High Sierra Topix

Ragged Spur Lake (**** Lake)

Woo hoo!

I've had my eyes on that lake forever. Thanks for letting us know how it actually looks.

tanngrisnir3 wrote:

RoguePhotonic wrote:Derek has completed a video for the section he was with us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDbMWL ... ture=share" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is so cool! Right in my wheelhouse too: my day-job is as a Composer, and as a result, I often work with video. Now I have a video to show my wife: "This is the kind of stuff I do out there." She has seen the pictures, but video really brings it home.

I am plowing through this trip report (up to page 3) and I have been going through Rogues Flicker pages. Really something to look forward to when I take a break from the Studio.

Good to see another red-haired dude out there. I get funny looks because I cover up from head to toe. Hey! I BURN!

I too have had issues with Secor's class ratings. Too often I have headed up a supposed "Class 2" route only to be confronted with a knife edge that requires climbing moves that has a 2000 drop on one side and a 1000 foot drop on the other, causing me to shout "this is bull a-word-harsher-than-crap!!!", and then think bad thoughts about Secor. Elite level climbers should not be deciding what is class 1 and 2 and 3 for mid-level cross-country mountaineers who are merely mortal.

I was looking at Rogue's pictures of his jaunt to "D u m b a s s L a k e" and cracking up. I don't know what possessed them to go there, but I bet they were the first. It looks like a blast pit in Mordor.

Oh and Mike, I agree with your video comments in Goddard Canyon. I hate bushwacking more than anything.

Well, back to reading....

Yeah we were talking about how Secor has the North ridge on Peak 11,988 listed as class 2-3. We literally were holding onto the top of a knife edge with our feet hanging onto the rock with very few foot holds. Mostly a friction shimmy with tons of exposure. When we reached a section that had broken rock that was going to flake off if we held onto it we decided to turn back. How anyone could call that class 2-3 is beyond me but I don't think Secor ever climbed the peak himself so he probably had bad info. I thought that probably only Andy Smatko had climbed the peak but he has a Douglas Dooley as first ascent in 1970.

Boy oh boy... It sure has been a while, but not to worry I have not forgotten that there is still one more week left in this grand adventure! So without further ado.. Let's do the final Week 5!

Day 29- Layover at Parchers Resort
On Day 29 we had to hitch to my car at North Lake which fortunately didn't take too long. 2 people gave us a ride and we were there. It was good to see my little 30 year old Audi unharmed and still running. We made our way down to Bishop where it was hot as hell. There, we first went to the Ranger Station to get Rogue and I a permit. We got my permit & then we got our chili-cheese fries w/ Carne Asada Burritos. My God… they were glorious. We were dreaming about these burritos every since the first of the 14 day section from VVR. I bought the necessary gear I needed, which included new shoes, new pants, and new poles! It was hard to believe how much damage the mountains had done to me and my clothes but I was ready to go start this final week. We bought whatever food we needed and we were on our way back to Parchers. We got to Bishop Creek Lodge only to discover it was already closed for dinner… a real shame since the Pizza there is amazing. Fortunately though we had a real treat at Parchers. Fresh caught Perch at Crowley and we got to eat with the crew that works there. A really great and fun night. Unfortunately all the greasy fish didn't sit well with us a bit later since we were accustomed to eating simple and very low fat backpackers food. All was well in the end though, but we definitely know not to make that mistake again. And to continue with the streak.. It rained in Bishop that day as well.
Day 30- Parchers Resort to Dusy Branch 12+ Miles
Day 30 was here we were back on the trail. A mostly uneventful day where we got a late start but made it over the pass quickly. The thunderheads built again and as we started descending out of Dusy Basin it looked as though we had never left. The clouds were swirling around the Black Divide and rain was coming for us again. It rained a bit while we descended. Forgot to mention when we went through there several days prior the entire area was in flood stage. It must have rained in that entire area for days to cause such a flood. Clearly this summer wanted to be the summer of endless rain. We had to go just past our planned camps because they were occupied, but we found a nice camp around 9,600 FT. Eventually the clouds cleared & we had a very pretty sunset.
Day 31- Dusy Branch to Lake 10,565 FT 7.9 Miles
We traveled to Lake 10,565 FT below Observation Peak. We stopped and said hello to the LeConte Ranger (Dina).. she was really nice and liked to hear of our adventures. Clouds built all day albeit slower but we still got a bit of rain on our way up Adventurer Pass. The pass was straightforward & easy albeit all the climbing. It was a very pretty lake that was hemmed in on all sides by ridges and peaks. The sunset was pretty and we had a nice evening there with no real rain or weather to deal with.. what a pleasant break!
Day 32- Lake 10,565 FT to Island Bird Lake 2 Miles
Today was a special day for I finally got to see the fabled Island Bird Lake (Rogue was there last year & named it). I of course managed to screw up with my film camera in the morning. Using my shutter release cable it was accidentally depressed and it clicked off 3 identical shots. I was obviously pissed but I proceeded to put a new roll into my camera. This I won’t even see for months. And as I write this today in January I still have not seen those final few shots from Island Bird Lake since I never managed to finish off that roll of film. Hopefully I'll be seeing it in the next couple weeks though. That day the climb was pretty mellow but tedious in places with brush a great deal of boulders. Around 3 we were there. It is most definitely a very beautiful lake that’s about as remote as it gets. From a little hill you get a phenomenal view down LeConte Canyon & the Palisades. Of course no sooner than around 4 it started raining. It hailed pretty good too along with some great thunderstorms. By around 6:30 it was over and we had a beautiful sunset. At Island Bird Lake it definitely felt like you were some of the only people in the Sierra because of how remote it is and the feeling of serenity was all around.
Day 33- Layover
We attempted to climb the peak along Windy Ridge but turned back due to lack of time and some nasty Class 5 technical nonsense. The ridge turned to a knife where flakes were falling off as we stepped on them. It was definitely not something to climb without a rope or proper gear. We did find a better route but decided it would have to wait for next year. We climbed the easy peak above the lake on the way back & I became the 3rd ascent on it since 1980! I’m only the 4th person to ever stand atop it. Truly an awesome experience… And surely the view was phenomenal with miles of canyons and ridges spreading out before our eyes. Quite possibly the best view in the central Sierra! As we were descending it started to rain which is ironic since that occurred last year to Rogue as well. And then the eminent thunderstorms continued for hours with grumbles through 7 P.M. Rogue and I had our last dinner together and slept soundly.
Day 34- Island Bird Lake to Lake below Mt. Shakespeare 2.5 Miles
The day had finally come to part ways with Rogue. I bade him good luck & it was a sad goodbye. I've never spent more time consecutively with a single individual. I spent about 32 days with him which is the longest anyone has ever hiked with him. I quickly made my way down the rock and then up the brush and more rock and finally got to the lake by 3. Camping there was pretty bad with lumpy grass literally 6 inches from the lake. The following morning I had plans to climb Shakespeare and head down into LeConte and then up the Dusy Branch as far as I can. It rained again today for a little while. Clouds built later & less, so I thought that the weather was improving. If you're keeping count today is the 8th day of rain in a row. I couldn't remember any time in my life it rained for over a week straight. And boy was I in for a surprise on the final 35th day!

