MudNCrud Forums
Climbing and ... Climbing => Everywhere Else => Topic started by: Brad Young on September 09, 2013, 08:43:54 PM
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Tricia and I did the Mammoth to Tuolumne Meadows hike on Saturday and Sunday (helped as always by Vicki, to whom - if I mind my manners for a few more days - I will have been married to for 21 years come Thursday!). We had great weather; even the Rim Fire smoke was totally gone until the wind shifted on Sunday, half an hour after we got to The Meadows (and things then got pretty smokey).
We did the 27.8 mile trip in two days since it is too soon in the school year to take Tricia out for a day. It worked out well, Saturday we did over 16 miles and then had an easy, even cruiser Sunday during which we hiked just under 11 miles by 12:15 in the afternoon.
After spending Friday night in Mammoth, we got over Minaret Summit before the shuttle bus becomes mandatory and then had breakfast at Reds Meadow. After eating we drove back to Agnew Meadow where it was still cold enough that Tricia got ready in the car and so Vicki "stole" her too-small down jacket to stay warm:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/9704394993_b5839dbda7_c.jpg)
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/9707629412_8919de7e85_c.jpg)
I on the other hand wore my brand new jacket (the result of an "oh-shit" moment driving down the night before and remembering that I had forgotten to pack that item - thanks if you read this Erin of Mammoth Mountaineering for helping us on an emergency basis after normal hours!!):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7419/9704396959_375eb6ff4a_c.jpg)
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3816/9704398777_20de63fe03_c.jpg)
Unlike the John Muir Trail, the PCT takes the "High Trail" to Thousand Island Lake. This trail has some of the most magnificent views in the Sierra, to the west, looking at Banner Peak, Mount Ritter and the Minarets (right to left in the following photo):
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/9704404979_b9856f375a_c.jpg)
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3781/9707641300_43b1770fdf_c.jpg)
Tricia and I really flew up this trail. We made the 7.8 miles to Thousand Island by just after noon. We ate lunch there and then posed for photos:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3806/9707646348_6b8ea96055_c.jpg)
Here's a view looking back toward Mammoth at the High Trail, San Joaquin Mountain and Two Teats:
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5503/9704413137_d20997462c_c.jpg)
With the day's milage half done, we looked forward to crossing Donahue Pass and entering Yosemite:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/9704415393_5f70bb4abb_c.jpg)
By the time we neared this pass we had hiked nearly 15 miles for the day and were feeling a little tired:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3834/9707655492_40785a6047_c.jpg)
But we made it, rested for a while and then continued:
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2881/9707659740_b026f3ee44_c.jpg)
Just over Donahue appears one of the most sublime views in the Sierra, the wonderful Lyle Canyon of the Tuolumne River (our next day's hike):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/9704424753_ae53ea8b49_c.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/9707661728_8cb8373b95_c.jpg)
We made our way another two miles then to a small, unnamed lake beyond the pass, but still above the main part of Lyle Canyon:
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/9704427061_ea4728fdac_c.jpg)
Once there we relaxed as the last sun of the day faded onto the surrounding peaks:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7376/9704433251_676fde9c26_c.jpg)
I got Tricia to laugh at how her long underwear matched the color of our water bottle:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3719/9704432083_7b9a4b9028_c.jpg)
Then we made a tent-less, stove-less, but very comfortable and pretty bivy (these were the lightest packs either of us had carried for quite some time). There really is something life-affirming about hanging out at 10,000 feet, in warm sleeping bags with your 11 year old, watching the Milky Way slowly appear in the night sky:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3780/9704429505_564e96ca44_c.jpg)
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What a trip....such a great experience.
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Congratulations!
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Wonderful!
I had heard stories of how nice Lyle can be. Sounds like a worthy spot to add to the hikes to do list.
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Day two started with a chilly descent to the meadows of the Lyle Fork:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3756/9715915102_de70cf86c8_c.jpg)
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5517/9715914150_151cc5b7a5_c.jpg)
We then cruised a very easy and very "viewful" eight miles of hiking down this pretty canyon:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3784/9715917078_f65fe489e5_c.jpg)
In the photo above, The Kuna Crest makes up the right side of the canyon. We decided to come back on an October weekend to spend a day summitting this formation (and we'll spend the other weekend day exploring the volcanoes near Mono Lake - Tricia is studying geology in science right now).
