yep klas that's it. minarets in the background. headed downslope on crampons early the next morning and hustled for Tuolumne Meadows.

My camera died around 1000 island lake, no pictures for me north of there. Planning to go back this summer and run from Red's to Twin Lakes, in order to finish the photo journal.

Before I did the route, I was suspicious of the section from Duck Lake north to Red's. On the map, there doesn't appear to be any benefit to wondering along the Mammoth Crest. The Muir Trail and the high route are so close, and parallel, through this section. I was way wrong...

Edited by klaseklof on 03/31/2009 14:42:46 MDT.

Allright Dave T.
Thank you for starting this great thread.

I loved your pictures.
See you in the mountains...




- Klas

Great thread/pix guys. A lot of fun for the rest of us as well!

oh yes indeed there is a HUGE difference between wandering the crest, and being down on the slopes below on the PCT. i loved the views up there (and the wind!).

... i can't let it end (i've been outta town for a while).

how about one more... where is it?

I admit that I spent a lot of time trying to figure it out.
First clue is that there is no snow, which is rare for your trip. This means the slope is south facing. I can't recall anywhere that the SHR descends such a steep southern slope. I looked at all the maps and couldn't really find one either. Also, there is a pass below. I can't recall where the SHR descends down to a pass like that. Another clue, the rock color is dark. Minerets come to mind. And the distant view in the upper right means you are pretty high. Lastly, where is the pack? I opened Secor (pg. 394, 3rd Ed), to look at some aerials, and when I saw the shot, I knew right away: you are climbing down from Banner towards the Banner/Ritter Saddle.

I don't have a shot from that spot, but Google Earth can make one:


That was fun. How was the cilmb?

you got it. nice detective work! and yes i suppose that wasn't fair to include a side junket. i just figured that since you are mr. adventure, you would've climbed it already, and would know the banner-ritter saddle on sight. but given your pace on the SHR, you probably didn't have any time for side trips!

i identified a few possible easy climbs before we headed out on the SHR (e.g. split mountain, columbine peak, black giant, banner peak, and vogelsang). but given how snowy and suncupped and slow the first seven days were to get to piute pass, we didn't dare stop to climb split. and then, as we talked about, columbine looked kinda class 3ish and we were still hustling to resupply. when we headed past black giant, we had to climb muir pass, alpine col, and down piute in one long day of snow, so we didn't give it a second thought.

we got to lake catherine around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and convinced ourselves we should bag banner vs. head down the unknown terrain towards bench canyon. so up the easy snow slope to the saddle, and then it's just a LONG slow climb up talus. i'm not much for going uphill, so it seemed like a long while. and then kinda of suddenly, you are at the top. the view is INCREDIBLE. we hung out for a good amount of time, took lots of pictures, and then descended to the saddle. just before we reached it, a chunk of talus moved and i fell flat on my side on some rocks and must have cracked a couple ribs, which hurt for weeks after. a bit of glissading and walking down to camp. highly recommended!

Edited by DaveT on 04/15/2009 09:18:27 MDT.

okay... an on route and easy one. i promise!

Without my own photo, I'm just guessing, but I think that shot is looking southeast across Virginia Canyon, as you are approaching Soldier Lake. The distant pass is Sky Pilot, the peak to it's right is Shepherd Crest.

I climbed Sherperd Crest in '06, so here is looking back at you from that trip:

Edited by klaseklof on 04/16/2009 20:27:28 MDT.

That climb up Shepherd reminds me that I do have some pictures of the SHR in that vicinity, although I was not doing the route at the time.

Got this location?

Edited by klaseklof on 04/16/2009 20:29:15 MDT.

This is great you guys....keep it going!

i suppose it's gotta be looking back from the climb to Sky Pilot Col, with Cascade and Steelhead lakes, with North Peak and Conness, and the convenient ridge down off the shoulder of Conness. i was glad the ridge down existed... when we first got up there we ended at a cliff.

things were starting to melt out by the time we got there. we had to end the day early and set up camp (before heading over Sky Pilot) because we got caught in a serious thunderstorm there. just got into the tarptent before the hail started dumping.

here's a shot of my trusty Tarptent pitched near the lakes below Sky Pilot Col. about a half hour earlier, the ridge in the background was a snow-free reddish volcanic knob. add one gnarly thunderstorm, and it was covered white in hail.

Edited by DaveT on 04/18/2009 18:31:33 MDT.

del.

Edited by DaveT on 07/09/2009 10:00:29 MDT.

allright.

thread put to bed. that was too fun.

see you in the mountains!

(just drove 395 past Banner and Ritter, and there's still lots of snow up there!)