Maverick's 2016 Annual HST Meet-up

[Hobbes]

Husband and I camped just below TI on River Trail, a little beyond intersection with PCT. 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. Hope he liked those-- they were prescription. I need everything I carry, so we decided to turn around and go home. This was disheartening, to say the least. Well, I guess I can buy new stuff, but I can never get this time back. Sticky Fingers, at least, can't buy a new character, but maybe that doesn't matter anymore. Our daughter says maybe he'll get struck by lightning.

I'm sorry to hear this. I saw your note on Tues at both the beginning of the High trail @ Agnew and at the intersection of the PCT/River trail. I didn't read the first one, thinking it was just a note for another hiker. However, I recognized the same notepaper the second time and stopped to read the message. It definitely gave me something to think about for the next few hours; detective Hobbes on the case.

It couldn't/wouldn't be a PCT hiker because it's long past when they would be coming through Mammoth; besides, they (along with JMT hikers) have their own gear. As you know, it was extremely busy in Mammoth this week. I spoke to the Reds shuttle driver on the way down who said it was the busiest so far this year - her supervisor/dispatcher had to pull an extra bus and drive it himself. With those types of crowds, you have enough people to mirror the entire social stratum found in urban areas, ranging across the spectrum from peaceful hippies to meth head criminals.

TI is a fairly easy day hike from either Agnew or Rush. My guess it's was a weekender scumbag. Crime can happen anyplace - you just don't expect it in on the trail.

[Hobbes]

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.

Holy crap! I get back to check the thread and it appears all hell has broke loose! Are you ok? Are you talking about the short class III section getting past the waterfall below Catherine?

We all wondered where you were - yikes. Did you have a DeLorme to notify others? I'll make a small confession - there were sections were I was getting so banged up - small nicks/bruises from constantly brushing loose, sharp edged talus - that I was thinking to myself that if anything truly happened, thank goodness I had a DeLorme.

I don't know if this will make you laugh, but my worst mishap happened right before the waterfall as well. Only in my case, as I was looking for a way down around the cliffed out section, I slipped on a flower covering a piece of talus! I was back at least 30-50 feet from the edge, so I guess I wasn't being super cautious. However, I wasn't expecting anything either - it was around 10am and there wasn't dew on the ground. However, the actual moisture of crushing the plant created the wetness.

So in true slapslick fashion, my feet shot out so fast I didn't even have a chance to get my hands back to break my fall. The result was landing on my butt and elbows/forearms. The fall was only 1-2', but it happened so fast & hard I immediately started checking myself to assess the damage. Result: 2-4" contusions on each forearm that were bleeding like a stuck pig. I wiped away the blood to make sure nothing was broken, got up, checked everything out, and was good to go.

I noted the offending plant and made a mental note to pay more attention in the future. My arms continued to bleed that day and really didn't dry out and scab for two more. Hope you get better. For those curious about the general location, here's the route past Catherine:

[Hobbes]

Hi Ken, great getting a chance to meet you and your buddy. Sorry we didn't have more time to talk - perhaps a future tête–à–tête?

I see Kristine is still looking good, kicking ass and taking names. Gazelle, sorry I didn't make it up, but I was too tired & whacked coming over the SHR. I pulled in around 2pm following the south side of the creek and saw Ken's tent, but wasn't sure it was the spot. It was hot & buggy, so I figured I'd head up a little higher below the cascade to get out of the forest (I hate trees) and enjoy the view. I figured I could either catch the group hiking up to the original meet-up lake, or at least join them while they were hiking back down.

I had a fantastic bivy spot on a flat shelf right by the water with a view back down the Merced canyon. (Very reminiscent of the waterfall bivy location below the Golden staircase.) I diligently kept my ears open, but never heard anyone (or saw headlamps) coming down. Turns out they had traversed down around 100 yard away along the north canyon wall - all following Mav's route finding expertise - that had smoother ramps and less rocky boulders/cliffs.

So, when I left in the morning, I hiked along the northern edge of the canyon, keeping my eyes open for tents. Sure enough, there they were in a small cluster further down around 1/4 mile. It was around 6:15am and everyone was sound asleep (except for Mav who was out shooting - I saw his empty bivy). I wasn't going to wake anyone, but I wanted to let BlueWater know I had dropped off his re-supply box @ Reds meadow.

As I've mentioned before on other threads, Andy is *not* a morning person, so I just spoke in a low voice while he stayed in his tent. However, Oleander must have recognized my voice, because out she pops and comes over to say hello. Within moments, Mav comes strolling back to camp, so now it was official: everyone is up and chatting a mile-a-minute. Even Lead Dog got out of his tent!

Ken & his friend came over, I showed Victor (VHS) my route over Blue lake pass that he was thinking of doing, and Oleander grabbed her friend Vicki. Soon enough, it was time to boogie (I was shooting for the last YARTS from TM back to Mammoth), so Ken took a quick group photo and we were off.

PS Ken, that is Vicki in the first shot & second shot, and Andy (BlueWater/LeadDog) in the second shot.