Other campers weren't moving yet, they were hanging around their campfire:
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3739/9715918420_165d3b469f_c.jpg)
The day slowly warmed and the canyon slowly changed direction from north to west:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/9715919900_815c844418_c.jpg)
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2867/9715917724_86780f299e_c.jpg)
After a wonderful morning we started coming into Tuolumne Meadows. To have hiked to Tuolumne Meadows from Mexico was really moving for me; "mountaineering" in my boyhood meant camping and hiking with my family there. I knew Unicorn and Cathedral Peak by name and sight from any angle by the time I was six or seven years old. Dad and I hiked up Mount Dana when I was seven years old. So, when "T" and I arrived there, I was quick to grab photos of her, "the" trail, and these peaks:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/9712689129_f9f57a64a4_c.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/9715925878_76df6f48db_c.jpg)
We then quickly arrived at Highway 120 and crossed it. This is the end of PCT Section "H," and the end too of the first of the three PCT guidebooks:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/9712691587_49f7e1824b_c.jpg)
We'd agreed to meet Vic at the Lembert Dome parking area at 2:00 p.m. But since we arrived almost two hours early, and since the next two tenths of the PCT weren't particularly aesthetic (the trail is the shoulder of the gravel, Soda Springs Road for that distance), we decided to get a small jump on next year's first hike (we dumped our packs with some picnickers at the parking lot first though):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/9715926726_08003d2d67_c.jpg)
And so, with the customary several extra feet of hiking (to insure overlap and that we haven't missed a single step), we brought to a close our best PCT season yet (when we got home we started talking about our first trip next year - to Sonora Pass, a 50 minute drive from our house!):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/9715927636_863809a5de_c.jpg)
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Thanks for the treat!
I can tell some of those pictures don't do the views justice.
Those stream meanders on the Lyle Fork are cool - I need to try and trace them down on Google Earth.
I wonder if the canyon changes direction from north to west because of a fault :)
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I wonder if the canyon changes direction from north to west because of a fault :)
Speaking of Geology, Tricia did read your earlier explanation of that photo near Lake Virginia. We printed out the photo and the explanation for her to take to her science class.
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Speaking of Geology, Tricia did read your earlier explanation of that photo near Lake Virginia. We printed out the photo and the explanation for her to take to her science class.
Nice. Hopefully it will be of some interest to the class. Not sure how much depth they will go into at her grade level.
There certainly are some great opportunities for field trips around your area!
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Great work, you two! Son Jon and his friend Annie did Kuna Crest in August and enjoyed it greatly. I was to have accompanied them, but I had to sit on my britches by the Meadows office and hassle another night's camping for us all. They changed the damned rules on me!
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Son Jon and his friend Annie did Kuna Crest in August and enjoyed it greatly. I was to have accompanied them, but I had to sit on my britches by the Meadows office and hassle another night's camping for us all. They changed the damned rules on me!
You'd be welcome to join Tricia and I to do Kuna. It looks like we'll do it the second weekend of October (although we'll likely stay in one of the campgrounds by Tioga Pass).
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Great trip report, Brad... Having hiked through these areas I definitely agree that there is some beautiful scenery in the Ritter Range and down along the Lyle Fork. Here are a few photos from trips I took in the past 2-3 years along that route... First one of the Minarets at sunset from the trail section between Agnew Meadow and Thousand Island Lake:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/9738390910_1e6e250e92_b.jpg)
The next couple are of Thousand Island Lake while I spent a stormy night there and the following morning:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/9735150823_c72a20cc2e_b.jpg)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/9738387936_4c875b3e43_b.jpg)
And here's a final one of Sierra Columbine, next to the tarn just over Donahue Pass (and up-trail from the lake Brad stayed at):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6773343411_d36db00e6f_b.jpg)
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stunning pics as usual Gavin!
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Wow, Gavin! The photos are great.
I'm also impressed that you know the area well enough to recognize the lake we stayed at and the fact that there's a similar but smaller lake just higher on the trail.
Still looking for your High Sierra backpack trip report ;D
Rob, this should definitely be on your list to do with your uncle and family.
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the flowers are my favorite.
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Glad you like the photos, guys. Yeah, time spent in that area was memorable.
The Sierra Columbine flowers are quite pretty, and are only found in the High Sierra range. The pure strain flowers have white petals, while the pink ones - like those pictured - are hybrids with the more common red columbine species people are more familiar with.
Okay, Brad: a trip report (or at least the first part of one!) for the trek Alacia and I took in Sequoia National Park in August is coming soon.
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Well, that's pretty disappointing.
Everything has been shaping up nicely for our next PCT leg (Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass in seven days). We had to push the start back by one day due to an ongoing cycle of thunderstorms (we're starting Monday instead of Sunday). But now we're leaving into a fantastic looking weather window. Work's in good shape. I feel like I'm in good shape, and Tricia's very enthused. Our friend from last summer, Reid (one of the "yellow packs") is going to join us.
