R04/R01 TR: Shoulder Season in Ionian Basin ~ October 2013

[sekihiker]

After deciding to dig deeper into pages from the past, I discovered your excellent report. I love the area and have spent a lot of time roaming around in it.

[Bluewater]

Thanks sekihiker. I read several of your trip reports when researching the route. The climb up the north side of Thunder Pass must have been a challenge!

I enjoyed reading about your Elizabeth Pass loop from this year. I spent a week last spring snowshoeing through some of that same area (Tablelands, Pterodactyl Pass, Lonely Lake).


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[brvoyles]

Cool trip! Ionian Basin is on the top of my to do list.

Brian

[Harlen]

Andy,

That is a really well-done TR. Sorry the hear about your unplanned descent down the slabs- I've done stupider things, at least bloodier. What a great route you discovered. Lake Confusion looks beautiful, and your photos / panos are excellent! I have never read any of Secor's books, so I had never heard of "Finger Pass," that looks like the way to go next trip to Ionian Basin.

I did three long summers of restoration work on "Lost Canyon," which was pretty much destroyed when the P.G.&E hydro. pipe burst between Courtright and Wishon- mostly revegetation. During the drought on the first year of the project (1986?), my then girlfriend and I were free to hike as much as we liked, because the work was on hold due to lack of rain. We did a lot of hikes, mostly beginning at Courtright Res. Have you ever descended "Enchanted Gorge" from Ionian Basin Andy? I reckon that was our favorite trip. From the bottom, we went up the Middle Fork of the Kings and on to Dusy Basin, which was the first time I had ever seen it- what a stunning view of the Palisades from the trail to Bishop Pass! Down through Evo. Valley, and out Florence Lake.

I will be in LB in a few days, and then off to the Sierra again with Lizzie and the dogs. I am very interested in your backpack designs- I am still saddled with a 7lb. pack, and other assorted heavyweight gear. Your stove sounds like space-age technology Andy; we couldn't figure it out. Let me know if we can meet up soon in LB. Ian and Lizzie Harlen.

[Jimr]

I took the DoyleWDonhoo route in '89 up to Finger Col. I agree, it's an easy peasy way to get to the col and into Goddard Creek. Finger Col is a very cool col. Just step right through a narrow collapse in the ridge. I kept stepping back and forth between worlds. I hadn't read anything Roper before, but Portal meant a way through, so I relied on that name to find a way across.