Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports MMWT July 13th 2012

I decided to check the website out for permits. Randomly selected July 13th and got a permit on my first try.

so this is the pre-hike report.

Training - nominal
Gear - nothing new, same as last year
State of mind - I really need to get out of the city
Plans - Planning on making it a four day trip. I will probably stay at LPL or outpost the first night and trail camp the second night. Hopefully two nights at altitude will be enough before heading to the summit. Planning on spending the third night at trail camp so that summit day is relaxed. Definitely not trying to set any land speed records. Slower is better as it means that I will be away from the real world longer. I won't be shooting for the triple this trip.....LOL

Weather Report - Chance of thunderstorms! Yikes!

spotwalla link: http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=4eb64ffb58292718b

Have a blast Tom. Are we taking the Aventure Route to LPL this time? Presumably mom's in the dark?

Hey Gary,
LOL, no adventure route this time. At least not going up. Might do some exploring on the way down.

Mom knows, I'll be making a trip to her house before heading up on friday to put her in a straightjacket, hide her cellphone and computer and otherwise remove her ability to communicate with authorities. I know it's drastic and perhaps a little cruel to do to a 70 year old woman and she may be a little hungry by the time I get back, but drastic measures sometimes need to be taken.

Bear boxes, the Portal has lots of bear boxes! Much less cruel than taking her computer. And you could put food in it too.

I could put a bear in the bear box too....I'd put my money on my Mom and she could eat the bear and save me on grocery costs. Great thinkin wagga!!!

I'm thinking of changing my itinerary a little....

Friday Night - Outpost camp. Go to sleep early
Early Saturday Morning - Everyone knows that sleeping at outpost sucks once the dayhikers come through. I am not going to fight it, I am going to break camp and head up to trail camp/consultation lake early.
Saturday Day - I'd get bored doing nothing all day. Going to make a run for Wotan's Throne.
Early Sunday Morning - head on up to the summit in time to see the sunrise
Sunday Day - Head back to TC/CL...make the decision to continue down or spend another night on the hill.

Bob R's photos for the Northwest Arete route for Wotan's throne. He describes this route as a Class 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockwellb/sets/72157624840389310/
Seems like the right route for me.....

A little bit past north fork crossing. Overcast, occassional drizzle, perfect temperature, beautiful day.

Exciting night. I'm in lone pine and all of my stuff is at outpost camp starving and tired. At mickey Ds chowing down before heading up to retreive my gear. I'll do a full write up later

Now that sounds like weather . . .

Why is your stuff starving & tired?

Not weather at all....

Got to Outpost Camp and set up camp in the last campsite before the switchers going up to mirror lake. As it was my first night at altitude, I wasn't expecting to sleep much. But I put on Pink Floyd, Meddle and started to drift off during Echoes. Then I heard some yelling from up the hill. I was thinking "c'mon ya bastiges, we're trying to sleep down here". Then I listened, it was a man and a boy screaming "help us! Help us!". It was about midnight.

I quickly got dressed and started heading up the trail. Another man from outpost joined me and we started up the switchbacks. We could see that there were four headlamps and I yelled "is anyone injured?". The reply was "No, but my son is very sick". Then I said "well come on down"....the man said "we can't, there's a mountain lion who's stalking us". So the other man and I start heading up the switchbacks to the boy and the man. In the back of my mind I was thinking "aren't you supposed to go the other direction than where the mountain lion is?". The mountain lion went into the bushes for a little bit and the two other men who were heading up to trail camp and were at the approximate same location as the man and the boy, decided to continue up.

I'll go out of sequence here: The two men had to turn around as the mountain lion would not let them go by. They set up camp next to my tent. Anyway, once we got past the stream I focused on the boy. His name is Maxwell and he is 12 years old. He's been puking for the past 12 hours or so and is severely dehydrated and he's pretty much bonking on top of the AMS and dehydration. I brought him to my campsite and tried to get him to drink some water...he puked it up within 3 minutes. He was really hungry and had only been eating protein bars, which of course, he was puking right up. So I made him my chicken soup that was slated for Saturday morning's breakfast. He ate a fair bit of it.....and then puked it up.

