Trip Report from Early August-2013 - Dusy Basin and Beyond
Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:28 pm
So, I have tried to post this trip report several times and either a dead computer batter occurred, I made a mistake and deleted everything or something else unexpected happened. I live in Northern California and had never backpacked south of Yosemite until this trip. What this means is that I have to pay some serious thanks to folks on this website for their reports and information available so people like me can do some research and learn about the area.
My trip report probably summarizes an area that either many have already ventured to/through or one that people choose not to venture through because it is not isolated enough. Either way, I have to say that I enjoyed my time off trail the most!!
Day One:
We started on the road driving down from Sonoma County, drove through Yosemite and encountered a lot of smoke. However, once in Bishop the smoke was essentially non-existent.
Since we were both coming from practically sea level (164 ft.) we wanted to break into the elevation slowly and acclimatize a bit. We left the South Lake trailhead late in the day and hiked just a few miles to Mary Louise Lake, a simple, charming, uninhabited lake and spent the first night in the backcountry there.
Day Two:
Woke up early to start the day! The plan was to only hike over Bishop Pass and then into Dusy Basin to one of the unnamed lakes heading towards Knapsack Pass.
It was a great day of hiking, perfect weather and when we went around the Chocolate Lakes we had this most spectacular view looking back. It was a simple moment, but this picture has captured me and I now have it hanging in my office.
We eventually made if over Bishop Pass, stopping for lunch at the summit and looking over the scenery and understood that a wonderful adventure was unfolding. In Dusy Basin we started to cut over towards Knapsack Pass we before the chain of lake at the lower portion of the basin and had a lake in mind. Once we got to our destination, we set up camp, went for a swim, took some pictures and settled in for the night.
Day Three:
We woke up to a spectacular sunrise and headed off towards Knapsack Pass.
The route finding was pretty straightforward and I had a lot of fun climbing over some pretty substantial boulders.
Once over the pass, we started towards some of the Barrett Lakes so that we could head over Potluck Pass. The hiking from Knapsack to Potluck was perfect weather, not a person around and the lakes were pristine! We had lunch at the summit of Potluck Pass and then meandered down to Lake 11672’ to stay for night.
Day Four:
Headed over Cirque Pass in the morning, had a few stupid route finding issues on the descent and tried to complicate things, but after we figured out the mistake, it was easy hiking down to the JMT where there were plenty of people. We stopped for lunch and then headed up and over Mather Pass.
The view from the summit was awesome, and we continued on into Upper Basin and cut over towards Amphitheater Pass to stay at the lake just below the pass. It was a windy afternoon, but otherwise clear and spectacular.
Day Five:
Now the goal of the trip was to get to Amphitheater Lake and then cut down to the JMT and head back through Dusy Basin and out to the trailhead, and so far everything was going as planned. Scary!!
We made it up to the top of the pass and saw several routes down, this one appeared to be where everyone goes, it was a rather steep chute and we could not see what was below. For some background here, at the time of the trip, my wife was 23 weeks pregnant with identical twin girls, and I promised not to do anything that I was uncomfortable with, and at that moment, I was not comfortable with that route or any other routes down, so…. We turn around.
We went back up over Mather Pass on the JMT, down the Golden Staircase and lost thousands of feet of elevation and stayed in the valley for the night. There were lots of trees!
Day Six:
This was a day of gaining the elevation back and we hiked along the JMT a few miles and then headed up into Dusy Basin and towards a lake we hike by on Day Two and stayed there for the afternoon and did some swimming, fishing, photography and general relaxing. Now, this was a Thursday and all day hiking and climbing into Dusy Basin I had this feeling that something was wrong at home with my Wife, it was a feeling I could not shake, but it was there.
Day Seven:
We woke up early and headed over Bishop Pass, hiked along some pristine and smooth lakes and made it to trailhead and car. It was a great feeling!!!
So, now started the real adventure of driving home and as soon as I got cell reception, there was a message from my wife, left the day before that at her scheduled ultrasound the doctors noticed a serious case of twin to twin transfusion and sent her down to UCSF for fetal laser surgery. This is essentially when blood vessels are connecting the babies resulting in one of the babies stealing fluid and nutrients/blood from the other baby. This is a risk to both babies because one has too much fluid, causing the heart to work too much and the other bay has too little, causing the heart to work too much.
I was able to talk to my wife on Friday morning, and the surgery was scheduled that afternoon. I drove straight to UCSF and arrived just after the successful surgery finished. A nerve-wracking ending to a great trip!
Fast forward several months and lots of doctor visits later, 2 beautiful healthy babies were born on November 21, 2013 and now are super healthy 3 month olds.
