High Sierra Topix

Hobbes wrote:Aye carumba! What's the old saying, there's always someone thinner, better looking and richer?

In the sports world, there's always someone stronger, faster and in better condition. LOL

You guys are animals. What's next - where do you go from here: Denali, the Andes, Himalaya?

Haha. Indeed! The main requirements are deciding to do such a trip, having the will to physically and mentally prepare for it, and then having the confidence and determination to see it through once out there. The decision making and personality involved may fall far on the end of a spectrum, but I'm not all that special. Despite rumors to the contrary, Eric is human as well. Toshi, I'm not sure yet! Wait, actually I've seen him reach his limit at times, too. Really, we all point to people we know who are more skilled and faster. It helps me improve when I actually meet such people and join them on outings or in training.

It comes to mind that I recently went to Black Kaweah with HST member, Gazelle. Very fast! I actually gave up keeping up with her on our last stretch up to where we planned to set up camp. I often had my mind on this amazing feat while out there, but SeanO would remind you that he is 20% slower than the fastest trail runners:
https://drdirtbag.wordpress.com/2012/09 ... ack-19h05/

As for the future, I suspect I will be looking at more Sierra/California adventures for awhile. Plenty to enjoy here!

The mental aspect of training is more important than the physical. Having great partners helped, but I never once doubted I would complete this route. On that subject, I ran across some videos of a childhood favorite pointing at what it takes to go big:

http://indianyouth.org/billy-mills
https://youtu.be/DfLLNksZmoY

Sometimes we are capable of more than we realize!

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Well thank you I guess!

seanr wrote:I recently went to Black Kaweah with HST member, Gazelle. Very fast! I actually gave up keeping up with her on our last stretch up to where we planned to set up camp.

Fun fact: I gave Kristine her trail name 'Gazelle'. We met @ the 2015 HST meet-up. She had just come down from (solo) summitting Picket Guard Peak. I was hanging out at the last, hanging lake along Picket creek after hiking over & across from Shepherd.

She had arrived the say before at the actual meet-up (island) lake, and had left her base camp there. She wanted to check out an alternate short-cut to the lake, so I followed her. Now, I'm a pretty strong, consistent hiker, but she took off like a ghost over the talus and steps. She got to a good vantage point where we could see it was fairly cliffy - after I eventually joined her - so we decided to contour around 3372. (Actually, she was sort of game, but I wanted to contour. As in, umm, I'm not going that way.)

Well, like usual, while I'm deliberately picking my line along the shelves, she just takes off again a bit higher in the terrain. We eventually met at the saddle before turning back towards the lake. It was at this point where I believe I said something like "you're a fvcking gazelle"; and so, a trail name was coined. Eric later modified her original log-in name, so now everyone knows her by that trail name.

She mentioned she did well on a couple of routes during this year's SC. It's comforting to know she's considered fast among her own peer group, which makes the pain and humiliation of being whipped by a girl at little easier to take.

What. A. Trip. That is absolutely amazing. I was around Isberg last year and do love the area. We were talking of doing Electra, but logistics kind of submarined our itinerary. Excellent stuff!

Hobbes wrote:

seanr wrote:I recently went to Black Kaweah with HST member, Gazelle. Very fast! I actually gave up keeping up with her on our last stretch up to where we planned to set up camp.

Fun fact: I gave Kristine her trail name 'Gazelle'....she just takes off again a bit higher in the terrain. We eventually met at the saddle before turning back towards the lake. It was at this point where I believe I said something like "you're a fvcking gazelle"; and so, a trail name was coined. Eric later modified her original log-in name, so now everyone knows her by that trail name.

I hadn't met her before, but a mutual friend who shows up in some trip reports and videos on here, mentioned thinking of the same moniker while hiking with her and added that she is an a*s kicker when we were planning the trip. I didn't find either description to be an exaggeration.



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Gazelle wrote:Well thank you I guess!

That was a fun trip! I'll get around to sharing some pics eventually. Nice to keep growing my pool of partners who don't find my trip ideas and pace crazy and who may influence my gear, food, and location choices!

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cslaght wrote:What. A. Trip. That is absolutely amazing. I was around Isberg last year and do love the area. We were talking of doing Electra, but logistics kind of submarined our itinerary. Excellent stuff!

Thanks! That area is beautiful! I enjoyed the scrambling on Ansel Adams most around there, but views are great all around that region! Long Mountain is a great vantage point among lesser known peaks.

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What a terrific traverse. It is fun to read this from the viewpoint of an arm chair climber. The entire adventure is far out of my league, but I still enjoy reading about it. I have also been up some of the peaks on the traverse, such as Lyell, Maclure, Rodgers, Electra, Foerster, Fletcher, Vogelsang, so it was fun relive parts of those again. The photo of the NW ridge of Lyell brought back memories, because I descended it back in 1975 en route from Lyell to Maclure thinking it was supposed to be easy, only to find myself climbing down some unexpectedly big steps, fortunately on nice rock, though. I have fond memories of Electra because it was part of a really fun loop dayhike to explore the upper Lyell Fork drainage from Blue L.: climbed Foerster then descended from saddle E of it to Lyell Fork then up Lyell Fork before coming back to the San Joaquin side by going W to E over the top of Electra. I agree with you that views from points on the Merced-San Joaquin divide are exceptional. I think the view from Foerster is one of the best I've seen in the Sierra even though the peak itself is not that exciting.

giantbrookie wrote:What a terrific traverse. It is fun to read this from the viewpoint of am arm chair climber. The entire adventure is far out of my league, but I still enjoy reading about it. I have also been up some of the peaks on the traverse, such as Lyell, Maclure, Rodgers, Electra, Foerster, Fletcher, Vogelsang, so it was fun relive parts of those again. The photo of the NW ridge of Lyell brought back memories, because I descended it back in 1975 en route from Lyell to Maclure thinking it was supposed to be easy, only to find myself climbing down some unexpectedly big steps, fortunately on nice rock, though. I have fond memories of Electra because it was part of a really fun loop dayhike to explore the upper Lyell Fork drainage from Blue L.: climbed Foerster then descended from saddle E of it to Lyell Fork then up Lyell Fork before coming back to the San Joaquin side by going W to E over the top of Electra. I agree with you that views from points on the Merced-San Joaquin divide are exceptional. I think the view from Foerster is one of the best I've seen in the Sierra even though the peak itself is not that exciting.

Glad to help bring back some memories GB! I had somehow previously managed to avoid everything on the traverse besides Merced Peak as well as Foerster Peak to Isberg Peak. The scrambling was more fun almost everywhere besides those places, but I didn't mind visiting Foerster and its views for a third time and was reminded while looking down from above that I definitely want to drop down to the Lyell Fork someday. I got my fill of Eastern Yosemite this summer between this traverse and a couple other trips so I might not be inclined to highly prioritize returning soon, but there is much left to explore.

Electra marked the end of the stormy part of our traverse and leaving it also involved our final long stretch of snow.

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seanr wrote:Thanks! That area is beautiful! I enjoyed the scrambling on Ansel Adams most around there, but views are great all around that region! Long Mountain is a great vantage point among lesser known peaks.

Thank you again Sean, I do plan going back that way and spending some time in the Lyell Fork. Excellent work!