R03/R04 TR: HST meetup at Vee Lake, July 2024

[tomba]

Links:

• Meetup thread
• Harlen’s trip report
• Rockyroad’s trip report
• Wondering Daisy’s trip report

Day 1

On the Pine Creek trail, I filtered some water where the switchbacks cross the first creek. At the second small creek, I was about to stop to eat when it started raining. I quickly put on rain gear and continued hiking instead. There was lightning and thunder. One of them, just two seconds apart. Some hail. Lightning soon stopped. I stopped behind some trees (questioning the wisdom of it in retrospect), out of most of the rain to have a quick snack. Right after Pine Lake, the rain stopped briefly, so I stopped on a rocky overlook to eat something quickly. Then I continued to Upper Pine Lake.

The trail was flooded in some places, so I went around, trying to keep my shoes from getting even wetter. Breathable trail runners, not waterproof, so they got wet already in the rain. The stepping stone crossing above Upper Pine Lake was flooded, so I just walked through the water in my shoes.

Looking back:


There were more flooded crossings that I just waded through with my shoes on.

I met some people coming down, bailing out due to bad weather.

Past Honeymoon Lake and on to Granite Park. The rain stopped. I passed by SirBC’s tent, not knowing it belonged to someone there for the meetup.

I was looking for a place to camp near the south side of the irregularly shaped lake at ~11355’. I saw a group of people camped on the north side. I wondered if they were there for the meetup. I got close to the large lake at 11435’, still not finding any site I liked. So, I got back to the trail and went up. Before the trail crossed the main creek, I left it and found a good place to camp.

[tomba]

Day 2

In the morning, the sun emerged gradually above a distant layer of smoke.

I strolled ~200 m south to a rise next to a small lake to check out Granite Bear Pass. It seemed passable. Otherwise, I would go over Italy Pass.

Back in camp, everything dried up in the sun, and I packed up. As I got closer to the pass, it became cloudy. Climbing to the pass, I walked on the snow when it wasn’t steep, then moved onto the rocks to the right. Near the top, a tongue of snow extended to the right, blocking my way. I scrambled around it. See also this post.

On top, it was very windy. I put on more layers. On the way down, it rained a little.

Near Black Bear Lake, I climbed the ridge to the left. A good view. I was heading straight to the meetup spot instead of wandering around many nice areas. I went down and crossed the creek between Ursa Lake and Bearpaw Lake. I continued south, up to the little lake on the ridge on the way to Vee Lake, and then descended into the narrow valley.

Vee Lake came into view. I looked for people. At first, I saw nobody. Then I saw a white tent and a person in an orange jacket on the northwest shore, but that wasn’t the meetup location. Later, I learned it was richong8. I went over the little hill before the large peninsula that blocked some of the view and I finally saw people. maverick, Harlen, Lizzie, richong8, grampy, and Rockyroad.

I pitched my tent nearby. A few minutes later, schmalz and Flamingo arrived. Flamingo pitched his homemade DCF tent below our tents. Schmalz pitched his tent slightly away on the hill.

The rest of the day, we milled around talking about various things, including photography, hiking, etc. Maverick handed out stickers to all participants.

At one point, Wolfie brought a ball, dropped it at my feet, and looked at me expectantly. I obliged by throwing it, and Wolfie brought it back. We did this several times.

[tomba]

Day 3

I got up before sunrise. Maverick was up. He went to the north shore to meet richlong8, who was packing up to leave early.

Flamingo and schmalz decided to climb Seven Gables. Rockyroad and grampy wanted to visit Seven Gables Lakes. I joined them. The rest stayed near the camp.

I took the trekking poles that were supporting my tent, and I tensioned the tent ridgeline tight on the ground.



The five of us went along the northwest shore of Vee Lake. Flamingo and schmalz sped ahead down the notch north of the outlet, and the rest of us followed. We met them when they were about to cross the outlet of the lake below. They went up the mountain while the three of us crossed the inlet of that lake and went up along the creek.



As they were climbing, we were looking for them but never really saw them. We spotted richlong8 in the distance.

Cascades:


Stub Lake was surrounded by talus, so we skipped it.

We took a break at the largest lake and had some snacks.

Then we crossed the creek, explored the eastern shore, and went back to the outlet of Vee Lake. We briefly considered following the south side of Vee Lake, but it looked cliffy. So, we crossed the outlet and retraced our steps back to the camp.

The wind picked up during the day. When I arrived back, I found my flattened tent flapping. Fortunately, several weighted stuff sacks were holding it down. Thank you, Harlen.

In the afternoon, we were doing various things. Harlen and Lizzie were fishing. I asked them about fishing. Harlen let me throw a couple of casts. When he catches a fish, he has to be quick to get it before Wolfie does.

Flamingo and schmalz came back. They seemed to have had a good climb, and they were tired.

