R03/R01 TR: Kearsarge Pass & Glen Pass (out & back) Aug 8-12, 2023

[kpeter]

Absolutely gorgeous photography. So richly detailed and crisp, and nice composition. A delectable treat to see those images in one of my favorite areas. Thank you for sharing!

[wsp_scott]

Kearsarge Lakes and Rae Lakes are ridiculously beautiful. It is always nice to see photos of that area. I especially like the Kearsarge Pinacles reflections.

thanks for sharing

[Cloudy]

They are all gorgeous photos! Been over Glen Pass on a windy day with a heavy pack and remember wondering how they got horses over it... Thank you for sharing.

[nonplussed]

Hi Grampy, just came across your trip report and realized we did nearly the same itinerary in the exact same week last year. My two friends and I hiked in and over Kearsarge on Aug. 7, staying at Charlotte Lake that night. Over Glen the next day, with the same travails as you (we actually got off-trail for a maddening little scramble approaching Glen, and the descent was also no fun at all, for all the reasons you mentioned). We spent two nights at Lower Rae near the thigh-high crossing. I went on a solo ramble up to Sixty Lakes and had a blast. Our plan on day 4 was to move camp back over Glen to Kearsarge Lakes south of the pass, but as we approached that junction, we looked at the dark gray sky and decided to bail instead. So we were out on Aug. 10. We very likely passed you somewhere up there! Absolutely stunning place.

[grampy]

Hi nonplussed -
The fact that you decided to bail early on the 10th -due to the gray skies - makes me feel a bit less sheepish about my decision not to go higher up the Sixty Lakes trail that same day. And yes, we probably did cross paths at some point.
Thanks for sharing.

[KT5519]

Your photos are absolutely stunning and you are very humble. I kept thinking that it reminded me of someone whipping up a gourmet meal and then saying oh, this was a just a little something, nothing special. I especially loved the more clouds please shot, the gorgeous midnight blue of the thawing lake interspersed with the crisp white clouds behind.
Thank you for sharing your trip. I love that area and haven’t been there for a few years, it was lovely to revisit.

[Harlen]

I am considering skiing this section of the JMT, and onward north, later in the new year, so I searched up this post of yours. I got lost in the pictures, and forgot all about my own trip. I only wish there were more of these beautiful pictures... the ones that your camera takes while attached to your arm. No, you get no credit Mike.

[grampy]

I am considering skiing this section of the JMT, and onward north, later in the new year ...

Hmm, as a former Alpine skier, I've only gone very far up a steep snow slope (ala Glen Pass) after some heinous "yard sale" incident ... I think my record was about 50 yards. Ian, where it's too steep to skin uphill, do you shoulder your skis and do a walkup with crampons, or toss them onto your trusty pulk ?

Oops, hoping my question isn't too far off-topic.

[Harlen]

Hello Mike,

As a non alpine skier (never even one day at a resort) I usually carry my skis on the way down passes, (C9h13no3 hates me for this). Using full climbing skins, one can usually manage to ski up the hills, sidestepping with your metal edges works too, and I also have a pair of ski crampons when the going is even steeper.

Now back to your post-- what a hell of a snow year it was! Amazing the snowfields, and half frozen lakes you encountered in August. The weather you experienced on this trip really suited the snowiness too, and added more your brilliant photography. Cheers, Ian.