I was worried that dropping altitude wasn't helping him. With his current state, his Dad wanted to set up camp and let him rest so that he could get some energy back. I suggested to put him in my tent and sleeping bag while we figured things out. I knew that the right answer was to get him down the hill, but I didn't think that the two of us (Dad and I) could carry him out and I was worried that he wouldn't be able to go out under his own power. Meanwhile, Maxwell fell asleep in my tent. So I said, we need some professional advice, there's a spot on the switcbacks right below bighorn park where I can get cell reception.

I went there and called 911. Talked to the Inyo country sheriff's office. Told her the situation and she said "doesn't matter, get him down here". So I went back and we roused a very unhappy Maxwell from his sleep. I carried Maxwell's pack and we headed down the hill. Maxwell puked literally every 10 minutes. But I'm telling you, this kid was tough. He'd puke and rest for 5 minutes and then he would say "ok, I'm ready". He was also the most polite kid I have ever met. Whenever I did anything for him or gave him anything he would say "thank you very much, Tom".

We continued down and I decided that the old Whitney Trail would be the best path as it would get us down quickest. Corey (Dad) called his wife and told her where to meet us. Because of all of the puking, my time estimates were at least an hour off. The old whitney trail was definitely the right choice except that I tweaked my right knee. Now whenever I stepped down with my left leg first, my right leg from the knee and above had a shot of extreme pain. I tried not to show Maxwell as I didn't want him to worry. BTW: going downhill was ok, it was just when I stepped down. We got to the portal at 5am. I was starving and since Maxwell and Corey had eaten my breakfast, I figured that I needed to head to town and get a bite. After a couple of Egg McMuffins I went to the hospital to check on Maxwell. They were having trouble getting a line in to give him fluids. His veins kept on collapsing. While I was there they got a line in and started fluids immediately. He was asleep within 5 minutes. They ended up giving him 5 liters of fluids. They were worried about a pulmonary edema as they heard wheezing, but they got there in time....no pulmonary edema. He was released this evening and was eating dinner at 8pm.

I was worried about my trip up the hill. My leg still hurt and the anticipation of coming back down the hill wasn't making me happy. I started up the hill and for some reason, the egg mcmuffins weren't kicking in. As I got to about 2/3rds of the way to LPL, I was really starving again. I ran into three women who I had talked to down at the portal and they gave me a bunch of snacks since they were headed down the hill (thanks Tracy, Stacy and Donna!!!! It really helped). Continued up the hill, ran into Ranger Michael by the Rockwell spring and talked about the events of last night. I was shocked to hear how many people knew about it. I had several people tell me about the sick kid and the mountain lion. Ranger Michael said that there hadn't been any signs of a mountain lion in the area. I ran into somebody else who went up shortly after we left for the portal and said that they saw that the mountain lion had a fresh kill. So it probably wasn't stalking Maxwell or Corey, s/he was just protecting her meal.

With my leg acting up, I decided it was time to pack it in and go home. I made myself a PB&J on Pita and then broke camp. The pain on the downsteps was worse with a 30lb pack, but as long as I stepped right foot first I could control it. It just took longer (My turtle pace went down to a snail's pace).

Other interesting things: I saw a weasel or something from the weasel family near LPL. I didn't see the mountain lion, but I did hear it. And at least 6 other people in three different groups saw it. There's no doubt in my mind that there is a mountain lion hanging out above outpost camp. But it appears that he isn't really interested in us after all. I saw two deer on the way down.

Most amusing thing: Corey said "the mountain lion didn't seem to care about the bear bell". I said "bears don't care about bear bells". I gave him the rundown on black bear behavior. Not sure if he believed me.

I'm sure that I left out a couple of details. I'll fill them in as I remember them.

Edit: Corey sent me a text saying that Maxwell has already done a drawing of me and apparently he's a pretty good artist. I'm not sure that I want a good artist to capture my likeness though!!!

Wow, what an event. Great job getting them down, hope your knee heals up. What was the fresh kill by the way??? Deer???

I swear, Tom, you have the greatest adventures on Whitney! Excellent job taking care/charge of Corey and Max's situation - that makes you one of the really good guys on the trail in my book. Glad to hear Max is on the mend and it wasn't edema.

Cougars have never been on my radar in the Eastern Sierra, but I guess I'll have to revise that thinking next month. The only place in Cali I've ever kept a cougar-watch is in the heights in Death Valley. They're so elusive - it's amazing that so many people laid eyes on one in such a short period.

Good write-up, pard. Hope your next trip up Whitney is quiet, uneventful, and features great summit shots!

Wow what a story, and what an example for all of those us to be aware of.. I surely appreciate a good deed when one is needed tdtz , its people like you who make Whitney such a remarkable place thanks for sharing , hats off to you.. we have seen a cougar twice now just always figured we were lucky sounds like mr lion is getting comfortable with people now....

CalicoKat
Oddly enough, I didn't think to ask. When I was writing it up I thought to myself "gee, I wonder what the mountain lion killed". the information should filter down to us eventually. On the way back up, I couldn't believe how many people knew about the "mountain lion and the sick kid" story. there were probably ten or so people at outpost camp who came over to see what was going on. And we warned a couple of solo dayhikers who came up to wait for a group to show up so they could go up as a group. So that was obviously enough people to spread the story around.

Gary,
No kidding eh? I keep telling my family that the MMWT is no big thing. Well maintained trails, tons of people, plentiful water.....what could go wrong? And this trip was heading that direction. Very routine trip up to Outpost, boring camp set up. Hell, I even climbed into the tent when there was still enough light to move around without a headlamp....I always understood that it's the mountain lion that you don't see that would be the problem. And that they are there, but we never see them. As you say, they are elusive. I may have to go up in a couple of weeks and go for one more as a training hike for the big August hike. I hear that some cool kids are coming to town.....

MW85
You've seen mountain lines in the whitney zone before? Indeed you are lucky. I was kinda bummed that I didn't get to see it. when you saw it, was it in the same general area that I described?

BTW: to see all of the Spot tracks on spotwall, you have to specify 2 days in the "Adjustments" - "history". Otherwise you only see the first day

http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=4eb64ffb58292718b

Not that it is very interesting, it just shows me going up to outpost twice and down twice.

Wow, what a story! Glad everything turned out ok for everyone.

I've heard of a mountain lion in the Whitney Zone just once, and I wasn't quite sure if the guy was joking or not. A little scary really. Only two critters I fear on hikes, mountain lions and ticks.

All those people knew about the sick kid and mountain lion and did nothing? Summit fever much?

Thumbs up for helping those two out. You should have plenty of good karma to get you up to the summit in style in August.

The thing that I found amazing is that only two people from outpost camp responded to their cries for help. There's no way that only two of us heard them. They were quite loud. I'm less surprised about the sick kid part. When I found out that Maxwell was not getting better by descending, I took it very seriously. If it wasn't for what I have learned here on WZ and WPS and the fact that I had altitude sickness before, I'm not sure that I would have taken it as seriously either. I think that most people think of altitude sickness as what you get when you are a kid and go to Mammoth to go skiing and feel a little crappy. The mountain lion was the most sensational part of situation, but once we were in camp, I was far more concerned with Maxwell's condition.

Wow -- Friday the 13th takes on a whole new meaning...


Note to self: Read the trip report if tdtz writes it; it is certain to be interesting...!



PS About ignoring cries for help: many years ago I was up North Coast diving for abalone and I heard a very shrill whistle. I asked the people I was with what it was, and they all said "Oh, nothing -- ignore it". I did not. Around the next boulder was a man trapped in the surf with just his head out of the water enough to blow the whistle. Another swimmer and I went out and retrieved him.....and I left my 'companions' behind.

The others at the Outpost Camp "ignored it"

You are a good man, Tom.

The least interesting trip report was for Meysan Lake....I'm thinking that I may have to go back to that trail.

Way too much drama on the MMWT....LOL

tdtz, always enjoy your TR that go along with your SPOT tracks.
Glad to hear everyone made it out safely and are ok. Maybe not the adventure you had planned but a very memorable experience.