Wandering Daisy arrived. She had already pitched her tent closer to the southeast inlet of the lake, since she hadn’t seen us before. We chatted, and then we walked to visit her camp briefly.

At dinner time, we gathered behind a small rock cliff, hiding from the wind, near Flamingo’s tent. Harlen talked about how he cooked the fish. Maverick showed a paper map of the area with cross-country passes he crossed marked. Flamingo talked about using a sewing machine to make gear. We talked about a lot more.

After the sun was gone, it got chilly in the wind, and we bundled up. I put on my wearable quilt. It looks weird when worn.

We dispersed to our tents. I was about to go to my tent, when I heard maverick call from his tent, “Are you here for the meetup?”. There were some people coming on the northern shore. I went to them. BardoPond and Rebecca. They started that day from Bear Diversion Dam. They put their tent in a spot somewhat sheltered from the wind, near Flamingo.

[tomba]

Day 4

We had breakfast at the same sheltered spot.

The people who arrived from the east (Flamingo, schmalz, RockyRoad, grampy, and I) decided to leave at 8:00. Wandering Daisy came to our area before we left. She would follow us later.

I was still finishing packing at 8:00, so I told the rest not to wait for me. I caught up with them near Claw Lake. Our group had people with a wide variety of hiking speeds, but we stayed together.

Above Claw Lake:

We had a brief rest at the outlet of Den Lake. I took off my shoes to wade in the water. We rounded the northern shore and started climbing.There was a small creek partway up. We had several breaks.

We saw Wandering Daisy behind us at Den Lake. She caught up with us at the top of Feather Light Pass, where we stopped.

Near the top:

Flamingo and schmalz left ahead of the rest of us since they wanted to hike out that day. The remaining four of us made our way down to La Salle Lake.

There was a small “sand tarn” halfway down.

Below the "sand tarn":


At the lake, we stopped for a rest. Wandering Daisy shared some experiences about NOLS and other things. She told us that, in a group, one person in the front goes and finds the route, wandering left and right. Subsequent people can then follow a more efficient route.

We went to the valley below with several lakes.

Wandering Daisy wanted to fish the eastern shores, while the rest of us walked on the western side. We descended to Merriam Lake on some ramps and reached an established camping area near the inlet. Wandering Daisy soon joined us, but she set up her tent slightly away, where the soil could hold the stakes better. The three of them would be camping there.

I continued to French Canyon. I camped on the southeastern shore of French Lake. Plenty of blooming lupine below the lake.

[tomba]

Day 5

In the morning, I visited the small tarn east of French Lake and went down to Pine Creek Pass. I ate some food at Upper Pine Lake and had some wax currants on the trail overlooking the tungsten mine.

———

It was a great meetup. It was very nice to meet all the people.

Mosquitoes were not much of an issue on this trip. Last year, mosquitoes in the Sierra overall stopped sooner than I was expecting.

[Wandering Daisy]

Your trip report was worth waiting for! It was great to meet you; I too enjoyed the meet-up. In retrospect I wish we all had more time at V-Lake. And I have to thank everyone who lead me down the pass- I had never been on it and appreciated that you all knew where you were going.

Your photos are really good. Thanks for posting.

[Harlen]

What a fine morning we've had thanks to you tomba. We began by pouring over all of your photos at the PM site, and then moved to your TR, which is wonderfully complete, and included your finest images--those first 3 shots are really good! Merriam Peak in the very last image is amazing for its bright white granite. Also, the images of people climbing around "Featherlite" Pass-- the ones by the sand tarn-- are fantastic! We are almost surely going to return to enjoy French Canyon/Humphreys Basin this summer.

You include some nice images from the Meetup Tomas, but we were really hoping for one of you modeling your impressive sleeping bag robe. That was the highlight of the trip for Lizzie, who says she nearly died trying not to laugh at you in it... "because it was so great," she now says. If someone has a photo of tomba clad in his sleeping bag coat, please send it here for my wife's amusement. Tomas, it really is a great development in high country eveningwear, and such a good idea for the ultimate warm layer; can you include a photo for us all? You don't have to be the model, though that would be the best, but how about a link to someone else wearing it?

Your trip report is the best ever, complete with links, routes descriptions, stories, moving pictures and everything! Thank you for putting it together for us. Cheers, Ian and Lizzie.

[maverick]

Harlen wrote:

You include some nice images from the Meetup Tomas, but we were really hoping for one of you modeling your impressive sleeping bag robe. That was the highlight of the trip for Lizzie, who says she nearly died trying not to laugh at you in it... "because it was so great," she now says. If someone has a photo of tomba clad in his sleeping bag coat, please send it here for my wife's amusement. Tomas, it really is a great development in high country eveningwear, and such a good idea for the ultimate warm layer; can you include a photo for us all? You don't have to be the model, though that would be the best, but how about a link to someone else wearing it?

Babushka!

[tomba]

From this review.


From this announcement.

It is discontinued.

There are other backpacking wearable quilts, for example: