Heart-shaped Hole 2015.07.29 Latergram, Sierra High Route During this descent [along Mill Creek down the Second Recess] the hiker can enjoy an unusual Sierra sight. Across the Second Recess and about one mile distant is a gigantic, heart-shaped hole in a steep cliff. So incongruous is this feature that the mind struggles to explain it. Perhaps it is a gouge left after a massive rockfall–no, it is too deep. Perhaps it is a cave–but, no, caves don’t occur in granite. All one can say is that it is a mysterious feature. ~ Steve Roper, THE SIERRA HIGH ROUTE: Traversing Timberline Country 💙 After staring at this ridge for a little while, I found the heart-shaped hole (center). It is definitely heart-shaped and it is definitely huge. Wish I had a telephoto lens to better […] Read more
Duck Lake 2015.07.27 Latergram, Sierra High Route Duck Lake is worth visiting either from Mammoth over Duck Pass or from the JMT south of Reds Meadow. The more remote and less-traveled spots are always worth the trouble to get to! Read more
Kelly Latergram Take it all the way back to Friday morning, standing on the side of the road at 7:30am in Lone Pine hoping to hitch to a remote trailhead near Bishop. Kelly picked me up and not only postponed his cookie baking lesson to bring me right to the North Lake Piute Pass trailhead, but stopped at Great Basin Bakery and bought me coffee, a muffin, and a baguette to pack out. Kelly retired young when Oprah went off television and has the fortune to travel the world having excellent adventures. My budget allows things like… hitch hiking! And so to meet people so gracious and open-minded as Kelly who will share in the fun is my great blessing. I only got to spend an hour with him […] Read more
Hammil Lake Latergram, Sierra High Route Just finishing up 53 more miles on the Sierra High Route, headed down to Reds Meadow where I pray the hot spring isn’t padlocked. View down on Hammil Lake and Mammoth Creek from Mammoth Crest. Read more
Cotton Lake 2015.07.26 Latergram, Sierra High Route More smoke-obfuscated Sierra High Route pictures from Sunday. Cotton Lake and a hazy Red Slate Mountain. Read more
Smoke coming in Latergram, Sierra High Route Sunday 7/26, high on the on the Sierra High Route. Is there something wrong with my eyes? Why are those mountains so blurry? Read more
Sunday Panorama 3 Latergram, Sierra High Route 3/3 Sunday panorama, high and smokey in the Sierra, I had no way of knowing which way the fire was and I was scared! Willow Fire smoke. Read more
Sunday Panorama 2 Latergram, Sierra High Route 2/3 Sunday panorama, high and smokey in the Sierra, I had no way of knowing which way the fire was and I was scared! This rock is as big as a car. Read more
Sunday Panorama Latergram, Sierra High Route 1/3 Sunday panorama, high and smokey in the Sierras, I had no way of knowing which way the fire was and I was scared! Read more
Ursa Lake 2015.07.25 Latergram, Sierra High Route Rainbows of color in Ursa Lake, at 11,480ft. Turquoise water with rusty red and gold sand beds. Chartreuse moss in the green grass, perfectly blue skies. Bear Lakes Basin, Saturday Read more
Feather Peak Latergram, Sierra High Route View of gorgeous Feather Peak from Feather Pass (12,375ft) on Saturday (3/3 panorama, for full view see my profile). Viewed from other angles it’s obvious why it was named “Feather.” I like this striking angle, too. I had a conversation with Poet yesterday. When I’m less than 500 feet from bagging a peak as I have been many times this month, why don’t I do it? It’s not that I can’t or am scared or haven’t thought about it, it’s just that I don’t want to. Strange? Poet thinks so. Read more
Latergram, Sierra High Route View of Royce Peak’s west face from Feather Pass (12,375ft) on Saturday (2/3 panorama, for full view see my profile) Read more
Juncos 2015.07.24 Latergram, Sierra High Route Two dark-eyed juncos eye me as I consider a dip in Puppet Lake. They were the bird I saw the most of, except maybe the Clark’s nutcrackers, which have a sorta annoyingly shrill and verbose alert call. I prefer the finch-like juncos, which were quiet, almost trusting, and playful. Read more
Other People on the SHR Latergram, Sierra High Route It’s rare to meet other people on the SHR here we have three, including two who have hiked the route before. We’re at 11,800 feet, looking north on Puppet Lake. They have what appears to be their mother with them so they take the right side slowly, while I tackle the class 3-4 talus straight down and gain half a mile on them by the time I reach the lake. They then head East as they are on a shorter loop hike. Ah, solitude! Friday. Read more
That Asshole 2015.07.23 Latergram, Pacific Crest Trail Throwback to 2 years ago on the PCT. Hiker “That Asshole” unwittingly walks away from one of the biggest trail dramas of the year – the owner of the Red Moose in Sierra City accusing him of stiffing them on his pancake breakfast. Cool guy, funny and a gentleman; unfortunate situation. Anyway, don’t steal on the Pacific Crest Trail – even people just _suspected_ of stealing are ostracized and treated very poorly all the way up trail like That Asshole was. That’s probably why theft almost never happens. But it happened this week to a friend on trail and it’s a crappy reminder that it’s not all unicorns and rainbows out there. Read more