I found this column posted today in the OC Register discussing mountain lion sightings in the loacal mountains and in California. From the column, here's a list of what to-do and not-to-do if you encounter a mountian lion:

THINGS TO AVOID
From CougarInfo.Org, here's what you shouldn't do:
• Hike, bike, or jog alone.
• Plan outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
• Walk near dense growth, rock outcroppings, or under ledges.
• Bend over, crouch, or kneel.
• Turn your back or run.
THING TO DO
From CougarInfo.Org, here's what to do:
• Keep children and pets in sight.
• Be vigilant, looking around, up and behind.
• Wear a helmet, hood, or hat; paint eyes on the back.
• Be sure the lion has a way out
• Look the lion in the eyes.
• Make loud, firm noises.
• Make yourself look big by raising your arms and clothing; stand up straight, swell your chest.
• Back away slowly.
• Use anything available as a weapon if the lion displays aggression including mace, pepper, fists, sticks, rocks, tools, pocket knife, bicycle

Wonder how many people will start painting eyes on the back of their packs?

Tom, I read and re-read your story three times to make sure I didn't miss anything.

First: Thank you for being one of those people that can actually be relied upon in case of emergency. You did a great job of putting yourself out there to assist others in need, and are to be commended for doing so.

Now, I must vent.

How, in gawd's name, do you not notice your child is starting to show signs of AMS/dehydration/acute illness ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

In my line of work, it's my job to pick up on the minutae. I know I do that with my climbing/hiking/skiing/whatever partners as well. A lot of times it might be overkill, but those that come out with me also know that if there isn't a giant smile across my face, something must be wrong. This is a CHILD we're talking about here. YOUR child. The life you are charged to protect.

Some might say that they have seen rapid onset of violent symptoms. I say bullshit. Signs appear gradually, even nonverbals. It's the accumulation of the small signals that lead to the tipping point, and, say, the kid is vomiting every five minutes. And he had been like that for 12 hours????

There is no excuse for ignorance: too much information is available, in too many places. I'm REALLY glad you guys didn't let him sleep longer.

In brief: Tom, you are a hero in the truest sense. This father should be beaten soundly about the head and shoulders with a nailed 2x4.

...

The other possible victim in this is the lion. I hope it moves on quickly and quietly, because I could see it ending badly if it lurks in such close contact to so many people.

Seriously Laura, tell us how you really feel :-)
Enjoyed as always.
And yes, that Mountain Lion better get as far away from there as possible, or it may not end well. At least if it killed a deer, we're all much safer now.

Hi Laura,
First things first, I reject the hero title. I was definitely a good samaritan, but I don't like diluting the meaning of such an important word as "hero". I did the right thing, that's all.

I avoided putting my opinion about the things that transpired out there. I figured that the description would speak for itself. I had a long talk with Ranger Michael about the situation. He ran into Maxwell and Corey somewhere around LPL where Maxwell first got sick and he gave his opinion.

Apparently there was another Father/son pair that they were hiking with...at least in the beginning. And from what I gather, the other father was very macho and was pushing his son pretty hard too. Corey had mentioned that he thought the vomiting was caused pushing too hard physically. In the beginning, I doubt that he was vomiting with the same frequency as when I met them. I have a little bit of a theory that there was a competitive element that caused them to try to push through the pain.

None of that really matters though. I'm a Dad and I know that every word you said is true. At the first sign of something being wrong, i would have turned around and got my boy off the mountain. Even if it isn't AMS, let's just say that it is a stomach flu, this kid's level of dehydration was pretty serious. He looked to be about 90lbs and they put 5 liters of fluids in him. That's a pretty significant percentage of his body weight.

One thing that I was very happy to hear about was that the other people saw that the mountain lion had a fresh kill. It wasn't really stalking humans as it seemed that night.

A friend of mine called me today and said "now I understand why you like to hike alone.....it's because of the hot cougars waiting for you up there, isn't it?"

Reject it all you want. You put yourself in harm's way, in fact you became injured yourself, in the effort to assist someone else in a dangerous situation. For that, I applaud you.

Look at it this way: would you, would ANY of us, carry 5 liters of fluid up this mountain?

I've seen a lot of stupid, but this one really, REALLY takes the cake for me.

I gotta stop reading this Medicine for Mountaineering book.

Bottom line: Tom, you are welcome in my camp, anytime.

