R03/R01 TR: Kings Canyon Kick Ass 7/30-8/7 2011

[bheiser1]

Those are great pics. You did a great job conveying the feeling of being there - nice!

[LMBSGV]

I loved the photos, especially the shooting stars at sunset. Dusy Basin is one of my favorite places in the world - just get off the trail and explore and discover something wondrous and be in solitude. The photos remind me that I really need to get back to Palisade Basin and spend more than a couple of days there. Thanks.

[freestone]

A wonderful essay of Sierra beauty, friendship and challenge. I especially related to your concerns of a big cat in the area looking for an opportunistic meal. As a "catch and release" guy, I must admit some disappointment in the frying pan shots, but over all I can tell you and your friends were very respectful of the environment, showed great skill, and had a wonderful trip... that's what its all about. Thank you for putting it together and sharing.

[Sierra Maclure]

Thanks for all the comments. Now that my REI season is over (I ran 28 trips and guided 11 of them), when I have a bad day here in the lowlands, I just look at some of my High Country pictures, and all is well.

[Timberline]

You did a super job of bringing back the visual feel of that wonderful place. Brought back many fond memories and rekindled excitement about my own once-upon-a-time adventure there. Thanks!

[Troutdog 59]

Very nice pics SM. Thanks for sharing!! I was wondering if you had done this hike this year (you posted earlier about your plans), but I thought maybe the snow year had forced a delay until next year. Really not as much snow as I thought there would have been for that time of year and this years snow pack. Again, gorgeous pics that make me want to venture that way again. My one and only visit was in 1979. I just may have to return .

[Sierra Maclure]

Just a note about the people on this trip who helped make it what it was: Annie and I are both breast cancer survivors and while I'm 11 years out (the left one is fake and the right one's been tweeked to match), Annie is here at about 6 months out from chemo and radiation and is still enduring further treatment. Her hair was only about 1 inch long. She was thinner than I've ever seen her and while very strong, had some dizziness issues. I didn't even consider her as a participant on this trip. She approached me asking if there was room. I had a permit for 12. Half the folks originally signed up bailed. I was ecstatic to be hiking with her again. Annie's fiance, Rich, is a climber and backpacker who's help was instrumental in getting us over those tough passes and up Mt. Sil. Banning and Diego are 2 of my new guides this summer. While young and strong, they had no experience on such a long trip in such rough country. I wondered if I'd done the right thing getting them into something so beyond the short, relatively gentle Yosemite trips they were used to. I organized and sent off 3 REI trips just before I left for this trip and was so tired and overwhelmed I almost cancelled the trip. Glad I didn't. They fell in love with the High Sierra. Though it was a physically challenging trip for me (after chemo it takes me a good 3 days to adjust to such altitude and I'm not as young as I used to be, 58), looking back at these pictures I can feel again that I'd never been happier.

[ManOfTooManySports]

SM, that's a set of inspirational stories!

[Troutdog 59]

SM, that's a set of inspirational stories!

DITTO!!! Hats off to all, but especially Annie. You guys ROCK!!!