Maverick's 2016 Annual HST Meet-up

[maverick]

During evening, after I had set up camp and before husband got there, I was down at the water. Someone came into camp and took everything in my pack: all stuff sacks, Mountain Laurel Design Cuben fiber bivy, Cuben fiber pack cover, Z Packs rain suit, and my new Wiley X sunglasses.

That person/persons is a sorry excuse for a human being.

[Rockyroad]

Shhsgirl, sorry to hear about your news. While I was waiting for my permit on Sunday morning, someone came up and said their stuff was stolen.

In any case, I know none of the participants are able to read this but I had a mishap coming down the slope from Lake Catherine so if any of you saw a helicopter, that was me. Holed up in a hospital in Fresno now. Will try again next year I suppose.

[Jimr]

Rockyroad,
Whatever happened, I hope you recover quickly and completely. I hope this doesn't become a new wave of thievery. Go in to a popular TH with an empty pack and leave with a full pack.

[freestone]

Rockyroad, hope you are not in to much pain and wish you a speedy recovery. Like your Trailmixx!

[Shhsgirl]

Rockyroad, I've been thinking about you all week, and wondering how you were doing. I'm going to try that route again September 3 - 17, if you're interested. How did you reach emergency help, and how did you injure yourself? PM me if you have time. Sure hope you feel better. BTW, we really suffered on the hike up the trail on Sunday, since we didn't start until 1:00 p.m. It was hot.

[Rockyroad]

Shhsgirl, thanks for the offer but I will not be in any shape for hiking in Sept. I was thinking if we had started out together, both our mishaps might not have happened. Anyways, can't predict these things. My trip actually started out on a negative note already. There was an accident on Tioga Road that closed it off for an hour. So I got to the Mono Station at 5:05pm and couldn't get my permit. This resulted in me not being able to drive to the trailhead before 7:00am since I had to wait for my permit at Mammoth Lakes Sun morning. That's where I heard some campers had their tent stolen. But after I started on the trail, I was happy again. I camped at the west end of 1000 island lake. When I didn't see you, I assumed you had permit issues and were coming in from another route.
Anyways, I had a pleasant Monday hiking up to Lake Catherine. My original plan was to continue south from Lake Catherine and then cross west between the 2 knolls to avoid steeper slopes. But I had already started west down towards the tarn below the lake and from what I could see, it looked doable so didn't double back. I also knew this was Roper's original route. When I reached the big falls at the bottom, every path looked steep and undoable. There was only one path that I knew I could do. The only problem is it went down and then turned left and I could not see that section from above. This is where I should have just backtracked. I ascended because I knew Roper's route was somewhere here and the section I couldn't see was maybe 6-8 feet from the ground. Anyways, I got down to that section and saw it was difficult to continue further. Before I went through my options, I must have slipped (probably would have been ok without the weight of my backpack behind me).
I don't remember the actual fall but ended up somewhere maybe 10 feet from the bottom of that chute I was climbing down. I couldn't move my left leg and my right wrist was broken so I pulled out my Spot and activated it. This was about 1:00. The helicopter came and took me to a hospital in Fresno. I have fractures in my left tibial plateau and severed tendons and ligaments. Also fractures in my right wrist so my recovery time will be a while. My titanium pot that was in the upper portion of my backpack was severely dented so I think I lucked out that I fell on my backpack instead of my head. Anyways, there is a lot for me to learn from this experience.

[rlown]

A trip you'll never forget.. Glad the Spot worked and the rescue was swift..

Hope you get well soon.

[Shhsgirl]

Ok, Rockyroad, then maybe next year. And maybe I'll know the route by then. I definitely will not go down the canyon! I also wonder if we had been together if both our problems might have been averted. Probably so. I wish you a speedy recovery, and yes, you were lucky that your pot got it and not your head. Man, that's scary, and something that could just as easily have happened to me.

[Rockyroad]

Thanks for everyone's well wishes.

Rlown,
I think the helicopter came about an hour after I activated the Spot. Wasn't sure it would work but glad it did. Anyways, it flew overhead in circles while I flashed my headlamp at it. It went away and came back a couple times. I thought it was just looking for a place to land. After quite some time circling above, I took my shirt off and waved it around. That's when the helicopter sounded its horn. Many thanks to the CHP's Central Division Air Operations Unit. Anyways, they told me they could not see the flashing headlamp in daylight so it was good I finally started to wave my shirt. They did what they could for my wounds and set me up for airlift. We had to wait for a second copter since they could not take the additional weight.

[kpeter]

Awful to hear of your accident, Rockyroad, and so sad it was en route to join the meet-up. The meet up would have been devastated to know of this. Wishing you a complete recovery.

I am just back from the meet up and will let Mav or the others do a complete report. I got to my first meet-up as part of my own Mono Meadows circle loop through SW Yosemite. I will give a complete trip report on my loop in the appropriate spot.

I arrived at the lower camp (9360), with my friend (non-member but I am working on him) on his first backpacking trip, and found Maverick had just arrived. Mav was incredibly gracious and showed us the way up to the camp above the falls at 10200--the original meet up site. Along the way he pointed out many special photography spots, including a few favored by Ansel Adams with scenes that I recognized. Furthermore, I can say that I never would have found a safe way up if left on my own--I lack the route finding skills, and so I appreciated Mav's generous help. I am a very experienced old-school backpacker, but am less experienced with cross country rock scrambling. That Mav was able to safely guide us up and down made it possible for my friend and me to be at the high meet-up.

At the appointed time at 5pm, 7 of us were there.

HST members at the July 28 5pm meet up
My friend Garrick, VHSVHS, Gazelle, Kpeter, Oleander, Maverick, Oleander's friend Vicki

Only Gazelle chose to remain camped at the 10200 camp, with the rest of us returning to the lower camp. Once we arrived, we found another HST member there, and were joined the next morning by Hobbes, who had missed finding our camp the night before. So we did another group picture, which was missing Gazelle but gaining two others.

HST member after breakfast on July 29
Bluewater, Oleander, Hobbes, Oleander's friend Vicki, Kpeter
VHSVHS, Maverick, my friend Garrick.

Oleander and friend built a sign to help alert later arrivals that they were in the right spot. It is a perfect emblem for the third gathering.

The High Sierra Topix third gathering

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each and every one of the HST members who gathering on the Lyell Fork. All of you are so accomplished and all of you have such deep love for the land. As we stayed up that night talking about a variety of subjects, I marveled at the intelligence, generosity. and common interests we shared. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.