Glacier National Park

Well not enough time for a proper update, but I figured I would upload a few pictures.  After 3 days of driving I arrived at Glacier National park for some fun in the Rockies.  Highlights – Spending a whole day hiking on snow and actually using crampons, practicing self arrest (stopping yourself with you ice axe when sliding down steep angle snow), watching some big horn sheep, 4th of July fireworks, and (intentionally) experiencing the effects of bear spray and then being “incapacitated” for the next 15 minutes.

Currently in Idaho’s Sawtooth mountains.  Awesome country.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/GlacierHiddenLake

http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/GlacierIcebergLake

Sierras – North Lake to South Lake Loop

So back into the High Sierra.  I put together a 57-mile loop that would get me deep into the Sierra and also let me hike a 25 mile stretch of the John Muir Trail.  I planned to do it in five days.  On the previous trip over Mono Pass I had started with a pack weight of 40 lbs.  The heavy pack gave me a lot of trouble and I suffered through 8-10 mile days.  So this trip I decided to cut the weight down.  Water tablets instead of filter.  Cut a pocket and zipper off the camera case.  Shortened some straps on the pack that were too long.  Even left behind the top pouch of my pack.  Still took a few luxuries like a book and my comfortable sleeping pad, but managed to get my starting pack weight down to 28 lbs.  What a difference your pack weight makes!

Day 1 – North Lake to junction of Paiute Canyon and JMT – 17.5 miles, 2100′

The day started with a 2100′ climb up to Paiute Pass with the standard views of towering granite mountains and alpine lakes.  I have discovered that hiking in the Sierras is rather dangerous.  You spend so much time looking around you that end up tripping on stuff on the trail.  The non-stop view continued as I descended into Paiute Canyon.  The plan was to spend the first night at Hutchinson Meadows, 12 miles in.  However, it was smooth cruising so I continuted on to the JMT junction to round out the day at 17.5 miles.  Like I said, pack weight makes a difference.

Day 2 – JMT junction to Evolution Lake – 12 miles, 2500′

This day would be spent climbing up Evolution Valley toward Muir Pass.  I met quite a few PCTers (thru hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail) throughout the day.  As I got closer to Muir Pass, people started saying “Are you ready for some snow?”  As it turns out there is still a lot of snow up in Muir Pass.  Being that the days are warm, the snow starts to soften and soon you start postholing constantly.  I had been planning to hike up to where I was just a mile or two from Muir Pass, but several people said I should stop at Evolution Lake (before the snow starts) and tackle the pass early in the morning when snow condition would be better.  So I took their advice and set up camp at Evolution Lake.  A beautiful place to spend the night.  Despite being at 10,800′ the lake had quite a few native trout making me wish I had a fishing pole.  I was treated to a nice sunset which was followed by that delightful time of the evening after the sun sets but before it gets dark.  I sat by the lake in the growing darkness, enjoying the silence and watching the trout catch flies.

Day 3 – Evolution Lake to Dusy Basin – 18 miles, 3200′

Woke up with the sun (about 5:45 AM).  A cool breeze was blowing off the lake which encouraged me to pack quickly and start moving.  I was on the trail by 6:20, hoping to cross Muir Pass and clear the snowfields before the snow got too soft.  It was six miles from Evolution Lake to Muir Pass.  As I climbed further up into Evolution Basin the wind died down and I found myself alone amidst a silence broken only by the occasional flowing water and the sound of my footsteps.  For several miles I trudged across the sun-cupped snow enjoying the quiet solitude.  I reached Wanda Lake, a large lake just a little ways below the pass.  The lake was still frozen over and snowcovered.  While walking along the edge of the lake I stopped at one point where there was a just a thin, clear area of ice where I could see bluish water turn to a deep emerald color as the lake got deeper and the bottom disappeared.  A strange feeling struck me…it was as if I was looking through a window into another world, like looking through the door of the wardrobe.  A silent, mysterious world, a world of infinte oneness, frozen in time, if time can even exist in such a place.  In any other place it would have been bizarre but it seemed perfectly at home in the silence of that mountainous landscape.  After looking into the window for a few minutes, I continued my lonesome way up to the pass.  I finally ran into the first person of the day at the top of Muir Pass.  After chatting for a few minutes I continued down the other side of the pass.  Another two miles of snow travel amidst frozen lakes brought me down to the upper end of LeConte canyon.  The snow was just starting to soften as I cleared the last snowfield, postholing several times in the last 20 yards.  It was well worth the early wakeup.  After a short break I continued down LeConte Canyon, an impressive canyon with steep sides climbing up to sharp granite peaks.  Finally I reached the junction with the Bishop Pass trail and decided to end the day with a 3 mile, 2000′ climb up into Dusy Basin.  The extra push would allow me to finish the loop in only 4 days instead of 5.  It was well worth it as Dusy Basin in a beautiful place to spend an evening.

