-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
/
Copy path2015-AnselAdams.html
256 lines (203 loc) · 14.1 KB
/
2015-AnselAdams.html
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
<head profile="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></meta>
<link rel='shortcut icon' href='favicon.ico' />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" href="blog.css"/>
<title>Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sep 2015</title>
<style type="text/css" media="screen">
.banner {
background-image: url(https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-tFxR9ZZ/0/O/IMG_2637.jpg);
position: relative;
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: 50% 22%;
margin: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 375px;
box-sizing: content-box;
}
.title {
text-align: left;
padding-left: 50px;
padding-top: 250px;
font-size: 50px;
font-variant: small-caps;
color: #ffb618;
}
.title-date {
font-size: 20px;
padding-left: 50px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="banner">
<div class="title">Ansel Adams Wilderness
<div class="title-date">September 2015</div></div>
</div>
<div class="regcontent">
<p class="regtext"><span class="dropcap">A</span>fter the prior year's rigor and drenching in Wyoming,
we returned to Cali for a drier, gentler trip. It was indeed bone dry but its gentleness depends on
your perspective (more on that later). It also offered a backcountry surprise, something I never expected to stumble upon
in the wilderness.
</p>
<hr>
<p class="regtext">Mammoth Lakes is a beautiful mountain town high in the
Sierra wilderness, yet trailhead access is tedious.
In summertime, the San Joaquin trailheads are only accessible via
a slow shuttle bus from the gondola. We parked near the gondola about 10am,
boarded a shuttle at 10:40, reached the Devil's Postpile stop (7560') at 11:15, and
hit the John Muir Trail (JMT) at 11:30.
</p>
<p class="regtext">The first mile reminded us that we were indeed back
in California: saturating sunshine, rare shade, cloudless but hazy-from-wildfire skies,
and ultra fine Sierra trail dust.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-BTznntQ/0/O/IMG_2595.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-BTznntQ/0/L/IMG_2595-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">It begins: sun and sierra trail dust</p></div>
<p class="regtext">We reached the Superior Lake trail in 45 minutes
and began the steady, moderate, and delightfully shady climb westward.
We reached Beck's cabin (9100') three hours later, which included a
45 minute lunch stop. From Beck's cabin it took half hour to the foot
of Superior Lake (notably: the first usable water since the trailhead)
and another hour to our destination, the north shore of Beck Lake (9840').
</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-K2CMwXb/0/O/IMG_2622.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-K2CMwXb/0/L/IMG_2622-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Campsite one: Beck Lake</p></div>
<p class="regtext">The photo captures the beauty but not the chill.
At sunset it was perhaps 50 degrees, but steady
winds above 20mph sucked away our heat. Roger was shivering, possibly due
to preexisting weariness from his half-ironman. Steve had already used
six pair of socks and was hurting, a bad omen for the morrow.</p>
<p class="regtext">Our first night tradition was well proportioned:
6 steaks, 2 bricks of spinach, 1 loaf of polenta, and 4 key lime pies (for six people).
There were dissenting opinions on bringing N-1 steaks on future trips.
The pan fry worked well, but grease cleanup was ugly; an open fire is
far superior. </p>
<p class="regtext">The sun set at 6:15pm and the Milky Way's structure was visible
by 8:35. We slept early to escape the howling wind. </p>
<hr/>
<p class="regtext">Day two: the mist cleared around 8:40am as sunshine
reached our site. Our plan was to hike up the saddle south of Beck Lake
(visible in the center of the above photo),
then evaluate the feasability of going WSW over the principle ridge into
the Iron Creek drainage. If successful, it would be a great off-trail route
and would guarantee solitude for the following days. If Iron Creek was not
possible, we could drop into Holcombe Lake.
</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-5rtV9sp/0/O/IMG_2613.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-5rtV9sp/0/L/IMG_2613-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Misty morning at Beck Lake</p></div>
<p class="regtext">Though facing a potentially
long off-trail day, we had the most lethargic morning of any recent trip.