Needless to say, my wife is a little cautious of me going in the back country again, next time; I hope to travel with my daughters and wife as well.
Thanks for all the help in putting my trip together and hope to see some of you either on the trail or better yet, off the trail!
Enjoy!
My trip report probably summarizes an area that either many have already ventured to/through or one that people choose not to venture through because it is not isolated enough. Either way, I have to say that I enjoyed my time off trail the most!!
Day One:
We started on the road driving down from Sonoma County, drove through Yosemite and encountered a lot of smoke. However, once in Bishop the smoke was essentially non-existent.
Since we were both coming from practically sea level (164 ft.) we wanted to break into the elevation slowly and acclimatize a bit. We left the South Lake trailhead late in the day and hiked just a few miles to Mary Louise Lake, a simple, charming, uninhabited lake and spent the first night in the backcountry there.
Day Two:
Woke up early to start the day! The plan was to only hike over Bishop Pass and then into Dusy Basin to one of the unnamed lakes heading towards Knapsack Pass.
It was a great day of hiking, perfect weather and when we went around the Chocolate Lakes we had this most spectacular view looking back. It was a simple moment, but this picture has captured me and I now have it hanging in my office.
We eventually made if over Bishop Pass, stopping for lunch at the summit and looking over the scenery and understood that a wonderful adventure was unfolding. In Dusy Basin we started to cut over towards Knapsack Pass we before the chain of lake at the lower portion of the basin and had a lake in mind. Once we got to our destination, we set up camp, went for a swim, took some pictures and settled in for the night.
Day Three:
We woke up to a spectacular sunrise and headed off towards Knapsack Pass.
The route finding was pretty straightforward and I had a lot of fun climbing over some pretty substantial boulders.
Once over the pass, we started towards some of the Barrett Lakes so that we could head over Potluck Pass. The hiking from Knapsack to Potluck was perfect weather, not a person around and the lakes were pristine! We had lunch at the summit of Potluck Pass and then meandered down to Lake 11672’ to stay for night.
Day Four:
Headed over Cirque Pass in the morning, had a few stupid route finding issues on the descent and tried to complicate things, but after we figured out the mistake, it was easy hiking down to the JMT where there were plenty of people. We stopped for lunch and then headed up and over Mather Pass.
The view from the summit was awesome, and we continued on into Upper Basin and cut over towards Amphitheater Pass to stay at the lake just below the pass. It was a windy afternoon, but otherwise clear and spectacular.
Day Five:
Now the goal of the trip was to get to Amphitheater Lake and then cut down to the JMT and head back through Dusy Basin and out to the trailhead, and so far everything was going as planned. Scary!!
We made it up to the top of the pass and saw several routes down, this one appeared to be where everyone goes, it was a rather steep chute and we could not see what was below. For some background here, at the time of the trip, my wife was 23 weeks pregnant with identical twin girls, and I promised not to do anything that I was uncomfortable with, and at that moment, I was not comfortable with that route or any other routes down, so…. We turn around.
We went back up over Mather Pass on the JMT, down the Golden Staircase and lost thousands of feet of elevation and stayed in the valley for the night. There were lots of trees!
Day Six:
This was a day of gaining the elevation back and we hiked along the JMT a few miles and then headed up into Dusy Basin and towards a lake we hike by on Day Two and stayed there for the afternoon and did some swimming, fishing, photography and general relaxing. Now, this was a Thursday and all day hiking and climbing into Dusy Basin I had this feeling that something was wrong at home with my Wife, it was a feeling I could not shake, but it was there.
Day Seven:
We woke up early and headed over Bishop Pass, hiked along some pristine and smooth lakes and made it to trailhead and car. It was a great feeling!!!
So, now started the real adventure of driving home and as soon as I got cell reception, there was a message from my wife, left the day before that at her scheduled ultrasound the doctors noticed a serious case of twin to twin transfusion and sent her down to UCSF for fetal laser surgery. This is essentially when blood vessels are connecting the babies resulting in one of the babies stealing fluid and nutrients/blood from the other baby. This is a risk to both babies because one has too much fluid, causing the heart to work too much and the other bay has too little, causing the heart to work too much.
I was able to talk to my wife on Friday morning, and the surgery was scheduled that afternoon. I drove straight to UCSF and arrived just after the successful surgery finished. A nerve-wracking ending to a great trip!
Fast forward several months and lots of doctor visits later, 2 beautiful healthy babies were born on November 21, 2013 and now are super healthy 3 month olds.
Needless to say, my wife is a little cautious of me going in the back country again, next time; I hope to travel with my daughters and wife as well.
Thanks for all the help in putting my trip together and hope to see some of you either on the trail or better yet, off the trail!
Enjoy!