[Hobbes]

Here are my best shots of the trip:

Generic Banner from my TI bivy:


Banner, Ritter & Minarets from Blue Lake pass:


Flower plateau between Blue Lake pass on the way down to the Isberg trail:

[Gazelle]

I am home and well unlike others, pictures etc are coming my 9 days out were amazing think I got around 20 peaks and only scared myself once the last day on the pinnacle part of two teats. I do have some bruises and scraps but all good and eating like a fiend! Sorry I didnt get to see Hobbes or Bluewater but that is what off trail is all about! Peaks I really thought were fun Maclure and Ansel adams. The hike up to forester/ansel I thought I would go to forester ridge but straight up to the pass north of Forester looked better and I could drop my backpack sooner for Ansel. Did see two groups of NOLS or something in the Forester/ Blue lakes area. The way up to Catherine is quite interesting ended up on a completely different route most of the way until the waterfall (rockyroad) went too close to the falls then realized had to backtrack and go up class 3 where I first looked was easily class 4+. Anyway hopefully i will write my report before winter time but yes I have to work tomorrow. Peaks climbed Banner, Davis, Lyell, Maclure, simmons, Amelia Earhart, Parsons, the Numbered one, Fletcher, Vogelsang (no I cant spell), Florence, the one above Sluggo pass, Electra, Rodgers, San Joaquin, Two teats and many other knobs/peaks in between. My ass is kicked and I weigh less than I did in High School (which is NOT a good thing)! Good seeing the few people I saw for what an hour or so? So fro all that said there were too many people coming to a remote area well I was the only one!!

[Jimr]

This is the second year in a row that I missed the meetup. I'm really bummed, but, it's the second year I had a mini-meetup. Last year, I got to within a few miles, leaving my friend at Junction Meadow because he was having a real problem with his Achilles tendon. I left most of my gear with him planning on hiking up to the meetup, spending the night, then meet back up with my friend John to continue our hike. Within a few miles of the destination, I decided rather than kick my butt just to crash and head off the next morning, that I would just hang with John. Within an hour of arriving back at JM, Wandering Daisy found us and we had a wonderful time at the 2015 mini-meetup.

This year was different. I had to bail because I needed the week prior to move my family as the house we rented for 16 years was being sold, fast. I couldn't stand not seeing my friends, so I thought I'd intercept them out bound. I took of after work Friday evening and made it to the Isberg TH at 2am. Started hiking at 2:15 and didn't stop until I hit Sadler Lk. Hit Sadler Lk. at 7:30am. I was beat, but hiking at night was a heck of a lot cooler than the daytime temps. I had planned another 5 miles over Isberg pass, but I was beat and Sadler was our agreed camp for the night. I decided it was a waste of Jimr to haul up the pass and down the other side just to hike back up and back down. A 20 mile day on no sleep. I hiked back down to the trail that went along the South side of the lake and started to leave a note that could be seen by a down hiker. There was a sign post and I had a map I could salvage, but I had no pencil, so I wrote my note with my lip balm, then poured trail dust over it to bring out the text and staked it to the sign.

I thought I'd kill the next several hours or so with a nap, but the large ants would not allow it. I may have gotten an hour of sleep over the next 5 hours. The rest of the time was spent moving my arse around to see if I could find a sunny location that wasn't ant infested. No dice. Finally, Mav, Oleander and Viki arrived and they updated me on the meetup. I told them about Rocky Road and they told me about Hobbes, then we found a suitable spot to camp and enjoy the company. Made all the effort worthwhile. We packed up this morning and beat feet to the TH, then to Oakhurts and Mexican food before going our respective ways. My friends to Oakland and me to L.A.

2016 Mini-meetup = success!

[will_jrob]

I saw your note Sat. morning, as I was heading out from Isberg Lake.

[Shhsgirl]

Hobbes, You may be correct. Who knows? I only suspected the one PCT thru-hiker out of a thousand who lives by foraging, because PCT'ers were the only ones who passed by my camp that late in the evening, and I had spoken to all of them, except when I made my fateful trip to the river.

Depressing as it was at the time, I recovered instantly when I got home, since I now had the time to spend with my grandchildren.

I feel badly, though, for Rockyroad, who won't recover instantly, and whose accident could maybe have been prevented had I kept to what I said I was going to do.

[Jimr]

will_jrob, I think I saw you and watched as you hiked past the lake. I was sitting on the South shore looking and listening. I saw one group of 6 or 7 pass through, then a bit later, a solo hiker. I saw nobody else until early afternoon.

Edit: I knew I remembered your forum name. We met at the 2014 meetup as you were passing through

[Flamingo]

Hi All,

I had a great time at the meetup. I want to thank Maverick again for organizing the event and selecting an awesome location. I posted some photos down below.

The trip was relatively short for me, but it was great to meet everyone and I felt strong accomplishing a couple big-mileage days. I hiked all the way in on Thursday from Isberg Pass trailhead, and then I hiked all the way out on Friday back to the trailhead. I originally thought I would do Blue Lakes Pass on my hike out, but my schedule was tight so I just stuck with the Isberg trail. Thanks Hobbes for discussing the Blue Lakes Pass route with me -- I'm excited to return to this section of the SHR, possibly later this month.

Overall, I'm glad I attended the meetup this year, and I look forward to HST 4 next year!

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