Ionian Basin Circle

[michaelzim]

@druid
Ah so re the lake! Thanks for that as looking at it now it seems so obvious.

What must have deflected my mind and observationing is the contour, which @Harlen titled at 12,080+ and that contour just downhill is 12,200 (unless I am really in need of a new pair of glasses!). The 80+ is there though so this is a minor typo with the lake being 12,280 and my bandwidth was too minimal to catch it.

The other part was that the lake looks pretty big in the photo and I was expecting something smaller compared to Martha. My guess c/o the topo is that one could fit about seven of them into the surface area of Martha. So Martha must be huge! I have only seen it from afar further north on the Le Conte Divide and it did not strike me as being that big.
The obvious solution to this is to go and look for myself!

Thanks for the tip-off! And thanks for the enticing report @Harlen

Best ~ Michaelzim

[Harlen]

michaelzim wrote:

What must have deflected my mind and observationing is the contour, which that knuckle-headed Harlen titled at 12,080+ and that contour just downhill is 12,200 (unless I am really in need of a new pair of glasses!). The 80+ is there though so this is a minor typo with the lake being 12,280 and my bandwidth was too minimal to catch it.

Nope, you are right about the contours Michael. I didn't realize that I was using my cutout piece of a giant Harrison Map with the 200' contours.
Sorry, I made the corrections. If you're going to call me a "knucklehead," then I get to question your term "observationing." For someone raised in the wilds of Zimbabwe, you do pretty well with modern language, but I don't know about that term .

[robertseeburger]

Hi Ian.

Great photos. Sounds like a great trip except for the 100 pound sleeping bag.

I hope to get to Ionian this year. (If I say that every year, that would probably be accurate, but maybe this year is the charm.)

If the ranger at Mcclure meadow was Ranger Dario, (retired two years ago, I believe), I know his secret lake.
In fact, when I told him I was going there, he called it HIS lake.

[michaelzim]

Ha, ha...You have hidden computer skills after all, ref. my so called "quote" and languagization aspects:

What must have deflected my mind and observationing is the contour, which that knuckle-headed Harlen titled at 12,080+ and that contour...

I too missed it at first re the contours musical chairs - what with 200 ft.'ers; 400 ft.'ers; and then irascible meters invading...Sheeesh!

A few added questions if I may:

1. Do you recall the date of this trip? (Maybe the photos have a date stamp under "Properties"). I see little patches of snow around and some marginal greenery so hard for me to tell.
2. Other reason for asking the date is to try and determine if it was during mosquito time (and if a dry year or wet year). If so, any memory of their level of annoyance in those dry "stone zone" areas?
On same note of mosquitoes, of great interest would be if they were say low or zero in "stone zones" and high in Evolution Valley, etc.

I have it on plan to follow some of your route (soon I hope) up Goddard Canyon to Martha and on over Reinstein, etc. for one excursion. And another to finally see Evolution Valley en route to McGee Lakes as a base - with forages into Davis lake basin and Evolution basin at leisure. Will have to be two trips as I doubt I have the legs for your kind of round trip extravaganza.
However, the "makuru sterek" question is when!!! With that when being almost totally determined for me by mosquitoes. Warm season as no ice axes and so forth in my gear. Mosquitoes need to be very low key as I cannot do DEET, etc. And not too late in summer as that seems to have morphed into a Dante's Inferno opera.
@Wandering Daisy mentioned that Evolution Valley was a mosquito haven, and maybe Goddard Canyon is too given all the water there? Soooooooooo......I'm basically in wait mode on these two destinations from today on. Maybe Evolution Valley from Florence - McGee Lakes could just sneak in before the bugs get bad if it warms up in a week or 10 days??? (Presuming Kaiser Pass opens).
As for later in summer, your photos and report sure sway me to go to that Goddard terrain as a first choice if have to decide on the which between the two. Plus I would really like to see a Pika before the bucket tips over!

Thanks! ~ Michaelzim

[Wandering Daisy]

I think Ionian Basin is best for August to mid September, for a normal year snowpack. This year you may get by with July. I would not go in June. The lingering snowfields can be a problem if you go too early. The north side of Reinstein Pass can be difficult if there is snow. The other thing is weather- all camping is very exposed. I certainly would not go if big thunderstorms are predicted for an extended time (the monsoon stuff that comes up from the gulf of Mexico). This year the stupid permit system will be a problem- harder avoid the bad weather windows and get a new permit.

I doubt river crossings will even be an issue this year, regardless of timing. And the forest fires and smoke issue may make mid-August through September a problem. Cannot say until or if it actually happens.

It is usually breezy in Ionian Basin (in fact too breezy!) so I would not be too worried about mosquitoes.

As for camping, a sleeping pad that works with very lumpy ground is nice as is a self-standing tent. Setting up a tarp or trekking pole supported tent may be tricky- very rocky ground.

[Harlen]

Robert, I hope you make it this year, into Ionian and onward. I found the map where the nice ranger and his visiting girlfriend/wife? had written their winter address down for me. Here it is-- Dario and Katherine. They were both very nice.

Hey Michael, I don't remember the date, but the lupine were in full bloom up at lake 11092. I don't recall the mosquitos, but I am so old now that I am not afraid of deet anymore-- so mossies just buzz around wishing they could get me. It might have been the tail end of summer?

You mention the:

"makuru sterek" question

re. the mosquito season... I'll guess that the translation is something like: the "biggest f---ing" question. Please advise in case we have to flee to Zimbabwe.

[CAMERONM]

As a return to Ionian is imminent I have spent some time looking at the Black Divide. Google thinks that the Citadel is probably not visible from Black Giant, or is at least not very prominent.

[Harlen]

CAMERONM Wrote:

As a return to Ionian is imminent I have spent some time looking at the Black Divide. Google thinks that the Citadel is probably not visible from Black Giant, or is at least not very prominent.

I think you're right- not the Citadel. My newest guess, lining up the map with the photo, is that the impressive looking spur may be the northern-most peak of the Devil's Crags, just SE from Wheel Mtn. I put a red arrow to it-- Anyone have a guess, or know for sure?

I really like the look of that small, sharp peak that hangs over the lakes ~ 1 mile NW of McDuffie. Nice campsite, if a bit rocky.

[CAMERONM]

I really like the look of that small, sharp peak that hangs over the lakes ~ 1 mile NW of McDuffie. Nice campsite, if a bit rocky.

12928. Looks doable in topo from the south. Henceforth to be called "The Wedgie".

[CAMERONM]

My newest guess, lining up the map with the photo, is that that impressive looking spur may be the northern-most peak of the Devil's Crags, just SE form Wheel Mtn. I put a red arrow to it-- Anyone have a guess, or know for sure?

I would also go with Devil's Crags.