I concur with Laura. I guess that dad thought that all vomiting stops (just like bleeding, one way or the other)

Once we were running down from Mammoth Crest to Lake George because of lightning. A dad was carrying a baby on his back up to where we had fled. He ignored our pleas. People do the dumbest things.

• Walk near dense growth, rock outcroppings, or under ledges.
• Bend over, crouch, or kneel.

Enjoyed reading that article. Then I thought, you know....what if you go off to find a private place in dense growth or in the rocks to use a wag bag. You'll be in exactly the wrong position too!!!

I would hope that any mountain lion would have the decency to wait until one is finished with private business.

WOW! I'm offline for the day, and come into this story late. Way to go, Tom! You ARE a Good Samaritan!

So glad you made contact with Inyo Sheriff. Anyone with that serious AMS needs to get out of there as quickly as possible. A few hours in a tent could end badly.

Regarding the dad not recognizing AMS (or overexertion... whatever): In reality, very few hikers actually do any (or enough) reading to understand the possibilities of AMS and the need to get outta there at the first signs. ...In fact, I believe some of the most experienced here participated in a similar hike a few years back, where the AMS victim was not evacuated for several nights. Experience teaches us well. But we were all novices at one point.

I am sure glad, on both these occasions, that the victim survived and recovered. In Tom's case, the kid was lucky Tom came along and helped them get out in time. The outcome could have been far worse had he not.

For tdtz:


(P.S. Tom, I sure like the Spotwalla map.)

Hey Steve,
you'll notice that there is a place in bighorn park where there are three dots on the same spot. That's the Rockwell Spring...it really is good water.

My first time up the MMWT I got AMS on the 97 switchbacks. I knew about AMS and I took diamox. But I definitely didn't spend any meaningful time at altitude before the hike. I honestly didn't think that I would get AMS. Figured the diamox would take care of everything. I suppose I was lucky that my symptoms hit so quickly and so hard that there was no choice but to descend to an elevation where I felt better.

Hopefully the anecdotes here will help others take it more seriously. And as suggested already, I think they do.

Just read this and am so glad everyone is ok.
Great job tdtz!

Here's a link to a follow up on the mountain lion in the local OC wilderness area. The mountain lion was captured, is being evaluated and will be relocated.

tdtz,
actually, a mountain lion is the least of my concerns while using a wag bag (or similar situation when in an area that doesn't require wag bags). I had a friend that was bitten by a brown recluse on the right cheek while crouching during a "private moment". It's been many years, and she still can't laugh about it.

Heading up again today. If I can get an overnight permit, I will spend the night at LPL. Plan is to try out a brand new fly fishing rod and reel. I've never fly fished before, so I want to try it out before my trip in August. I may continue up to trail camp tomorrow....dunno, we'll see.

If I can't get an overnight permit I'll just do a dayhike to LPL and get some fishing in.

Got a permit....i was the 16th out of 16 in the 11am lottery. That means that close to 25 people got walk in permits today.

Perhaps this suggests another place to paint eyes to protect yourself from cougars.

Dale B. Dalrymple

The SPOT check in tonight at 6:07pm has tdtz in the middle of Lone Pine Lake :D

Sounds fishy to me. Or maybe you fell for it hook line & sinker.

And look where Spot No 7 has him

I had to use the rocket pack to get to #7 and back......

pleasant little trip. Made the decision to come back today last night. Knee was bothering me a bit last night and I didn't want to push it. Today, no problems with the knee...go figure. To the trip report...

Wildlife was very thin this trip. No mountain lions, no bears...I did see one moose though. Ran into Laura down at the visitor center. We chatted a bit and then it was time to go.

Leisurely trip up the trail. Set up camp at LPL and had dinner. One of my main purposes for this trip was to try out my new fly fishing rod. I've never used a fly rod before and I figured that I should prove it out before I did my OV to MTW trip in August. I got up early and fished all the way around LPL. Caught a bunch of golden, rainbow and I think a little brookie too. I released all of them.

