High Sierra Topix

Hey Rogue, it was nice meeting you at Red's after reading all of your previous trip reports. Thanks again for letting us stay with you in the campground. Sorry to hear about your accident - at least it was not in a more exposed place (like Fourth Recess), or we would be reading about the SAR response instead. Glad you made it up and down Clyde "safely". When Manfred and I got a good look at the Ritter/Banner saddle from the High Route near Ediza Lake & Lake Catherine we hoped that you would reconsider crossing it when you got there. Crampons and an ice axe were certainly mandatory for both sides. Be careful out there, there's lots of people here and elsewhere that would miss you if you were gone.

Andrew F

Yeah glad meeting you.

You would not have been reading about a SAR though because where I fell I would not have been able to signal help and no one would have found me. After a day or two I would have slit my wrists. Probably would be eaten by a bear by now.

When I saw the Ritter / Banner Saddle I knew I could not go up it. The first time I did it in September of 2009 it was mostly soft snow to the point of both an ice axe and crampons being worthless. But every patch of snow I came across later season was a solid bit of ice. Maybe only an inch of soft snow on the top at most.

Both injuries are coming along nicely. The tail bone feels allot better then it did a couple days ago so hopefully I can get out on some trail work soon and do some backpacking trips to Panamint City or elsewhere. If anyone on this forum wants to hook up for a desert backpacking trip in a month or two let me know.

Pass list:

Franklin
unnamed pass
Kaweah Gap x2
Russell/Carillon Col
Pants
Lion Rock 2
Lion Lake
Copper Mine Old
Horn Col
Pterodactyl
Silliman
Whaleback (unofficial)
Talus Pass
Thunder Ridge
Cinder Col
Longely Pass
Gardiner Pass
King Col
White Fork Saddle
White Fork
Cartridge
Dumbell
Observation Peak Pass (unofficial)
Cirque
Potluck
Thunderbolt Col
Bishop x2
Ladder X2 (unofficial)
unnamed pass
unnamed pass
Goddard Creek Pass X2
Wanda
unnamed pass
Emerald (unofficial)
Puppet
Feather
White Bear
Gabbot
Third Forth Divide
Mono
Morgan
Italy
unnamed pass
Beetlebug (unofficial)
Mammoth X2
Nancy
Deadhorse
Rodgers
Volgesang
Tuolumne

Peaks list:

Russell
Peak 12,345 (Copper Mine Peak)
Brewer
Peak 12,064 (White Fork Peak)
Peak 12,176 (Cartridge Peak)
Observation
Peak 11,255 (at the corner of Palisade Creek and the Middle Fork of the Kings
Langille
The Citadel
Charybdis
Godddard
Peak 10,755 (South of McClure Meadow)
Clyde Minaret

Goddard I hope people don't mind posting summit register pictures.

Day 73 of "140"

Oh well I wondered if people would see those entries. It's the same way in all peaks noted other then 10,755 since there was nothing on top and I couldn't leave one.

I've been telling everyone I know that this (or something like it) was going to happen to you. I'm sure as hell glad this didn't kill you. Pleeeze try to be more careful next year.
Your friend, CC.

Lol yeah I knew it also. At the very least it's just simple statistics. The last 4 years for me has been a life time of hiking for the average hiker. Most of us at some point will and many of you already have been hurt badly.

At least I can say in my defense is it had nothing to do with negligence or inexperience. Just that one random rock that really didn't like me stepping on it!

rogue,
Statistics or not, with a moniker like rogue, you're gonna invite some rogue rocks to the party. Regardless, you dodged that bullet and I just wanted to thank you for some of the great shots you've added to the off trail passes section. Great photos!
cg

Well I have a great deal to add to that section of the forum when I get to the passes. A couple I took video of it also. Pants Pass I have a large amount of video displaying both sides of the pass.

Wow. Glad you made it out in one piece. I think about getting injured in remote places too, but the thought has never crossed my mind to slit my wrists! It would take amputation of all my limbs before I would consider giving up....hope you feel the same

Anyway I cant wait for the pictures, and kudos. I wish I could spend my summers in the sierra....my hat is off to you

Lol well I don't feel the same. My life isn't worth the large medical bills that would come after you make it out of the wilderness alive. At least not to me.

It's also just simple reality. The places I went to if I had just broken my leg I would never be able to drag myself out, I couldn't signal for any rescue. So what are you going to do? Lay on the rocks for weeks with a broken leg. Might as well slit your wrists and die. You could build a large aircraft signal of distress such as two large lines but getting it to stand out would be impossible.

When your far above the tree line in a remote area your options are fairly slim. The reality is in that sort of activity you should have a spot or beacon of some kind. Or at the very least travel with another person.

It's foolish over all if you value your life to travel alone like that.

I honestly don't know when I will get around to posting any story from my hike so at the very least you can see some images. The first 3 weeks are complete:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3