I blame the chill and the uncertainty about the day's goal.
We didn't leave camp until 11:30am, and we traveled less than half a mile
in the first hour.</p>
<p class="regtext">Between the late start, the constant wind, the loose footing, and
the various ailments, we had to abort the ascent.
We descended to Superior Lake, ate lunch in the meadow, and reviewed our options.
The wind was so brutal that we briefly considered hiking out directly.
But thankfully we settled on the short journey to Gertrude Lake.
</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-tFxR9ZZ/0/O/IMG_2637.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-tFxR9ZZ/0/L/IMG_2637-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Off trail to Gertrude Lake</p></div>
<p class="regtext">It was an inauspicious day: only 3 hours of hiking.
The highlight was the pasta with butter, mushrooms, and spec.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-bHWptJB/0/O/IMG_2644.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-bHWptJB/0/L/IMG_2644-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Dinner at Gertrude Lake</p></div>
<hr/>
<p class="regtext">Day three: the stationary day. It was so stationary
that we didn't finish breakfast until nearly 11am. But we all subsequently
took the easy day trip to Ashley Lake (9544'), arriving at noon. </p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-2Fg6sZ7/0/O/IMG_2668.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-2Fg6sZ7/0/L/IMG_2668-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Ashley Lake and Iron Mountain</p></div>
<p class="regtext">Jason and I decided to summit Iron Mountain (10886',
the principle peak in the above photo).
We chose to traverse behind the leftmost peaks in the photo, looping around
the gentler side/back of Iron Mountain. The initial ascent -- the ridge
between Ashley & Anona -- had a delightful sage smell.
</p>
<p class="regtext">When the Ashely/Anona ridge crest became too steep
to continue, we diverted (as planned) along the Anona side, traversing
classic Sierra sunwashed granite.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-7FwXGZL/0/O/IMG_2676.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-7FwXGZL/0/L/IMG_2676-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Anona side of the ridge</p></div>
<p class="regtext">We chose the notch pictured below to reach the ridgeline.
It was nerve-wracking but not dangerous on the ascent, but from the
top we didn't like the look of the downclimb, which will factor into
the story later.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-HMMn8PR/0/O/IMG_2677.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-HMMn8PR/0/L/IMG_2677-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Up the ridge</p></div>
<p class="regtext">At the two hour point we lunched at the saddle below Iron Mountain,
with views west to Yosemite and NE to Ashley Lake, about 1000' below.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-BxDF84c/0/O/IMG_2687.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-BxDF84c/0/L/IMG_2687-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Ashley Lake from above, with Mammoth Mountain in the distance</p></div>
<p class="regtext">We summitted Iron Mountain in another half hour,
but the photos were poor due to the forest fire haze. We radioed that
we might return via a long route around Anona Lake; Roger approved, as
long as we checked in at 17 and 47 minutes after the even hours. We
left the summit at 330pm.</p>
<p class="regtext">Retracing our steps did indeed look too hairy, as did
several other notches on the Anona ridge. So we traversed for miles along
the western and southern slopes. It was
never perilous or acutely hard, just a long, monotonous, and arduous
hike requiring constant concentration on the loose boulders.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-qvsQ6V2/0/O/IMG_2693.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-qvsQ6V2/0/L/IMG_2693-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">jc travesing and traversing and traversing</p></div>
<p class="regtext">An hour and half after leaving Iron Mountain,
in a gully south of Anona Lake, we spotted something strange.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-mmTz27Z/0/O/IMG_2707.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-mmTz27Z/0/L/IMG_2707-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Umm, what is that?</p></div>
<p class="regtext">From afar it looked manmade. But what could be that
large and manmade, this far in the wilderness? As we descended it became
obvious and creepy: airplane wreckage. I never thought I'd find that in
the wilderness. We couldn't tell when it had crashed and I began wondering
if we would find human remains.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-2PKksk5/0/O/IMG_2708.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-2PKksk5/0/L/IMG_2708-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">A creepy sight</p></div>
<p class="regtext">Thankfully we found nothing but metal and rubber.