Around 11am I headed back to camp to start packing up. It started sprinkling a bit....and then the sky opened up and dumped a torrent of rain and hail. The thunder was echoing off the mountains. It was really cool. However, it made packing difficult. I barely got all of my stuff inside the tent before the deluge, but I got enough in that I could start packing. Finally there was a break in the weather and I only had the tent to go....I jumped out of the tent and started packing up the tent. It was still sprinkling, but no big deal. Still lots of thunder and then a little bit past the log crossing it started raining and hailing again. It did this on and off the whole way down. It was pretty cool.

The fish and the rain/hail are the big stories of the trip. I hope that Laura was able to get over trail crest before the weather moved in. It would suck to start out a two week trip soaking wet.

I was just checking out my spot track. My Spot seemed to stop working at a place/time when we were having a serious downpour.

I should have thought about that. I am going to open it up and see if it is wet inside. I would hope that they would have designed it to be weather proof/resistant.

During a serious downpour, did you rearrange clothing and pack so it was no longer oriented toward the sky? Or did you hunker down in a spot where the sky was obscured? Being in trees makes a big difference, too.

Rather than pull it apart, maybe just set it outside and try sending an OK/check-in signal.

I was out on a short trip Saturday, and mine did not get its signal out many places where we were in areas with lots of tree cover.

no, it was always facing skyward. At the point of the last signal, I was moving swiftly down the trail. It looks like they are made to be impossible to take apart without evidence of tampering. So I am going to do exactly as you said and test it.

The other thing is that there ARE periods of time when there are no receiving satellites within your view of the sky. And being in a canyon like the Mt Whitney trail greatly reduces the visible sky area.

With SPOT, you can hike for hours and miles in the Sierra when no signal ever gets out.

it's working now. Maybe the storm caused enough interference that the signal couldn't get through.

I don't normally have any problems with the spot on the MMWT. Maybe a little off on the location, but always been tracked well between the portal and LPL.

Photos from this weekend. Actually, a few from last weekend too.

https://picasaweb.google.com/105800731492356952460/MMWTJuly21222012

T:

Really nice to see these pics. Not the usual, and captured moods and scenes of the trail I remember so well. Especially nice to see the OMWT section, after last year's adventure

I've actually become quite fond of the OMWT. At least going down.

One thing that I have found is that I really prefer hiking when there is a chance of rain. The cloud cover makes it very pleasant.

Hi Tom

I read your plans for another MW summit on 7/13 and have been meaning to check out your trip report but didn't get around to reading it until tonight....boy was I in for a surprise....Your TR was anything but a typical TR. Thank God you were at the right place at the right time in order to hear Maxwell and Corey's screams for help. I bet when you told your mom this story she was beaming with pride at what a wonderful human being she raised. MW will be there next year....I'm glad you blew off the summit to take care of your knees land joints. I can't wait to read your TR next summer.

Hey Lynn,
next summer? heck, I'm planning on getting up on the hill at least a couple of more times before the snow hits.
Tom

Tom

Lucky you...couple of more time this year.....I can barely find time to hike in the local OC canyons...like Peters Cyn.....I guess we all have to set priorities in life....You've set your priorities well...live life to the fullest and have fun....I look forward to reading more of your TRs this year before the snow falls.

Lynn,
for the past 7 years my weekends in the spring and fall were dedicated to little league (coaching, commissioning). My son turns 13 in a couple of weeks and is no longer in little league. So where my weekends were pretty much booked from mid-august to mid-june for the past few years, now they are free.

Knee Update: Torn meniscus

> Torn meniscus

btdt

Unless it is a really bad tear, you'll be up and hiking in a couple of months (...after the operation).

I had my ACL replaced on this knee 13 years ago...

I hear that the meniscus repair is a little less traumatic than an ACL allograph.

Hate to hear that Tom. Reminds me of the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished. Whatever the treatment plan is, be sure to follow it to the letter so you'll hopefully avoid arthritis problems down the road. You want to hike for a long time, right?

Presumably this won't interfere with your ability to perform 12 oz. curls?

50% Medial Meniscus tear in Fall of 2005 when I was 67. Had surgery and started Physical Therapy once my Dr gave the OK. Also after working on the tear he scraped alot of arthritis out of the knee. I was able to start hiking before the New Year mainly on level trails and avoided any steep climbs for a while. Started climbing 14ers in Spring and since 2005 have summited 33 with no knee problems although I wear a knee brace as a precaution.

