R02 TR: Retirement and The Bucket List: CR & HD 9/19-9/21 2011

[East Side Hiker]

My retirement and bucket list: from May to October stay in the Sierra!!!

[richlong8]

In I can retire in 5.5 years as scheduled, my wife is good with me taking lots of long trips in the Sierra.But she wants me to start carrying a Spot when I am alone. I hear they work kind of "spotty", but they should keep getting better, I would think. I catch myself daydreaming during the day. Back to work!

[Snow Nymph]

Congratulations on getting CR & HD!

Rich, my husband encourages me to spend more time in the Sierra now that I'm retired. I carry a SPOT, so he knows I'm ok.

[Cross Country]

What's a SPOT? Significant info would be appreciated.

[Take-a-Hike]

CC:

SPOTs are personal locator, GPS devices that many use these days for security reasons when traveling solo in back country environments. They have emergency locator/SOS/911 buttons, and other features. You can Google S.P.O.T and it'll pop right up....they run about $100....
If more info needed, you might want to start a separate post for pro's / con's about various devices. I don't own one. Yet.

[rlown]

The current SPOT thread is at: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5610" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[oldranger]

Take-a-hike wrote:

SPOTs are personal locator, GPS devices that many use these days for security reasons when traveling solo in back country environments.

So you are at the lakes just e. of Tunemah with 3 others and someone slips and falls and seriously injures themselves. How long will it take to get help by hiking out? If traveling in groups is supposed to apply a measure of security in case of a true emergency then a SPOT locator or similar device should be part of your gear. Even for a group. Groups are great if an individual has a minor injury like a tweaked ankle. The others can assist and lighten or take the injured persons load. But if the injury is life threatening and requires rapid evacuation for survival a Spot or other device is likely the best option.

Finally, there are no guarantees that anything will work. It is,after all,a wilderness experience and with that comes no guarantees. There is some risk with everything we do.

Mike

[markskor]

Perry,
Great TR and nice pictures.
Bit perplexed about this "bucket list/old age thing you speak of. Now that you know what to expect and have passed muster easily doing one of Yosemite's finest short adventure treks, nothing to stop you from coming back again for a few more, longer Sierra adventures next season, unless you think 60 is too old? The trick is to go lighter as you get older. Does cost a bit though... Week long trip planned? Get it all down to below 30 pounds all up (25 even better)…Makes things so much easier.

Undoubtedly, anybody who has over-nighted atop Clouds Rest will agree there is no better place to wake up in all of Yosemite... (Unless, of course, you are higher up, lakeside, and the fish are calling.) Glad you did the few extra miles that day – well worth the effort…One of my favorite camps.
Thanks again for locating that last little spring just below CR - (Closest water south of CR). BTW, also a nice place to camp nearby due to this dependable water source. I flagged it on our HST map here (under waterfalls). I have your TOPO here ready to post, just a little slow to run it out to the mailbox.
Again, nice job,
Mark

[DoyleWDonehoo]

Undoubtedly, anybody who has over-nighted atop Clouds Rest will agree there is no better place to wake up in all of Yosemite...

Unless it is waking up in Yosemite on top of Clouds Rest with the Swedish Bikini Team.
I started my bucket list years ago with the goal of hiking every trail in the Sierra. I have probably done 90% of that with the remainder being little connecter trails here and there and a few small remote swatches near the Sierra Crest I have just not got around to. I have nearly run out of interesting places to go to (that I have not been to). But I will keep on keepn' on.