High Sierra Topix

Hi all, just wanted to share some aerial photos I took over the Sierra on April 2. I was on a flight from SFO to Vegas and we flew right over Bishop. I was able to recognize a lake in the first photo(Courtright Reservoir) but I was unable to identify any known peaks, drainages or other landmarks in the other photos. Perhaps someone out there can find and identify some landmarks in these photos.
The photos below were taken traveling west to east, looking to the south.

Courtright Reservoir

The last one is the Eastern Escarpment just S/O Big Pine. I think Red Mountain is that little dark spot in the lower left corner. Split Mountain is just out of the shot lower right. Taboose creek, I believe is the canyon lower camera right.

I really don't think that's Courtright. Wrong shape and the topography to the north is all wrong....

ETA: Okay, you were flying the other direction and looking from north to south -- nevermind. Got my head on straight.

#2, I think is Red Mountain/Emerald Peak area which makes the canyon Goddard Canyon. Martha Lake is 2/3 of the way up camera left at the head of the canyon.

#3 is looking at Goddard Creek and Enchanted Gorge.



Here's your basic path

https://caltopo.com/m/F2BE

That is a lot of snow!! Sooo much better than any of the pictures from the last few years. Thanks for posting them.

Jimr wrote:#2, I think is Red Mountain/Emerald Peak area which makes the canyon Goddard Canyon. Martha Lake is 2/3 of the way up camera left at the head of the canyon.

Yes that's a good observation. You can also see Confusion Lake perched atop the LeConte Divide just to the right of Martha Lake. Beautiful shots!

1. I used to work in "Lost Canyon," the deep gorge below Courtright . That's Wishon Res. melted out and blue below C. Res.

2. For mountain landmarks, Mt Reinstein is just above Martha Lk., and Finger Peak and it's steep satellite are the ones about three peaks up photo and right a bit from Mt Reinstein.

3. Mt Goddard and Goddard Divide stretch across the lower middle, and Mt McGee is straight down from Goddard at the bottom of the frame. That must be Davis Lake to its left, and Wanda Lk. to its left and up a bit?

4. Disappearing Creek is right of center, with Charybdis hanging over it. Muir Pass is just beyond Helen Lk., and I think that Black Giant is the high point of the curving ridge to its left. The nice looking peaks down lower in the frame must be Fiske, Warlow, and Huxley from left to right, and that means Wallace and Haeckel are to the left of them, very low in the frame.

I give up after that- go Jimr. Thanks for the maps, Harlen.

All, my hiking buddy put together 6 of the aerial photos. See below
I drew in the names of lakes and peaks and of course the JMT.

Below is a Caltopo of the same area. Both images are shown from West to East but the Caltopo needs to be rotated 180 degrees to match exactly with the photos. Enjoy.

Really cool! Thanks for the photos!!! MRogers, what program did you use to stitch the photos together?