Maverick's 2019 Annual 7/25-7/26 HST Meet-up

[rlown]

Best just to post a "I'll be here on these dates" and let a meet-up just organically happen.
I think that's why most solo. I've had numerous trips fall flat with last minute cancellations from friends.
It isn't a crime, just a change.

[SSSdave]

Avoid posting direct dates if possible, that is why a PM to find out. Also the way I usually site camps away from trails or lake edges, few are likely to easily find me.

[Ashery]

Looks like I'll be heading out tomorrow early afternoon and aiming for a longer approach from the east: Shepherd's -> Milestone (Col or Pass depending on conditions) -> Josephine -> Meet-up.

Was tempted to go via what seems to be the most common route of Tablelands, but Lodgepole's nearly twice the drive of Lone Pine when coming from Lancaster and I know exactly where I can pick up the couple items I need to buy before the trip in Lone Pine (USGS topo of the meet-up area and possibly a new filter). A walk-up permit's also likely to be trivial to get for Shepherd's even when arriving late in the day.

[Dave_Ayers]

Have fun, I won't be making it.

[Ashery]

...Glad I'm not splurging on the weight and hauling any liquor up,

Edit: Looks like my plans are changing as well. I'm still erring on making the meet-up location, but due to some issues and having to delay leaving until tomorrow, I'll likely go with a less ambitious approach from the Tablelands area.

[Jimr]

Just got back from Wonder Lakes. We headed out early this morning due to storms. It's an unusual pattern. Sunday was fine with a few wisps of clouds. Monday, we did a hike into the upper cirque and it looked good. By the time we were back at camp, the Owens, Whites and into Nevada were clouding up. By evening, it was socked in grey with squalls, but coming from the West over the divide was only broken clouds. We got a few spatters of rain, but nothing to write home about. This morning, we were under mostly cloudy skies and the East looked pretty nasty. We ate a non-cook breakfast and beat feet out of there.

We got rained on a bit, the type that has you putting on rain gear, then taking it off a few times. A bit of hail, but no real big deal. By the time we hit Bishop and walked to a restaurant, the whole upper escarpment was shrouded in storm clouds. A good time to be down in the valley where it was maybe in the upper 80's, tapering off with a nice cool breeze.

Hope everyone stays safe and makes good decisions.

[Rockyroad]

I started on Saturday from Alta and was at Lake 11,200 on Monday watching the black storm clouds to the east. Headed down to the Tablelands the next day and was in my tent most of the afternoon due to rain and a bit of hail. Just returned yesterday so sorry to say I won't be at the meetup. Had a great time though and am working on my TR.

[Ashery]

Heh, the folks who bailed made the right decision.

Started Sunday afternoon, camping just before Pear Lake. Since I had some time to spare, I decided to do a side trip to Moose Lake the next day and ended up camping just off the ridge to the west of it. That ridge gave an incredible view of the lake and valley beyond and was just an absolutely gorgeous place to take pictures with the storms moving through. Looks like I didn't miss Rockroad by much.

Unfortunately, as a result of those very storms, I was setting up camp between 1:30-3pm every day save for Friday, and even then the storms looked legitimately threatening on Friday. Really wonder how other solo hikers cope with being cooped up for 4-5 hours because of storms. Can always nap for a bit, but that then potentially throws off one's nighttime sleep rhythm and leads to insomnia...

Worse than the storms, the mosquitoes down in Deadman Canyon were *terrible*. I was heading down from Lake 11,200 in the late morning on Tuesday, and it only took getting to 10.8k elevation that I was forced to put on my fleece in order to keep'em from biting my shoulders and arms. Head net followed not too long after. Between the bugs, heat on account of keeping myself from being eaten alive, and the fact that I didn't take the best approach down past Big Bird Lake, morale was quickly tanking, and once I saw the approach I'd likely need to take to get to the meetup, I officially bailed. I'd be willing to try that kind of approach with good conditions, but there was no way in hell I'd do it with the current ones in Deadman.

I'm not exaggerating on the mosquitoes, either. Really needed to filter water on Wednesday evening since I was down to just a sip left, so after the storm cleared, I noticed the mosquitoes seemed to have died down a bit and decided it was now or never. After getting back, in the time it took to literally dive back into my tent and zip the screen closed, 2-3 dozen mosquitoes made it in with me, with another 2-3 dozen more on the screen outside my tent. After Tablelands, there was only really a five mile stretch between Roaring River and Sugarloaf that was legitimately pleasant hiking.

[Wandering Daisy]

This sounds like shades of my 2006 trip July 5-10. I dropped to Ranger Meadow, to be immediately swarmed by mosquitoes, so much I had to put on my mittens, rain jacket with hood up and tight and then turned around back up to camp at the established sites at 9200. I quickly put up the tent, jumped inside, just before a storm dumped rain. I soon was floating in a puddle, got out, moved the tent, jumped back in. The next day I got up pre-dawn and went up to the lakes where the meet-up is now. Instead of dropping to Ranger Meadow, I traversed high. But I was day-hiking and there were spots were I do not think I could have made it with a full pack. Toured the upper basin and then dropped back.

Because of this experience, when it became apparent that end of July 2019 would be similar, I bailed on the Meet-Up. I really hope some people did get up there where mosquitoes may have been less of a problem. When I was up high in 2006 there were not many mosquitoes once I got up top. Mixed feelings; would love to have gone and met other forum members; kind of glad I did not. So I am sitting in 105F heat outside, 80F inside due to an under-designed air conditioner. My next trip will start Aug 10. Hope there will be less mosquitoes then.

[Hobbes]

I'm planning on going here next July. You can hike from Mammoth, McGee, Mono or VVR.

https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=37.4672 ... &o=r&n=0.3

Really liked the Silver divide - my son & I did a 1/3 JMT section hike in semi-alpine conditions. Got out the day before the monsoon rains began.