Nine hour hike out, eight hour drive home; it was a long day yesterday, and I enjoyed at least the first half of it.
I went in Wednesday 5/31, and made it in boots alone to the first of the Cottonwood Lakes. Beautiful dry camping amid those sculptured trees- the foxtail pines.
Nobody but me and two coyotes who cavorted on the frozen lake, sniffing for pika and marmot, or just running around having fun. The next day I began the trip I had dreamed of for a few years now, and had even set out on once- to Miter Basin that is, but with a crew that included one who it turned out had a fear of heights, and didn't like the look of New Army Pass. So I finally got there, and just look at it- what a paradise of peaks!!!
There was a question as to the wisdom of heading in over New Army Pass this early in such a snow year. I was sent a few photos from one of my new mountaineering friends via this forum, showing a sizable cornice perched over the pass in a year of lesser snows, and the advice to head in and out via Cottonwood Pass. So I undertook either a fools errand, or a bold adventure. Like the
Man of la Mancha, I would
tilt at the cornice with my puny ice axe .... I had a vision of tunneling under it if I couldn't clamber over it. Why not?!
I think I will edit myself by describing this trip in the captions under the photos, and let the photos tell most of the story. It really can't have been much a trip anyway without a dog in it.
First day was a snowy one, no matter, as I knew my way to the Cottonwood Lakes.
Just look at that sideways snow!
My first camp was at the first of the lakes, 4 miles from New Army Pass. There are lots of great, dry sandy places to camp, and nobody but mountain bluebirds, and a frolicking pair of coyotes!
The pass is right between the top of the dead tree, and the shaded cliff to the right. From my camp at the first Cottonwood Lake you could have skied the rest of the way to the pass, though the snow is beginning to "cup," and long skis would help to cut through and glide over this sort of surface. I had purposefully changed gear from heavy telemark skis and boots, to ice axe, crampons, light snow shoes, and my comfortable, comparatively light (compared to the tele boots at least) leather mountaineering boots, encased in a thick cover of snow-seal. I wanted to trade the fun on skis, but awful-for-hiking, tele boots, for lighter and more versatile climbing gear, so I could be up and over passes in the beautiful dawn light. The climbing gear is "more versatile," except for the fact (as Paul will surely point out) that you can't very well ski with it! Oh well. On to the pass.
The converging coyote tracks are also heading to the pass. Anywhere you find to cross in that slope between Cirque Mountain to the south, and the corniced cliffs to the north would set you on the path to Miter Basin. I headed to the area of the summer route to the pass, though a safe and fun option would be to climb up the long scree slope to nearly the summit of Cirque Mtn. This would be a very safe way to cross, and no crampons needed. A very long way to go with your full pack, and it is out of the way a bit. As you can see, 2 photos down- the cliffs to the north of the summer NAP route are out of the question for safety sake. Although one section was un-corniced, a fall from there would bounce one over the small cliff.
Cirque Mt.
Above is the route I chose. In the photo above the one of me, I am standing on the last rocks before the snow climbing. So you can ascend up on nice, safe scree for most all the way, the only steep snow is at the very top- perhaps less than 100 feet of it. It was fine, I "duck-walked" my cramponed feet most of the way straight up. At the top, there was a small over-steepened section, but not a cornice. I cut a couple of deeper steps with the axe, and was up on top, very happy with my foolish self. It appeared as though I was the first over this year (yet another foolish leader).
I am afraid I have used up my allotment of photos, so I'll submit this portion of the Trip Report now, and create the second one soon. Miter Basin is well worth the small effort to get there. And it's a great hike from there on to Fishermen's Peak (aka Mt Whitney). From Miter Basin, over first Crabtree Pass, and then "Discovery Pass," which Roper notes is really more of a very high ridge crossing. I'll document that route up ahead if I can keep up with the computer.
Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.
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