High Sierra Topix

I'm hiking 1/2 way up Taboose Wed 7/26. (I always leave SoCal in the am and start hiking in the afternoon. Since the big passes are so hot at the start, I just make a few miles until it cools off a bit.)

Thurs am I'll hike over the pass, check out some of the local lakes in the region, and head to Bench in the afternoon.

Fri am I'll be off down the JMT over Pinchot, then up to Woods. Sat over & down Sawmill and drive home.

I think I might actually be able to make it this year. I dont have an itenerary yet. I am thinking I will start at taboose early sunday or Monday AM

Cool

Just a quick headsup for those who might not have noticed: There is a fire in the Kern River watershed, probably NW of Jordan Hot Springs in the vicinity of Shaeffer Meadow since they are calling it the Schaeffer fire. I was in the southern Sierra yesterday on the South Fork, and by 4pm, it was like Dantes's Inferno, very smoky. When I got back out to 395 at Pearsonville, it appears that the smoke is going north and filling up the Owens Valley. They posted a notice that it is 4500 acres, and 3% contained. They are not really going all out to stop the fire, just contain it, and let it burn out, and it appears it has a good chance of growing, and lasting for awhile. The notice posted at the store in Kennedy Meadows says the smoke might travel as far as Mammoth.

I will likely miss this year's meet-up, as I don't think I can get away from work that week. Also, latest photos of Taboose Creek look scary!

FYI, this is a useful link for daily snapshots of fire activity and where the smoke is heading (at least at the time the photo is taken)
https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/?p ... 6130185957

richlong8 wrote:Just a quick headsup for those who might not have noticed: There is a fire in the Kern River watershed, probably NW of Jordan Hot Springs in the vicinity of Shaeffer Meadow since they are calling it the Schaeffer fire. I was in the southern Sierra yesterday on the South Fork, and by 4pm, it was like Dantes's Inferno, very smoky. When I got back out to 395 at Pearsonville, it appears that the smoke is going north and filling up the Owens Valley. They posted a notice that it is 4500 acres, and 3% contained. They are not really going all out to stop the fire, just contain it, and let it burn out, and it appears it has a good chance of growing, and lasting for awhile. The notice posted at the store in Kennedy Meadows says the smoke might travel as far as Mammoth.

It clears up well before you hit Olancha. I got a golden hour shot last night at Nine Mile Canyon.

It looks like my party's plans are evolving daily. As it looks now, Plan A & Alt B are most likely out. Plan C will likely be modified into travel along JMT, then moving up to hit various lakes along the way to camp. Oh well, I haven't seen that part of the JMT and it will be an exercise in choosing camps locations away from the normal JMT traffic. Nine days to cover from Sawmill to Bench to Taboose leaves plenty of leisure to explore higher snow areas as day hikes.

I think I am taking close to your black line also

We may be leapfrogging each other. Maybe camping together form time to time if it happens to work out that way. That would be fun. Just let the pieces fall where they may.

Jimr wrote:It looks like my party's plans are evolving daily. As it looks now, Plan A & Alt B are most likely out. Plan C will likely be modified into travel along JMT, then moving up to hit various lakes along the way to camp. Oh well, I haven't seen that part of the JMT and it will be an exercise in choosing camps locations away from the normal JMT traffic. Nine days to cover from Sawmill to Bench to Taboose leaves plenty of leisure to explore higher snow areas as day hikes.

Jim, I have done that loop, and it was quite enjoyable. Decent fishing in Woods Basin, but the mosquitoes were horrible. I may be headed up to Sawmill Lake the weekend of the 15th. I am out of shape, and that grind will help get me ready for the Meetup going up Taboose the following weekend. Sawmill Lake is pretty in its own way, and I will try and leave you a few of those fat jumping rainbow trout that live in that lake.