High Sierra Topix

Here's a vintage Kodachrome from 1977. That's my friend Mitch holding up pieces of the aircraft. That's me on the right with more hair than I knew what to do with. I have tons of aluminum strapped to my Kelty. I was 18. The ranger was a guy named Mike Artemoff aka Mike Carver. I think he was the first backcountry ranger to patrol Desolation. He lived all year long in a cabin at the old Boy Scout camp on Upper Echo Lake. I have no idea where he is today, but he was a great guy. A hiking machine.

Ive never hauled anything out that was that large. Typical litter nad pieces of stuff. I did once carry out a lawn chair from the Little Lakes Valley, but we were day hiking not backpacking.

Vandman, your story is epic and Im guessing were about the same age, cuz in 1977 I looked alot like you, long hair and all .

Parts of an airplane...that is a pretty cool story.

Not quite packing things out, but in somewhat the same vein: a good friend of mine who is a former ranger and has worked as an archeologist in the high Sierra always makes a point of destroying fire rings that are built illegally, too large, or are too numerous for the area. I think it was the first thing he suggested when we dropped our packs at our destination last year. One year we dismantled a huge fireplace/grill that had been built at the lowest of Seven Gables Lakes.