Day 35- Lake Below Mt. Shakespeare to South Lake 22 Miles
As most of my trips these past few years this one finished with quite a marathon day...
As fate would have it the one peak I really wanted to do toward the end of this trip was Shakespeare. And of course as sure as hell fire and high water a **** 4 am thunderstorm came along which lasted for a fair bit of time. I was completely and utterly pissed for I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to climb Shakespeare now. I at that point decided.. Screw this, I’m going home today. I was tired of getting rained on and having everything be wet and was just done with it. For the first time in my life in the Sierra I think I truly had enough of the awful weather. As I was getting my stuff together I saw the most beautiful sight potentially on the entire 35 days. A gorgeous rainbow appeared across the sky and reflected in the lake with a stunning display of color. It was the Sierra’s last hurrah for me. I got on the move quick for if I wanted to reach my car before dark I would have to really run down some trails and power through all of it. It was something akin to 22 miles and several were cross country. I made my way down Adventurer Pass fairly quickly and then the downpour started which lasted until I crossed Palisade Creek. Rain and sun would continue for hours until I reached the ranger station. At this point I was completely soaked and didn't care anymore. I would have a long uphill climb to dry out. I had lunch at the ranger station and pushed my way up to Bishop Pass. The weather held fair for most of the way until I started descending when more rain and thunder came down upon me. It was now a truly great hurrah for the Sierra. Bolts of lightning were raining down upon me with such fury that my laughter rang throughout the forest and made me look like a madman. It was so close the sky sounded as if it kept splitting open in a fury of red and white light. I saw lighting hit the ground no more than a 1/3 of a mile from me. But by 7 or so I was back at my car, a bit wet and very tired for having completed the longest backpacking day I had ever done.
I was done.. I had finished my 38 day adventure and was alive to tell the tale of it. The drive back home went fairly smoothly and soon I was back home after midnight or so. And adventure of adventures, one that may not have an equal for quite a while, or then again next year is soon at hand and I’m sure the Sierra has many surprises for me!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my Adventures with Rogue Photonic during the exceptional summer of 2014!

That was crazy weather on the day you went out. It came in waves for me. It would clear up and be almost all blue sky with the sun out and it was still pouring on me from the edge of the storm. It continued on and off like this for hours. At one point at Lake 10,565 I looked out of my tent as lightning bolts were shooting sideways down Leconte Canyon.

The funny part is when Mike left after that day of horrible weather it did not rain on me again for 27 days setting a new personal record for me.

Looking forward to this summer! What sort of craziness will it hold!

I told Mike that it just doesn't seem right that I don't have any bush whacking nightmares planned!

When I visited the East Sierra last October, I was baffled as to why there was so much water in most all of the streams considering the drought, while most of the western Sierra was so dry. Now I know why.

It has been said, that in foul weather comes great photographic opportunity.
(And today my new camera arrives. I am jazzed.)

I have been working through Rogues huge body of work on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/roguephotonic/sets/), and followed AlpineMike's and Rogues trip there as well. I would suggest to Rogue, that if he did not have time to write up everything, he should just thoroughly comment his Flickr pictures and post links here on this forum with perhaps a short written description/introduction. There is a benefit to journaling though. John Muir extensively journaled his adventures in the Sierra (and elsewhere), and they became the source material for his books later in his life.

Great TR AlpineMike and Rogue!

Spent the last couple nights reading this in bed. Most epic trip ever. Wish I could embark on a 38 day jaunt in the Sierra. Love hearing about the more remote areas and definitely learned a lot looking at the way you move through the mountains. Great post and thanks for sharing.

Glad you enjoyed @Mradford. Hope you're all ready for this year's report! We're leaving on July 3rd and I won't be returning until after August 19th. I hope to make first week's report by early September!

alpinemike wrote:Glad you enjoyed @Mradford. Hope you're all ready for this year's report! We're leaving on July 3rd and I won't be returning until after August 19th. I hope to make first week's report by early September!

Awesome! Can't wait to read them.