And Katie's got a cold.
Damn, damn, damn. I've been in denial all week. She was really bad clear into Tuesday. I thought she'd get better faster. But Vicki and I spoke with her tonight (she's down at school) and she's just clearly not well enough. I can't see taking her to 9,000 feet and hiking 11 miles per day without her feeling like crap the whole time.
If we wait a week for her, we'll have no real chance of getting to Highway 80 by more hikes this summer. So we're going without her.
This northern Yosemite leg of the PCT is one of the most beautiful hikes in the world. I really had my heart set on doing it with both girls.
Katie doesn't seem to mind all that much. She's going to join us for two three-day legs later in the month (from Highway 50 to Highway 80). I know those legs will be great, and I'll love having her along then. But I'm pretty disappointed right now.
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Hope you all have a good time and that that Katie gets well soon.
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Brad and Trish,
I will barbecue a juicy, dripping, dry rub-savory, melt in your mouth ribeye steak with the fixins to salute your trekking excursion. Washed down with ICE COLD brew.
Cheers!
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Brad and Trish,
I will barbecue a juicy, dripping, dry rub-savory, melt in your mouth ribeye steak with the fixins to salute your trekking excursion. Washed down with ICE COLD brew.
Cheers!
Thanks Clink, I will take you up on all that. Tricia might skip the beer ;D
I suspect I'll be bummed about Katie until we're a few miles onto the trail. Then the excitement and beauty will take over. And actually, I've never hiked the Desolation Wilderness, nor north of it. By the time we get up there I'll be pretty tickled to have "Pipsqueak" along (that's Katie's first ever nickname). Dawsons are going to join us too for the first of those two three day hikes.
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Have a great hike.
Hopefully the bugs aren't biting...
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Sounds great no matter who is along.
That is a bummer Katie can't join in - especially since now you won't have any physical impairments to make excuses for not keeping up with T :)
Now just to be clear - I think clink meant he is going to bbq that grub for himself to celebrate your sojourn.
Just remember that we are all with you in spirit on those magical trails :)
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Am I that mean? Ha!
Brad, I owe you both a steak when you trek Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass in seven days. Wish I was going.
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...especially since now you won't have any physical impairments to make excuses for not keeping up with T :)
Probably gonna have to hurt you for that comment :P
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please takes pictures and notes for new route potential.
Have a good trip.
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Thank you Factor.
Right now I'm feeling like we have already scored double!
1. It's black black black outside here at the house. We've got thunder in the distance and it's raining hard. Yet the National Weather Service says gorgeous skies starting tomorrow for six days (as long as the forecast lasts). I'm so glad we delayed a day.
2. A rain like this significantly pushes back the late-summer dryness that always makes us afraid that this is going to be the year that fire rages through. (I bet we get more than a quarter inch of water the way it's raining out there!!).
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Rained here for about 20 minutes yesterday. The rain started about 10 minutes after we walked in the door after our bicycle ride.
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Now packed and ready to drive away. There remains only to sleep, wake up, eat breakfast and leave. I'm quite ready to be on the trail!!
Tricia seems to be too.
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I have some wine for you that will go well with Clink's steak. Trish is excused. Enjoy!
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Now packed and ready to drive away. There remains only to sleep, wake up, eat breakfast and leave. I'm quite ready to be on the trail!!
Tricia seems to be too.
Big boomer clouds tonight as we were driving away from the sierra crest. Will think positive thoughts for weather for you.
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We just got back.
We went 75.9 miles, Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass, in seven perfect days. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was Tricia's reaction to passing the PCT 1,000 mile point (1,000 miles from the Mexican border). Last night Tricia and I slept at 10,500 feet directly on the pacific crest. Then we hustled out this morning as the clouds and smoke built up.
What a trip! What a section of trail!
What a dinner of real food coming up tonight ;)
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Congratulations!
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We just got back.
We went 75.9 miles, Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass, in seven perfect days. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was Tricia's reaction to passing the PCT 1,000 mile point (1,000 miles from the Mexican border). Last night Tricia and I slept at 10,500 feet directly on the pacific crest. Then we hustled out this morning as the clouds and smoke built up.
What a trip! What a section of trail!
What a dinner of real food coming up tonight ;)
Congrats! So happy for you guys- what an experience!!!! Welcome home Brad.
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excellent!
nice job!
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Great work and great timing! We've got a thunderstorm in the Gabilans this morning east of K.C. - not much of one, but I suspect the Sierras will do more with this moisture.