TR: Miter Basin & Mt. Langley ~ 10/25 - 10/26
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:13 pm
After reading a post last week from franklin411 (viewtopic.php?f=34&t=11898" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) asking about the windy conditions in the forecast around Cottonwood Lakes I decided to do an overnight trip in the area.
I slept at the trailhead Friday night and got an early start on the Cottonwood Lakes trail Saturday morning. It seemed early but the battery in my watch just stopped working so I was without a watch and altimeter.
Once I reached the lakes the wind really picked up. There were even some white caps on lake #5.
I like that OAP is at a lower elevation than NAP and the trail was in reasonably good shape.
I took the cross country route up toward Mt. Langley then down the sand hill to Upper Soldier Lake. The route finding around the base of the Major General was straightfoward but there were no signs of a use trail or cairns along the way. I had read about the tarn at the entry to Miter Basin and could hardly believe my eyes. . .
I slept on a ledge overlooking the basin and used some boulders as a wind shelter. My water bottles were partially frozen in the morning but I stayed warm using a 25 degree quilt & bivy.
In the morning I had a chance to explore Iridescent Lake before heading back. The morning sun on the east side of The Miter was beautiful although the water didn't have much color, probably due to the wind.
There wasn't much time to explore. I could wander around this area for a week.
On the way out I took one final parting shot.
On the way back over Old Army Pass I tried to make a quick climb up Mt. Langley. I figured that after two nights at altitude it would be an easy walk-up. The sun was starting to move toward the west but I wasn't sure exactly what time it was.
Two guys were finishing their climb just as I approached the pass and one of them thought it was about 2:00. I unloaded my bear canister and extra water and quickly started up the use trail. By the time I reached about 13,350 feet, at the base of where the class II portion starts up to the final plateau, I could tell it was getting late. If I kept going I would probably be climbing down in the dark so I finished my last Cliff bar and headed home. Those white clown looking gloves are w/b mittens, a must in high winds.
I don't like to quit half way up a mountain but it turned out to be a good decision (especially considering the accident in the same spot in 2012: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8055&p=58554&hilit=+langley#p58554" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I hiked the last two hours in the dark by headlamp. Langley will still be there next time. I can't imagine trying to make it down OAP in the dark.
I saw the last light on Mt. Langley as I headed down toward the well maintained trail in the forest for the last few miles back to the car.
I posted a few more photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/109798365 ... 009712482/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I slept at the trailhead Friday night and got an early start on the Cottonwood Lakes trail Saturday morning. It seemed early but the battery in my watch just stopped working so I was without a watch and altimeter.
Once I reached the lakes the wind really picked up. There were even some white caps on lake #5.
I like that OAP is at a lower elevation than NAP and the trail was in reasonably good shape.
I took the cross country route up toward Mt. Langley then down the sand hill to Upper Soldier Lake. The route finding around the base of the Major General was straightfoward but there were no signs of a use trail or cairns along the way. I had read about the tarn at the entry to Miter Basin and could hardly believe my eyes. . .
I slept on a ledge overlooking the basin and used some boulders as a wind shelter. My water bottles were partially frozen in the morning but I stayed warm using a 25 degree quilt & bivy.
In the morning I had a chance to explore Iridescent Lake before heading back. The morning sun on the east side of The Miter was beautiful although the water didn't have much color, probably due to the wind.
There wasn't much time to explore. I could wander around this area for a week.
On the way out I took one final parting shot.
On the way back over Old Army Pass I tried to make a quick climb up Mt. Langley. I figured that after two nights at altitude it would be an easy walk-up. The sun was starting to move toward the west but I wasn't sure exactly what time it was.
Two guys were finishing their climb just as I approached the pass and one of them thought it was about 2:00. I unloaded my bear canister and extra water and quickly started up the use trail. By the time I reached about 13,350 feet, at the base of where the class II portion starts up to the final plateau, I could tell it was getting late. If I kept going I would probably be climbing down in the dark so I finished my last Cliff bar and headed home. Those white clown looking gloves are w/b mittens, a must in high winds.
I don't like to quit half way up a mountain but it turned out to be a good decision (especially considering the accident in the same spot in 2012: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8055&p=58554&hilit=+langley#p58554" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I hiked the last two hours in the dark by headlamp. Langley will still be there next time. I can't imagine trying to make it down OAP in the dark.
I saw the last light on Mt. Langley as I headed down toward the well maintained trail in the forest for the last few miles back to the car.
I posted a few more photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/109798365 ... 009712482/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;