You might discuss with your Dr if you need any arthritis scraping while doing the surgery repair to the Meniscus.

With a good PT program and not rushing back into your workouts I am confident that you will recover well and be back climbing as well as you were prior to the Meniscus tear.

going up today.

spending the night on the hill.

hoping that my +15 bag and 3 season tent do the job.

hope to get one last day of fishing in...season closes in less than two weeks.

For us Whitney newbs does "spending the night on the hill" mean the summit? If so I am curious why you would not just use the hut, it seems quaint unless of course you're sharing it with a loud snorer like myself.



Edit: Grammar

To me, all it means is that he's doing an overnight trip, likely spending the night in one of the more hospitable places -- Outpost Camp or Trail Camp.

Except for the hardiest of animal-hikers, hauling overnight gear all the way to the summit is pretty tough. And then, unless he's well acclimated or is not as susceptible to the altitude, it would be a pretty miserable night anyway.

Glad to see you're back in the saddle Tom! How's the knee?

hello gon2srf,
nah, I was only going up to lone pine lake to see if I could get some fishing in. I'm nursing a knee injury right now so I am keeping my hikes pretty simple.

And since I am definitely susceptible to altitude sickness and did no acclimatizing, I had no intention of going to the top this trip. Hell, I didn't start up the trail until 3:30pm.

Knee held up pretty good. But I had a mondo brace on it. I still had to step down gingerly.

I set a new record for myself going to LPL. I know it's nothing for most people, but I made it there in 2 hours with a 24lb pack.

I'll tell you what though...it was cold as hell up there once the sun went down. From 8pm to midnight I could not get my toes or the backs of my legs warm. And this was with two pairs of socks, thermal underwear (or whatever they call them now, just bought them for this trip) and my down-like sweater. My torso was fine and my head was find (I love my balaclava). Oh, and I was in my +15 bag....but the three season tent sucked for temps in the teens.

LPL isn't frozen and won't be frozen for a couple of weeks. But....the fish were not biting. I had one grab and spit my fly. And another who checked out my fly three times and swam away. I think part of it is that the sun doesn't hit the lake until 9:45am (pdt).

It was definitely quiet up there. I ran into a few people hiking down yesterday afternoon. But nobody hiking up yesterday and none today.

I stopped in the WPS and had a nice talk with Doug. I may not have been the last customer of the year, but I was pretty close.

Except for the fact that I didn't catch any fish and I was cold for four hours, it was an uneventful but very pleasant trip. The only wildlife I saw were the giant ravens that hang out on the rocks at the south side of LPL. Those buggers make a hell of a racket.

Thank you Steve, you answered my question and another I was too embarrassed to ask earlier. So lots of people leave their overnight gear at "basecamp" and summit with day packs. I should probably know this by now but is a bear canister necessary for Trail Camp? I keep all my food in a sealable Nylofume bag and then inside a Cuben Fiber dry bag.

Great trip report...sorry you got no fish but I bet it was peaceful fishing none the less and some good rehab for your knee. You mentioned your bag was 15' and you had a 3 season tent but you did not mention what kind of pad/mattress you had? Once it gets down below freezing I am using a combination of a (R) Exped Synmat UL7 and a (S)Ridgerest CCF pad, Marmot 15' down bag and an Integral Designs bivy. Even if I go to bed somewhat cold I feel like this setup especially the bivy will keep me toasty down to the low low teens. You did say your upper body was fine however so maybe your pad had nothing to do with it, just had cold feet goin' to bed? The only thing I could think of would be heating some water and putting a nice hot water bottle down between your feet.

Thanks again for the reply and the report.

Scott

Good Morning G2S,
I too have an Exped Synmat. But I was using it alone. I was warm enough on the bottom though.

I did run into someone who had a +20 bag with a bivy sack and he said he was plenty warm at trail camp.

the part that I left out was that there was a part of my lower back that wasn't covered by the sweater jacket that I was wearing.....that was the coldest part of my body, even colder than my toes. And the inside of my bag felt cold to the touch wear the bag was closest to the sidewall of the tent.