Blog - Page 18 of 54

Kearsarge Pass to Vidette Meadow: Summer Sierra Trip Report Part 1

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:August 30, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:1 Comment

After missing my week in the Sierra last year due to injury, I couldn’t wait to get on the trail this year! The plan was to hike in over Kearsarge Pass and head south along the John Muir Trail, then off-trail to explore Wright Lakes Basin and the 14ers of the Shepherd Pass region (Tyndall and Williamson).
We drove out on Friday night and met up with Pavla at Whoa Nellie. Then we headed south to a decent campsite about a mile off of 395 that would get us some sleep above 7k to help with acclimation. In the morning we headed south to Bishop to fuel up at Jack’s with a big breakfast, then picked up our permit after the White Mountain Ranger District office opened at 8 am.
A couple more stops delayed us a bit, most important was Pavla’s search for packets of spam singles. They weren’t at her normal spot but the Bishop K-Mart delivered! David also picked up a pair of socks at Wilsons. Finally we were on our way to the trailhead at Onion Valley.
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Traversing the Sweetwaters: Patterson and Wheeler Peaks

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:August 28, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:1 Comment

The Sweetwater Mountains are an overlooked range thanks to their more showy neighbor, the Sierra Nevada. Occupying a piece of largely undeveloped land north of Bridgeport and bordered by highways…

Another Weekend of Peaks in Yosemite: Warren (12,327′) and Johnson (11,053′)

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:July 24, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:4 Comments

Proving once again that there is no such thing as too much time in the mountains, I headed back up for another weekend of peak bagging around the northeast end of Yosemite. On Saturday, we climbed Warren Peak, a lovely pile of rocks on the eastern crest of the Sierra with a tremendous overlook of Mono Lake. On Sunday, we hiked to Johnson Peak, a unimpressive pile of rocks from a distance but a fun slabby climb along some beautiful benches up close.
Here are some photos from these two great climbs. If you are interested in the detailed route information for these peaks, I tried to capture it in the captions of the photos in the albums I linked to below. Neither peak is particularly challenging with route finding or terrain, and they would make fun entry level off-trail peaks in the Yosemite area.
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Excelsior Mountain (12,446')

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:July 22, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:9 Comments

Poor Excelsior Mountain, always in the shadow (literally) of its bigger and more popular neighbor, Mt Conness. The next highest point to the north, Excelsior doesn't have any dramatic cliffs…

Clouds Rest, Yosemite

Clouds Rest from Sunrise, A Classic Yosemite Hike

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:July 18, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:5 Comments

Everyone talks about Half Dome. You can't have a conversation about Yosemite without someone asking, "Have you done Half Dome?" But people should really ask, "Have you done Clouds Rest?"…

Ragged Peak

Ragged Peak (10,912'), Yosemite National Park

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:July 9, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:4 Comments

One of the most spectacular views in Yosemite, on the way to Ragged Peak

My second backpacking trip ever in Yosemite was to Young Lakes, a hike that I still remember as very difficult and strenuous. Of course, I was in no kind of hiking shape at the time and my pack weighed about 50 lbs, so when I realized I would be on the same trail again with a stronger body and a daypack I was interested to see if the trail was as difficult as I remembered it to be.
The answer is no, of course not. In fact, it is actually one of the easier hikes in Yosemite! It’s amazing how much experience skews your view of what constitutes ‘easy’. That’s why I never trust guide books that give ratings on a Easy-Difficult scale. But I digress. Why did I return to this trail? To hike a peak, naturally!
Back in…2000? 2001? …when I hiked in to Young Lakes I was impressed by the toothy peak that the trail carefully circled at a distance. It looked intimidating and completely unclimbable to my inexperienced eyes. Recently it popped up on my radar again and I was surprised to read that this peak, Ragged Peak, was a quite doable class 3 summit. So what else to do but pack up and go?

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A Thank You Post to my Dad for Father’s Day

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:June 16, 2013
Post Category:Personal
Post Comments:6 Comments

My love for the outdoors came from an early age, thanks to family camping trips around the Great Lakes. My best childhood memories come from these trips, and they all involve my dad. Grilling steaks, pointing out the constellations, putting up with us annoying kids when he just wanted to take a nap on the beach. Love you, Dad, and thanks for the best childhood a girl who likes to play in the dirt could ask for!

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View from Ten Lakes Pass

Overnight Backpack to Ten Lakes in Yosemite

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:June 15, 2013
Post Category:Trip Reports
Post Comments:8 Comments

It's only June and I've already managed to squeeze in two overnight backpacking trips in Yosemite. I hope this is the start of a good season! In late April I…

View from Ten Lakes Pass

Staying Cool with a Columbia OmniFreeze Zero Snowball Necklace

Post Author:Rebecca
Post published:June 11, 2013
Post Category:Resource
Post Comments:2 Comments

As I topped out at Ten Lakes Pass this past weekend, I was sweating and cursing the hot sun and heat. The exposed landscape and high altitude meant the sun…