Just this past weekend, some friends and myself went to the Cottonwood/Langley area to celebrate a friends birthday.. As usual, I couldnt wait to get back, so we just left at 8pm last Friday evening. After stopping several times for food, ice cream, and number 1, we're at the trailhead. My passengers were sleeping, waking every so often, for the most part I was wide awake. The other half of the group arrived at 430 on the dot, as planned. I think you know what happens next.
Hiked straight to Muir lake to set up camp, then go explore nearby lakes. We were pretty tired from no sleep, but lately that feeling has become a bit easier to handle. After sleeping at Muir lake for 3 hours, we went on a small hike.
Muir lake
Unnamed lake
A tad blurry but still cool, Muir lake
The next morning, a Sunday, we wake up at 430, took a bit longer than expected to leave, we probably were on trail by 530.
Lake 3 (on google maps)
Lake 4 (on google maps)
Up to langley we go, via Old Army, as you can see in the previous pictures.
Over to Cirque peak
The lake basin
And finally at the peak. This I heard it was an easy 14er, and I would say yes, it is.
Owens valley
The fun way up. Just a bit before this point we saw a heard of bighorn. There were easily 20 of them. We saw 3 other ones a couple minutes before the heard. Literally 15-20 all at once. Some were tagged.
Cirque and Olancha
4 and 5 in the afternoon, since the morning shots were washed out.
At the top of Langley, my friend who is trying to get 100 different peaks this year basically ran down to the pass, and up to Cirque peak to get a second peak in this day. He as not alone, and i escorted the second half of the group back to the old army pass, and they went back to camp. I kept going up and over to new army pass, and down to High lake to meet mr peak bagger. New army is beautiful.
High lake, Long lake, South fork
Birthday boy's summit shot on Cirque
High lake, we did do a skinny dip to clean our nasty selves here, and again at Muir lake multiple times this trip.
Now on the way back to Muir lake
Long lake
Mount Langley, where I had just ate lunch it seemed.
Lake 1
Sun is setting at Muir lake. We a little bit of Grandpas medicine, which we sipped up before and after we ate. That was nice.
Saw a nice big deer real close on the way out. Had some nice cold beers on the way out at Whitney restaurant. And a smooth drive back to the concrete jungle.