Thanks. Was wondering if you went over the saddle S of Merced. Looked fine on zee Google, but wanted to make sure.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You've definitely got me beat this year... I counted this weekend... 48 days in the backcountry for me. I was sitting on my couch while everybody was out having fun getting snowed on. Hoping to hit 60 before New Year's.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'd be curious to see a map too... to see exactly where you went around Triple Divide and Buena Vista...by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
French Canyon trip report is forthcoming soon as my friend sends me his pics...by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I think what you describe isn't really limited to the SHR. Just about everywhere I've been has use trails of one kind or another. They are a lot more prominent when the terrain naturally funnels people into one path. Use trails don't bother me nearly as much as trash. I was way out in the middle of nowhere near Balloon Dome last weekend and stumbled across a campsite with a decaying sleeping bag,by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteJustKeepWalking Quotechick-onI need to dig up a stuffed animal and go hiking with you guys sometime. Best be a cute animal. That Crab, now named ACE, was adorable, and was riding on the top of tomdisco's pack! Super-cute! I've got both a stuffed marmot and a stuffed grey squirrel. Tough call there.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow. I really enjoyed the photos, particularly the star shots. Roper's opinion of the Lake Italy region reveals how arbitrary most opinions about high country aesthetics are... I gave up trying to pick my "favorite" place a long time ago. It's all good. It's interesting that you guys felt there were lots of ducks and use trails in that area. I remember thinking there wasn't much impby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Feather definitely has its fair share of white granite. That trail getting up to Merriam is STEEP! This lake just north of there isn't half bad either:by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That's a Nice Beach! Merriam Lake? I don't remember a beach there, but I gave the lake a pretty wide berth due to the naked couple relaxing on the shoreline. Going up there next weekend for 4 days to do some fishing.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow. Fantastic trip. I'm jealous. Well, I was hiking the JMT while you were out there, so I shouldn't complain too much. While it sounds like the smoke was kinda nasty, I think you guys actually got pretty lucky and it could have been much worse. I need to dig up a stuffed animal and go hiking with you guys sometime.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the pics. You had me sold after the first two. I'm adding a trip out of Isberg Pass TH to my short list...by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Very cool. Some of those swimming holes look unreal. My wife says that backpacking is an excuse to go swimming. She loved the photos. Climbing Starr King is on my to-do list for this summer... gotta dust off my climbing rope and rack.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That's Mount Ritter. The river valley in the foreground is the confluence of the North & Middle Forks of the San Joaquin River.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on I didn't read your mind... I mentioned this trip to you at the permit station... and you had said you wanted to do Stubblefield... Yeah...but I didn't mention anything about getting there via Wells or 9774. I figured they were obscure enough that nobody would go up there... funny that you came up with the same route. Quotechick-on Little did she know I was simply planting tby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Don't be a smart pass had a snowfield at the top on the north side last October (also a low snow year.) The map shows it as a permanent snowfield. I'd expect to have to walk on at least a little snow. There is also some medium-sized talus getting to the snowfield on the north side. The south side is easy and should be clear of snow. Edit to add photo (from October 2012):by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow. I think you read my mind. I was searching for a way to extend Roper's route to the north and got to looking at the map of northern Yosemite and noticed that it looked like you could piece together a route that links each of the big north/south canyons together. That got me looking at the Stubblefield area... and after lots of searching for info on the net, there basically wasn't anything morby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Awesome. Thanks for the pics. Where exactly did you guys cross over into S Fork Cathedral? I remember seeing that wall on the west side of the canyon when doing the Ten Lakes loop and wondering if there was a way down. That is such a nice canyon, feels like you are really out in the middle of nowhere. My wife and I got harassed by a momma grouse who was trying to protect her babies when we were tby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Right at the outlet of the lowest lake on Maclure Creek, there are two nice groves of trees, one of whitebark pines and one of lodgepole pines. The lodgepoles form a nice ring around a perfect campsite with a killer view of Kuna Crest to the east and Simmons Peak to the west. That's where that shot is from. Of course, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a perfect campsite up that way.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Very nice! Your original Lyell Headwaters TR inspired me to do the same thing last year, and again a few weeks ago when we climbed Lyell. I've never actually made it over to Ireland Lake though, both times we ended up heading down the JMT after circling thru the Lyell Basin. Instead of staying high and passing by the official Maclure Lake I've dropped down to the two lakes on Maclure Creek at 105by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow. I've been over Secret Pass many but I usually try to stay as high as I can... never even occured to me to drop down Cold Canyon. Look at how much cool stuff you found down there. That view up Spiller is awesome. I've been up near the head but never down below Whorl and it looks awesome. That's what I enjoy the most about your TRs, they tend to be stuff I wouldn't have thought of doing on myby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You can tell why most people rappel off Matthes after reaching the summit from the south... those three gendarmes on the right look quite a bit harder. That's what we did when we climbed it, if you rap after the south summit it's only 5.4-ish.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Cool view of Ireland... still haven't made it over there. Other than day trips to climb Cathedral & Matthes that whole area west of Vogelsang and east of Sunrise remains unexplored for me... gotta remedy that sometime soon.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It's funny, we actually have run into each other before - we talked to each other on the Snow Creek trail this winter. The only reason I recognized him was because he was wearing the same hat. He doesn't look anywhere near as pink in person.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Good meeting you at the permit station. What are the chances? Probably about the same chances as me finding my buddy's sunglasses in the talus field above Helen Lake from when he lost them on the same loop last August. I should buy a lotto ticket or something. We didn't end up making it to the basin below Lyell until Saturday afternoon, so we waited until Sunday to climb it. Didn't have time tby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Edited to add captions etc... After a long winter, it's good to be back in the High Sierra... Mount Dana Helen Pass Cathedral Range Kuna Peak Ritter Range Crampons on, heading up the Lyell Glacier The low snow year meant there was only 4-5" of snow on top of blue glacier ice. Good thing we brought the crampons. From the summit, toby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My wife just drove through Tioga Pass last night and said there was zero snow at the pass level. Yes, you can get a wilderness permit starting at Saddlebag Lake from the Tuolumne rangers. No need to drive down to the Inyo station unless you are coming from the east.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow, my wife just headed out for Tuolumne yesterday and I told her how I thought it'd be a great time to climb Gibbs/Dana cause they would probably be covered in snow. Guess not!by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nice pics, thanks for sharing. I'll be there on Friday. I hope we have better luck with the class 3 to the summit.by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I actually have a short Neo air too.. but the 2.5" drop off wrecks my knees at night. Probably will sell it someday. Sometimes I bring the shorty and a 24" piece of ridgerest which goes under my feet and is a better sit pad, but that contraption weighs the same as the long Neo air so I usually don't bother. Sure wish I could sleep well on just that 7oz short neo air though...by AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
For that size and weight that Mammut pad can't be more than 1/2" thick. Too spartan for my tastes... Sleeping pads are one area I've never been able to skimp on to save weight. Tried to sleep on a Ridgerest a year ago and it felt more like an unplanned bivy... never slept longer than 15 minutes at a time that night. Now I use a 20x72" Neoair. I usually bring a thin 1/8" foam pad toby AndrewF - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion