High Sierra Topix

AUGUST 2004 Trip:

One of my best trips (51 years in Sierras this year 2024). It was a 70-mile solo loop with five X-C passes. Camp areas below, separated by "..." punctuation. The only X-C pass I no longer do is the one from Ram Lakes to Cloverleaf Lake. I later scouted out and often use "Bunny Lake Pass", a MUCH saner route.

CAMPS and some landmark features:

Lake Edison TH to ... 1 - Devil's Bathtub ... 2 - Jackson Meadow (above Fish Creek) ... 3 - Ram Lakes ... 4 - Convict Creek drainage / Lake Wit-so-nah-pah ... 5 - Corridor Pass to Hopkins Pass camp ... 6 - Second Recess/Mills Creek camp ... 7 - Lake Italy/Hilgard Branch camp ... PCT/ Bear Ridge back to VVR Trail Head.

As obvious in the photos, I had WAY heavy gear including a kit-made pack (45 years in use and counting!), 4-season tent (couldn't afford 1-season tent), etc. NOT ultra-light. But damn fun!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... drive_link

Your 50 year old photos are excellent! Are these scans of old slides? My scans of old stuff generally doesn't come out that well.
-Phil

August 2004 hike. Very nice, you have whet my whistle!

Mike

wildhiker wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 11:00 pm Your 50 year old photos are excellent! Are these scans of old slides? My scans of old stuff generally doesn't come out that well.
-Phil

OOPs! I misread this as a report of a trip 50 years ago, not 20 years ago. So photos are native digital. Still very nice!

wildhiker wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:53 am

wildhiker wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 11:00 pm Your 50 year old photos are excellent! Are these scans of old slides? My scans of old stuff generally doesn't come out that well.
-Phil

OOPs! I misread this as a report of a trip 50 years ago, not 20 years ago. So photos are native digital. Still very nice!

Actually they were film. Not as good as later shots with just my smartphone. Also, I bought a slide scanner for trips going back to 1974 and was rather disappointed with quality such that I never proceeded. And those for sure were my best trips though 2004 loop compares well.