High Sierra Topix

On our last trip to MK, we got in late and slept the first night in the back of the 4Runner. In the morning we heard noise under the hood, and a marmot was chewing on the asbestos liner. The hood was up for 5 days (boulder to let light in) and it wasn't chewed up anymore. They don't like light.

I've been to MK dozens of times, including early summer, and have never had a problem. Guess I've just gotten lucky!

My favorite story was from a ranger there -- some guy apparently left poison bait around his car, and came back to find dozens of dead marmots surrounding his vehicle (as well as a citation). Never found out whether the marmots ate part of his car before kicking the bucket.

Snownymph, did the wire keep the buggers out? That looks like the route I would take. I would probably take some huge tent stakes to nail it down with rather than setting rocks on it. I still want to go but it looks like I will be pushed back to mid-July for my trip. I hope to do some exploring in the Florence Peak region.

Hey Mountaineer......

I know SN has vastly more experience than I do, so I took here advice yesterday. I returned to an intact car at Mineral King.

hey Shawn, where did you go? Franklin Lakes by any chance? I plan to go to upper Franklin Lakes and do some routes on those peaks, including Florence. How low is the snow line?

We went up to Mineral Peak (I put a link to my TR on another post but here it is again: http://www.theradioroom.org/MineralPeak ... lPeak2.htm

The snow was patchy as low as 8000', with snow fields at 9000' and consistent above 10,000'. I was surprised how much snow remains on the north facing slopes (isn't this the end of June?). Lets just say I got some real world experience using the old ice axe - and I was praising the higher powers for having it hand when I truly needed it (twice I was "unzippered" down a slope when the crud broke loose from under me. Yee-haw.

Still lots of fun having the snow around but at the end of the day marching thru the deep sun cupped stuff was a tad tiring.

I'm sure the Franklin Lakes and the peak have heavy doses of snow and ice - which just might make the climb up Florence a little easier?

That is a great TR! I love this photo...


As far as Florence is concerned, with ice axe and crampons, the snow gully at the right edge of this photo looks interesting.

P.S. Late June snow? Here is Columbine Lake in Late July of '83.

Back for more Shawn! I camped next to the upper Crystal Lake in your pic one night late season in 1980. Took a pic and recall there being a large white marble block above the little tarn. Was doing some potential trip planning the last couple days and am warming to an idea of going over Sawtooth Pass and down the other side to a foxtail land we'd visited a decade ago. The first day would reach the Monarch area where I've wanted to climb the northeast arete for a late afternoon then a sunset image of the colorful pointy peak in the same frame as Sawtooth. Right now considering the end of July. ...David

SSSdave wrote:...Was doing some potential trip planning the last couple days and am warming to an idea of going over Sawtooth Pass and down the other side to a foxtail land we'd visited a decade ago.

Going over Sawtooth Pass from Mineral King is just cruel and unusual punishment. They have "improved" the trail from the lake to the pass some recently, but it is still a sliding mess. There are really no easy ways to get over to the east side, but Sawtooth is the worst. Ideas: Timber Gap and Blackrock Pass, or Glacier Pass to Black Rock, or trails south. But hey, people do go over from the west, usually after a night at the lake. And some use the old north canyon trail too.