Two weeks ago I made the long, familiar 14.5 hour drive, and pulled in to Bishop about 7:30PM on Saturday the 21st. Next day we picked up permits, made the last-minute changes to packs, played around in Bishop and Lone Pine, ran up to Whitney Portal for dinner, and were back in our Onion Valley campsite before dark, ready to start out Monday morning.
Thomas (a friend who hiked the JMT with me in 2006, as well as a number of JMT-segment hikes in the mid to late 1990's) and I took 6 days and went from Onion Valley to the Portal. It was a great trip at a leisurely pace. Thomas was also a good friend of Sonny's and we celebrated the memories of all those special places we'd been with him on this part of the trail.
The weather was great -- blue skies and warm weather, other than an "interesting" storm that came in on Wednesday.... Clouds started accumulating as we went over Forester Pass, and all hell broke loose about 6:00 in the evening -- hail, pouring-rain, thunder and lightning; fortunately we had set up camp in the Tyndall Creek area a couple hours earlier. Next day the storm started much earlier; just as we started to cross Big Horn Plateau, the storm rolled in really fast-- I don't think I've ever crossed that section so fast.... The lightening started just as we started the descent. By that evening, the storm was spent, and we had beautiful weather the rest of the trip.
It was a great hike --one of my favorite sections of the JMT; I love the rugged rocks and the sweet meadows of this area....it's just beautiful. I think my very favorite camp site on the whole JMT is at the Center Basin Trail turn-off.... It's just really special -- we had the whole area to ourselves Tuesday night.
Our schedule, starting from Onion Valley:
Monday, August 23 -- Charlotte Lake
Tuesday, August 24 -- Center Basin Trail Turn-off
Wednesday, August 25 -- Tyndall Creek
Thursday, August 26 -- Sandy Meadow
Friday, August 27 -- Guitar Lake
Saturday, August 28 -- Whitney Portal
When we got in to the Portal, a number of my brothers and sisters were there along with my mother. We had a fun few days... camping and spending time with the family......then suddenly it was Monday evening.
Laura met us at the Portal for dinner that night to give us some final hints for the hike the next day up the Mountaineers Route.
Early Tuesday morning (August 31st), Laura met us (my sister Marianne and her husband, my brothers Mark, Paul and Tim, and me) at the Trailhead to accompany us on a day hike up the MR. Hiking the Mountaineers Route was a first for all of us in the family; I'd done the lower part on an unsuccessful MR attempt in 1999, and, of course, the lower part included in the Thor Peak hike last year. But I'd never been to Iceberg Lake or beyond.
That part "beyond" was the most difficult and frightening climbing I've ever done! I have a bit of an issue with heights, and it was pretty daunting at times. But as frightening as it was, I really enjoyed the challenge of climbing the rocks - finding the right foot and hand holds for me. I'd never done anything like that before, other than the very-safe climbing walls at the Seattle REI or gyms. Laura was great! She kept an eye on all of us, giving us "heads up" on every new section of the route. My brother-in-law and I were the ones most intimidated by the heights, and Laura made sure we were comfortable in what we were doing.
I honestly don't know which was more exciting -- the "Chute" or the "Final 400", but I don't think I've had such exhilaration in reaching a summit....ever.
Thank you again, Laura, for making this such a wonderful trip for my family and me.... What an adventure!
Rosie
Thanks Steve!!
