High Sierra Topix

thanks for posting. your photos bring back many wonderful memories. i have done harrison 3 times. once going up with lots of snow back in 79 and twice going down on dry years in the late 80's/early 90's. i read that the old timers actually let horses go down - amazing.
how were the skeeters once you got to reflection?
i've always liked the first lake up above reflection (i have heard that some people call it golden lake??) enroute to harrison - ericson crags just really soars up to the sky from that viewpoint.

Thanks everyone.
LostCoyote, I'm guessing this is the lake you mean. This doesn't capture it well at all -- it's taken from far too close with my P&S, but it would have taken some work to have reached a good vantage point. The skeeters on the use trail to Reflection in the evening were horrendous -- the first time I think I've ever hiked with mosquito netting on. But what was bizarre is that when I got to my granite slab surrounded camp spot, I took off the net and didn't even have to put on DEET. It was like this all trip -- there were be no mosquitoes, suddenly a pocket of mosquito madness, then no mosquitoes a few hundred yards further along. Very strange!



Obxcola, I'm not sure I got a really good look at Longley Pass, but from what I could see the snow didn't look too bad.

CG, thanks for the Deerhorn Saddle pix. How is that at the top? (it looks pretty loose.)

Yes thank you for the report. Thank all of you for your reports, I may not comment much but I do read them all. The view from Harrison pass looks very nice.

About the mosquitos, I experienced this Friday night in my camp at rock creek. Except the thick cloud of mosquitos was hanging out 15ft away in the evening sun, but only a straggler here and there landed on me.

Thanks for the report and photos. I also saw the Harrison photos in the conditions thread and was hoping for more. When I did Harrison a few years ago, it was a low snow year so I appreciated seeing the contrasting conditions. And all that talus on the descent or approach does get annoying. Any photo of Lake Reflection is appreciated - brings back wonderful memories.

I was about to turn around before I discovered a plausible route to the south (left) of the snowfield:

Thanks for the pictures. I'm planning to be at Harrison Pass the end of next month. How difficult was the route you found around the snow??

quentin,
The upper bits of the northern approach to Deerhorn are no worse than the north side of Harrison (not much better, either; but for your skills, it would not be a problem). From an earlier trip, I'd remembered more talus on the approach to Deerhorn, but on this more-recent trip, the talus was not a big deal. Perhaps, hardening of the arteries can be beneficial?

And, captain slappy, if you have any qualms about Harrison, check out Ericsson. It's a viable planB.
cg

Thanks CG. I often find my recollection works in the opposite direction, so that when I revisit something sketchy I'm amazed that I did it before without terror and dread.

Captain -- by the end of September I think a route around the snow on Harrison would be relatively easy. A lot of Harrison is just a very steep scree slide. Tough on the knees but not particularly dangerous. The snow filled the center chute when I did it, necessitating use of the rock on the side, which did involve a few delicate (for me, at least) class 3 moves. But I very much doubt that will be needed in late September.

quentinc,
that would be lake 3590m situated between derhorn and ericson crags (i think).
the lake i was referring to is the next one downstream at about 3270m situated between reflection and the lake in your picture.
thanks again, enjoyed your report