Day 4 – Dusy Basin to South Lake – 9 miles, 1200′

Slept in a little bit and then started the climb up to Bishop Pass.  Because of some nearby forest fires, views were much more limited by a heavy haze.  Still plenty of good views of the nearby peaks though.  From Bishop Pass it was 6 miles of pounding downhill past mosquito infested lakes to the South Lake trailhead.  Oh yeah, I ended at a different trailhead than where I had parked my car, so I had to hitch a ride back to the start point.  Fortunately the first people I asked were glad to give me a lift.  I’m now relaxing in Bishop and trying to figure out what is next.  I suspect there is a pizza in the near future…

oh yeah, I took a lot of pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar/SierraNorthLakeToSouthLakeLoop

Arizona

The computer is up and running again so hopefully updates will occur more frequently.  The past week has been spent hanging around in the Grand Canyon.  I arrived at the Grand over a week ago.  In order to get a permit for a couple days in the canyon I had to wait around for a few days.  I took the opportunity to head south and climb Humphrey’s Peak, the highest point in Arizona (12,633′).  It was mostly hardpack snow until I broke above treeline where there was exposed rock.  The weather was excellent (it is Arizona afterall) albeit a little windy.  On the last 50′ to the summit the wind was crazy.  I would guess the sustained wind had to be 40-50 mph with gusts above that.  When leaving the summit I was headed directly into the wind….going downhill I had to lean forward and push with my legs because the wind was so strong.  Toughest wind I have faced yet.

After that I came back to the Grand Canyon for a dayhike.  Descended from the South Rim to the Colorado river and then back up to the rim.  Needless to say the Grand Canyon is big.  It is almost 5000′ from the rim to the river.  You hike downhill for a loooong time.  Then you realize you’re only partway there.  Then, once your knees have been hammered and your legs ache you’ve finally reached the Colorado river….now just another 8 miles and 5000′ of vertical to get home.

To finish of the canyon hiking I descended into the canyon for a four day backpack.  At the rim the morning I left the temperature was about 34 degrees.  At Hermit Rapids, my campsite for the first night, the temperature hit about 90 during the afternoon.  At the rapids I got to watch a group of rafts go through.  It looked pretty fun.  The next day I was at Granite rapids, considered one of the better rapids in the canyon (so I’m told).  I got to see about 20 kayaks go through.  The swells in the rapids were large enough that you only saw the kayaks about half the time….the rest of the time they were hidden behind the swells.  Quite a few flipped over and then had to right themselves.  One guy went through half the rapids upside down.

Perhaps the most exciting thing was the relatively large number of wildflowers blooming in the canyon.  It added quite a bit of color.  I took a bunch of photos of the different flowers so you can see them in the album.  There are also a few pictures of the wildlife, such as the many lizards (which are awesome) and even a Grand Canyon Pink rattlesnake.

3 new galleries available – http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenmdunbar.  One is from Coral Pink Sand Dunes, a Utah state park.  Also, don’t miss the sunset pictures in the Humphrey’s Peak gallery.

Soon to be headed for Death Valley and the Sierra-Nevadas……..