High Sierra Topix

Read through your whole report. Beautiful photos! And brief, but informative, text. I especially like your sunset photo over the lake south of Cartridge Pass.
-Phil

Great trip report and not at all too long on your website. Thanks for posting it. It confirmed my desire to hike this part of the SHR. My dance card is full this year, but maybe next year, as I may have eliminated the stumbling block of no one to go with (I don't want to do it solo).

Thanks for the great report. Makes me want to make another attempt to get to Lake Basin. I tried once but my hiking buddy was seriously out of shape and we had to abandon the effort.......maybe 2021?

Fantastic route, and some truly amazing images! You really make me want to get in there. Thanks for the post, and the inspiration. Cheers, Ian.

Nancy,

Yes the Marion plaque is still there. I was there the 1st week of August 2019. Looked at it closely and didn't notice any signs of someone attempting to pry it off. In Oregon, unfortunately, we have these "Eco Terrorists" who destroyed the summit register boxes on all the major peaks. These boxes were classic lead and brass hinged weatherproof boxes made by the Mazamas ( I think). Back in the 70s when I was a kid, it was fun to reach the summit of Hood, Jeff, South Sister and undo the locks and read the old summit registries. The "Eco Terrorists" cut the anchor cable and threw the boxes over the sides of the mountain into the bergschrund. I guess it's an affront to their wilderness values. I saw it was missing on South Sister and have been told they are all gone.

"we have these "Eco Terrorists" who destroyed the summit register boxes on all the major peaks." - BobWF

While I'm always bummed at the absence of a good summit register, the "terrorist" label is a stretch too far.

Thegib .... Good point. That might be too strong a term. These weren't just any summit register boxes, they were individually made for each mountain with the name and elevation cast from a mold. They were historical artifacts from the earliest days of Oregon mountaineering. People were bummed that someone or someone's unilaterally decided to do away with them.

thanks all!

for what it's worth, all photos were taken on an iphone 8.

Just went through this all again, and it's even better the second time through! Can you please enlighten me as to the lake in the middle photo above the caption which begins:

The next morning, we stumbled down the old, sandy JMT trail as it plunged to the South Fork Kings River:

[that's in your "Bad Mountain" long version.] I'm staring at the map,and can't place it! Thanks Frozen.

BTW those images around Pinchot Pass really make me want to see it in snow! Lovely, colorful, and nice ski touring high country from Upper Basin below Mather, to the far side of Pinchot. Thanks for this great TR, Ian.

thanks again harlen!

i believe that photo is of the two small lakes just north of marjorie (so the camera would have been facing northwest-ish).