After the hike I researched the crash, and prior to deciphering the tail
number I found that Steve Fossett had died in a
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/02/steve.fossett.search/index.html">plane crash</a>
very near this spot. I eventually found the actual
<a href="http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001214X45098&key=1">FAA crash report for N8110E</a>
, with two fatalities in 1983.</p>
<p class="regtext">We reached the Anona watershed an hour later and Gertrude
Lake another hour after that. We arrived at 7pm (3.5 hours
after leaving Iron Mountain), perfectly timed for the second batch of Jambalaya.</p>
<p class="regtext">
The night was blissfully still and quiet after the prior 3 days of gusty winds.
It felt amazing. We had finally found the weather we came for. We stayed up late
on account of the warmth.
</p>
<hr/>
<p class="regtext">Day four -- we didn't need two days to reach civilization,
and various factions were lobbying for an early exit, so we compromised on an
exit via detour to Red Top Mountain (10249').</p>
<p class="regtext"> We hiked an hour from Gertrude, dropped our packs on the
southern shoulder, and hiked 1.5 hours and 1000 vertical feet to the peak. The area seemed lightly
traveled and the summit register's
most recent entry was nearly two months old. The views in all directions were
superb, showing most of the terrian we had traveled over four days.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-LS8jpGm/0/O/IMG_2727.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-LS8jpGm/0/L/IMG_2727-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">A very hazy Beck Lake & Ashley Lake, with Iron Mtn on the far left</p></div>
<p class="regtext"> If not for the haze the photos would have been spectacular. </p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-WX4ZL6W/0/O/IMG_2731.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-WX4ZL6W/0/L/IMG_2731-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Northwest to the Minarets</p></div>
<p class="regtext">The descent was twice as fast as the ascent. The Red Top
summit to the parking lot was 3.5 hours. We took the long slow bus to town,
arriving just in time to see an amazing forest-fire sunset. Some locals
said it was the thickest haze in many years.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-Q9QTHpC/0/O/IMG_2738.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-Q9QTHpC/0/L/IMG_2738-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Smoke plus sunset = dull red orb</p></div>
<p class="regtext">And lest you think my photography skills are to blame
for the hazy photos, from the airplane we could see how much haze had settled into the
valleys on this trip.</p>
<div class="photo"><a href="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-8Sdvb3Q/0/O/IMG_2739.jpg"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2015/Ansel-Adams/i-8Sdvb3Q/0/L/IMG_2739-L.jpg"></a><p class="caption">Extreme haze. No wonder my photos weren't clear.</p></div>
<p class="regtext">This trip contrasted sharply with last year in Wyoming. Wyoming was
swarming with scores of mosquitoes; this year I saw two bugs total.
Wyoming was earthy and wet; this year was bone dry with dry air, dry trail dust, and sun
bleached terrain. Wyoming had a long hike to a settled destination; this year had
an indefinite goal, which led to a short, lazy hike and early exit. In Wyoming we saw no one
for four days; this year we saw a person or two each day, and found the creepy plane
wreckage. By miles traveled this trip was far gentler; but it was less gentle when
considering the gusty winds, lack of campfire, higher elevations, and more injuries.
<hr/>
<p class="regtext">We debriefed thoroughly after this trip. Among the points:
<ul class="regtext">
<li>Labor Day is too late due to school -- even one week earlier is fine</li>
<li>Going sea level to 10k on the first night is tough -- aim for lower first night</li>
<li>Avoid mandatory shuttles -- they can add several hours</li>
<li>Avoid sugar+salt drink mix -- it tastes terrible</li>
<li>Campfires are a huge crowd pleaser, both for cooking and warmth</li>
<li>Heavy lunches are hard to eat on a strenous travel day</li>
<li>Try to always have a pre-selected destination, two days journey from the trailhead</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>