High Sierra Topix

This is the first of two trip reports/essays from trips this past summer. (The second one about a trip to Brewer Basin in August should be ready in a couple of weeks.)

It always takes longer than expected to organize and rewrite the voluminous pages of my notebook’s random jottings and notes into a coherent narrative and go through and edit all the photos.

I consider the narrative and the photos to be different mediums that one should read or look at separately, which is why I do not include photos in the narrative. The two are intended to stand alone. Most of the photos are not referred to directly in the narrative and vice-versa.

The narrative is here

http://laurencebrauer.com/Images/RedPea ... -final.pdf

The photos are here.

http://laurencebrauer.com/ASITHSTripReports.html

I hope they prove interesting should you choose to spend your time.

Great trip report! Thanks for all the effort to write it. I am so glad you succeeded with your goals and it sounded like a very wonderful trip. Impressive pictures too.

I did a similar 7-day route mid Sept. 2011; Stanford Lake, Breeze Lake (day-hike upper Chain Lk), Upper Ottoway, Turner Lake, Porphyry Lake via McClure Lake and Post Peak Pass, Post, Slab, Ann, Rutherford, Lillian, Chitteden Lake, Lady Lake and out. Thankfully no fires, smoke or mosquitoes smoke but there still was an amazing amount of snow left. I totally missed Frenandez Pass and just went x-country to Breeze Lake. I recall that the trail seemed to go on forever before I finally got to Ottoway Lakes. I camped at the Upper Ottoway Lake in a hidden little grassy area and thought it was quite impressive. Once down at the lake it does not feel so penned in. Red Mtn Pass still had lots of snow on it. I also camped at Turner Lake where there were tons of fish rising. Yes, it is bit of a route finding puzzle getting up there. On another trip I camped at Red Devil Lake and did a day-hike to Edna Lake (well worth the effort). I was quite disappointed in McClure Lake but loved Porphyry Lake, camped there and got a bit kick out of the rock. I managed to hit most of the lakes on the way out. It is a great area that is not used that much. My only regret is that I did not fish on that trip.

Laurence-your photographs are extraordinary. Great work.

Congratulations on a really fine trip. I think your golden cloud photo is something special. I had to glance through some of your other travel photos, and I truly enjoyed them; you have been to some fantastic places. Happy Travels!

WD, Danny, and Harlen, thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed the report and especially the photos.

My wife and I camped at McClure in 1981 and we’re also disappointed. It really is a great area (my favorite section of Yosemite) and offers lots of opportunity for solitude, which I suspect is because of the length of the drive, even if the road is paved most of the way.

I’m glad you enjoyed the report and especially the photos.

We also really like the 3 shots from Post Peak Pass; is that Mt Clark to the farthest right on the skyline in the 3rd photo? We assume all of those lovely running the dog meadows in the foreground are in YNP? Damn!

I read your entire essay too, and enjoyed it. I was impressed by your open discussion of life and death... by your insights, and your courage to keep charging ahead on your own. All the best.

Thanks for your trip report, narrative and photos. I love the Red Peak/Clark Range/Isberg Meadow area. I think that the beauty of Red Devil Lake rivals any lake in the Sierra.