TR: Humphreys Basin in Perfect Stormy Weather! 8/9 - 8/15
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2023 12:22 am
The first "perfect storm" waited till the four of us were lying happily in our tent, and only then did it pour hail upon us. The hailstorm was exceedingly brief-- beginning at exactly 12 AM, and lasting for just one hour. A few hours later, when I went outside to check the weather, it was already a perfect starry night!
This is the sunset we enjoyed prior to that brief storm. The picture is taken from the outlet end of Tomahawk Lake, with Pilot Knob in the center.
The morning after the first "storm" was this clear!
Our "perfect stormy" trip carried on like this, with brilliant skies, and an often ethereal light bathing the land. I have always preferred to experience at least some stormy weather in the mountains, compared to straight, blue sky days. The myriad cloud formations can add another fascinating dimention to the scenery, and the rich light of moisture laden air makes an occasional soaking well worth it. Of course, day after day deluges, and endless gray days are unwelcome events, but please give us a few thunderstorms for the excitment and the beauty.
For a long while the mountain was hidden in cloud, or shadowed, so when the clouds cleared away, and it shone this beautifully, I was ecstatic! I ran/hobbled up the rocky hill to capture this image.
So this was the wonderful pattern of the successive storms we experienced after our first, and only clear day. We hiked in from North Lake, over Piute Pass, and on to our first stop at Lake Muriel. It was unusually crowded due to all the JMT and PCT'ers who were avoiding the damaged bridge over the San Joaquin. They go out Piute Pass, and come back in over Bishop Pass, or vice-versa. Muriel Lake is more or less on the way. There is actually a small trail from the east side of Muriel Lake right to the pass. We were happy to use it, as I am still favoring my recently injured ankle. We chose H. Basin as my first trial backpack just because it is such a gentle landscape, and it worked out fine. We spent the next 2 days based at Tomahawk Lake, and the subsequent 2 days at Mesa Lake. We did some nice fishing, and long day hikes from these bases. Our 6th and final night was spent at Piute Lake, where once again, we were only rained on briefly in the night. It did rain on us on the way out, but it was a gentle and fragrant experience-- we loved it, but our fair-weather dogs were a bit miffed.
We traveled off trail everywhere in the basin, till on the way out, when we met the trail for the last couple miles to the pass. There were no problems crossing creeks, no mosquito issues to complain about, and there were wonderful wildflowers-- it was just carpeted with endless species of flowers! On the trail in, we were also amazed by some of our favorite flowers, but these were the big showy species, like Leopard Lilies*, Monkshood, and a new pink mallow flower-- the "Bog Mallow," aka "Oregon Checkerbloom." We also saw some native orchids-- the "White Bog Orchid," and many Penstemon flowers and Paintbrush, Gilia, and on and on. It is really nice out there, or at least it was for us. Let's hope the storms stay mild, not wild. The rest in pictures and captions:
*Ed/Gogd says it's a "Tiger Lily," I've learned that the two can hybridize... how about "Liger?" (AKA "Kelley's Lily.")
The "Bog Mallow," or Sidalcea oregana perhaps ssp. spicata.
The pine "flowers"-- pollen-carrying male cones of the Whitebark Pine.
When we first saw the Leopard Lilies, they were among purple Monkshood, and being fed upon and pollinated by Swallowtail Butterflies!
A bush lupine species near the trailhead, higher up, we got into fields of alpine lupine-- probably Lobbs Lupine.
Nine year old Bearzy. The dogs behaved very well, both when leashed and unleashed. The Horse packers were impressed, and wanted to know what kind of dog Bearzy is. They agreed that he must have some cattle dog in the mix.
Looking east down the valley from near Piute Pass. Piute Lake first, down to Loch Leven, with unnamed little lakes all around.
