TR: Maverick's 2015 Annual HST Meet-Up 7/22-7/24/15

[Bluewater]

So that everyone can find it more easily (and at Eric's suggestion) I am posting a few photos as a humble beginning to what will surely be many epic trip reports from the 2015 HST Meetup over here on the Backpack / Hiking / Camping forum.

There [were] already beautiful photos and info from the meetup here [but they've since been moved to this thread]: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=12006&start=240.

The extreme weather during the first few days was a common theme for everyone. After spending hours each day in my shelter I made it out of the Tablelands and over Pterodactyl Pass, Horn Col and Coppermine Pass and finally down into the safety of the low altitude in Cloud Canyon. By avoiding my original plan to go over Triple Divide Pass I was able to stay on trail and get over Colby Pass, up the traverse to Picket Lake and over the saddle to Kaweah Basin on Thursday. As I rounded Island Lake I heard Hobbes say, "Bluewater!" and I knew I had found the HST crew.

Many thanks to everyone for being so friendly and welcoming. It was good to hear all of the stories about the journey to Kaweah Basin and talk gear, food, clothing and all things HST. I'm still sifting through photos and will post a full TR later. In the meantime here are a few from the trip to Kaweah Basin:

A short break between storms in the Tablelands:

Sunrise on Horn Col & Lonely Lake:

HST on Coppermine Peak (aka Peak 12,345):

coppermine peak 4.JPG (331.33 KiB) Viewed 329 times

Kaweah Basin:

The HST crew before MN2CAPisco & Andrey arrived:

hst crew.JPG (288.48 KiB) Viewed 329 times

Rocky Road on the way to Pyra-Queen Col:

Oleander showing us that you can't escape Justin Bieber even at 12,900 feet:

[Bluewater]

Many thanks to everyone for being so friendly and welcoming. It was good to be part of the meetup this year, and in one of my favorite places on earth!

I started a trip report thread over on the Backpacking / Hiking / Camping forum:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13203

[maverick]

Very nice pictures Andy, love the double rainbow, and the Justin Bieber photo is a classic, I use that word very lightly in his case, but since Lisa is holding the balloon I will give in.

[schmalz]

Wow, I need to get into that basin. Incredible.

[SSSdave]

Enjoyed your images bluewater. And now I know what some of you look like as well as that remote basin.

Quite a superb balanced location for your reflection image, photo #4 below top.

kaweah peaks reflection

With all the work I already have queued up in Upper Kern areas, when I finally manage to get over Shepherd once we get a normal wet greening winter, it will be tough to get anywhere near that more remote realm.

Do notice post processing halo artifacts around trees against the skies. Not something one would see right out of the camera. Some here ought to be able to offer some advice on how to avoid that. Would need to know what software was used.

David

[maverick]

Do notice post processing halo artifacts around trees against the skies. Not something one would see right out of the camera. Some here ought to be able to offer some advice on how to avoid that. Would need to know what software was used.

Ha, sent Andy a PM, about an hour ago, about exactly that issue.

[oleander]

Which of the HST people who preceded us on Pyra Queen dumped your Bieber party favors there? Had to be MN2, Andre, or Gazelle!

[Bluewater]

Re the halo effects; I uploaded all of my photos onto a Picassa album and their latest software automatically sensed my triple exposure sets and created those HD photos (without my permission:). It also takes the obvious pano sets and creates panoramas and even some interesting GIFs out of multiple photos that were taken from the same point of view. I have been using some very basic HD software (Fusion) and was planning on doing the HD processing myself, but since these were created so quickly and automatically I just posted them. Any help you could offer regarding the strange halo effect around the trees (or any other help) would be very much appreciated. I am just an amateur using an old Canon S95. Here are two more that came out surprisingly well for an automated process, although very novice in comparison to the professional processing that you are probably used to seeing:

[Hobbes]

Wow, I need to get into that basin. Incredible.

It's a hellahike. I've got it at 27.2 miles from Shepherd. Going over Whitney crest is actually about a mile longer and 1.3k higher. I believe Cottonwood/NAP/OAP are another 5+ miles; Richard can tell us. Not sure what the west side TH distances are, but mileage isn't the only factor from either east or west.

From Shepherd, there's the 6k climb (6->12), the 4k drop (12->8 @ Junction), the 2.8k climb (8->10.8) to Island, the 2.8k drop back to Junction, and then for desert, the 4k climb back to Shepherd, and the 6k drop down to the Symmes TH.

Looking back towards Shepherd pass from the outlet of Island lake. This photo provides the visual accompaniment to the numbers listed above. Shepherd is past the V formed between Kern point on the left, and the series of 14ers on the right: Tyndall, Willy & Barnard.


As far as crowds, except for a couple hikers on Shepherd going either way, I never saw anyone on the LSA/Kern/Colby trails - nada, no one. It's only on the JMT/HST that you'll see anyone.

So if you want to push yourself to maximum physical effort, and be all alone to boot, then it's a wonderful hike. Just give yourself an extra day in between to kick-back, explore a bit and take some photos:

[schmalz]

Yeah, that's the plan. I might try a westside approach whenever I get around to it. I was supposed to go up there on my Circle of Solitude trip 3 years ago but by that point of the trip I didn't feel up to it, and my tripod was broken, so I skipped it and Milestone Basin.

It might another decade until I get back.