeff »

Rogue, you are living the dream! Have fun and be safe.
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Before you know it you will become one of those scum-bag climbers! Have fun on all those climbs this year.
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TehipiteTom
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by TehipiteTom »

Amazing itinerary. 'Epic' is kind of an understatement.

Comments on a couple of specific places...
July 19 - 49 - Climb Volcanic Knob & Camp West of Recess Peak
The lake just below 10,800 has good camping, really nice views, and very high alpenglow potential (nothing higher than Recess to the west). Definitely recommend it. Pics here.

If you have time, "One-Halfth Recess" (the hanging valley north of Volcanic Knob) is well worth a short detour.
July 29 - 59 - Red Rock Basin
July 30 - 60 - Climb Mt. Shinn & Ward
My experience with Red Rock Basin is the streams dry up pretty quickly (south-facing drainage, not very high), and this year I can guarantee water will be scarce by the time you get there. You might consider making your base camp at one of three lakes: Mt. Shinn Lake, Ward Mountain Lake, or Lake 10200 (SE of Ward Mountain). Mt. Shinn Lake is a shorter first day but a long day to Hell for Sure (then again, you have more ambitious days on your schedule...and Disappointment is arguably a better camping place than Hell for Sure). Lake 10200 is a tough day from Florence (by my standards, anyway) but convenient to Ward Mountain and Mt. Shinn, and the views are spectacular.
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exodus
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by exodus »

Really enjoyed living vicariously through you and reading your past adventures Rogue. Sounds like another awesome trip this year. Best of luck, godspeed, and stay safe.
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by schmalz »

Stay safe Rogue.
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Carne_DelMuerto
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Re: 2013 Expedition

Post by Carne_DelMuerto »

Have a great trip. If the ferry is running, I'll be with a group crossing Edison on July 18th and heading up into the Second Recess. Perhaps we'll cross paths.
Wonder is rock and water and the life that lives in-between.
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