We struggled over to Muriel Lake to camp, which is only about 6 miles in from the trailhead on the south side of H.Basin. For some reason we were knackered! I really hope I was suffering from poor acclimatization, if not, then I am woefully out of shape! Muriel Lake is 11,336', and we had come from sea level, with one short night by Tioga Pass at ~9.500.'
This is the sunset we enjoyed prior to that brief storm. The picture is taken from the outlet end of Tomahawk Lake, with Pilot Knob in the center.
The morning after the first "storm" was this clear!
Our "perfect stormy" trip carried on like this, with brilliant skies, and an often ethereal light bathing the land. I have always preferred to experience at least some stormy weather in the mountains, compared to straight, blue sky days. The myriad cloud formations can add another fascinating dimention to the scenery, and the rich light of moisture laden air makes an occasional soaking well worth it. Of course, day after day deluges, and endless gray days are unwelcome events, but please give us a few thunderstorms for the excitment and the beauty.
For a long while the mountain was hidden in cloud, or shadowed, so when the clouds cleared away, and it shone this beautifully, I was ecstatic! I ran/hobbled up the rocky hill to capture this image.
So this was the wonderful pattern of the successive storms we experienced after our first, and only clear day. We hiked in from North Lake, over Piute Pass, and on to our first stop at Lake Muriel. It was unusually crowded due to all the JMT and PCT'ers who were avoiding the damaged bridge over the San Joaquin. They go out Piute Pass, and come back in over Bishop Pass, or vice-versa. Muriel Lake is more or less on the way. There is actually a small trail from the east side of Muriel Lake right to the pass. We were happy to use it, as I am still favoring my recently injured ankle. We chose H. Basin as my first trial backpack just because it is such a gentle landscape, and it worked out fine. We spent the next 2 days based at Tomahawk Lake, and the subsequent 2 days at Mesa Lake. We did some nice fishing, and long day hikes from these bases. Our 6th and final night was spent at Piute Lake, where once again, we were only rained on briefly in the night. It did rain on us on the way out, but it was a gentle and fragrant experience-- we loved it, but our fair-weather dogs were a bit miffed.
We traveled off trail everywhere in the basin, till on the way out, when we met the trail for the last couple miles to the pass. There were no problems crossing creeks, no mosquito issues to complain about, and there were wonderful wildflowers-- it was just carpeted with endless species of flowers! On the trail in, we were also amazed by some of our favorite flowers, but these were the big showy species, like Leopard Lilies*, Monkshood, and a new pink mallow flower-- the "Bog Mallow," aka "Oregon Checkerbloom." We also saw some native orchids-- the "White Bog Orchid," and many Penstemon flowers and Paintbrush, Gilia, and on and on. It is really nice out there, or at least it was for us. Let's hope the storms stay mild, not wild. The rest in pictures and captions:
*Ed/Gogd says it's a "Tiger Lily," I've learned that the two can hybridize... how about "Liger?" (AKA "Kelley's Lily.")
The "Bog Mallow," or Sidalcea oregana perhaps ssp. spicata.
The pine "flowers"-- pollen-carrying male cones of the Whitebark Pine.
When we first saw the Leopard Lilies, they were among purple Monkshood, and being fed upon and pollinated by Swallowtail Butterflies!
A bush lupine species near the trailhead, higher up, we got into fields of alpine lupine-- probably Lobbs Lupine.
Nine year old Bearzy. The dogs behaved very well, both when leashed and unleashed. The Horse packers were impressed, and wanted to know what kind of dog Bearzy is. They agreed that he must have some cattle dog in the mix.
Looking east down the valley from near Piute Pass. Piute Lake first, down to Loch Leven, with unnamed little lakes all around.
We struggled over to Muriel Lake to camp, which is only about 6 miles in from the trailhead on the south side of H.Basin. For some reason we were knackered! I really hope I was suffering from poor acclimatization, if not, then I am woefully out of shape! Muriel Lake is 11,336', and we had come from sea level, with one short night by Tioga Pass at ~9.500.'