Maverick's 2017 Annual HST Meet-up

[Ashery]

If I missed someone, please chime in :-)

I'm still lurking around with plans on being there, as it looks like I'll easily be able to make my prior commitment on the 30th. Will be finalizing permit plans over the next day or two.

[richlong8]

after speaking with Mav, we agree this would be the prime spot.

https://caltopo.com/m/T1GN

This location still where the group will meet? I have not camped here before, only on the north and west side.

[Jimr]

Yes.

[maverick]

Keep an eye on the weather forecast and skies next week, a possible stronger flow of monsoonal moisture may be impacting SEKI. Also, smoke is impacting SEKI from 2 different fires, Park Fire, which is 10% contained, and the Garcia Fire, which 95% contained.

[Dave_Ayers]

Planning to drive from Fremont to Taboose Pass TH on Weds. 7/26 with a stop in Lee Vining for permit and lunch if someone wants to join. However, my return date is uncertain.

[maverick]

Planning to drive from Fremont to Taboose Pass TH on Weds. 7/26 with a stop in Lee Vining for permit and lunch if someone wants to join. However, my return date is uncertain.

Open ended trip Dave?

[Dave_Ayers]

Planning to drive from Fremont to Taboose Pass TH on Weds. 7/26 with a stop in Lee Vining for permit and lunch if someone wants to join. However, my return date is uncertain.

Open ended trip Dave?

I'm shooting for 7 days, but I'm unsure how much the knee can take. It's possible I'll need to bug out early.

[Hobbes]

I'm the last guy to engage in fear mongering, but I've been hearing reports about the Taboose access road that are causing me to re-think my plans. Confirming what Sierra Shepherd reported 10 days ago here:

http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... ss#p122458

A guy that I've used before for shuttling between THs said essentially the same thing. He's going to be out of town next week, so he will be unavailable, but he was going to charge me $100. The reason it's so expensive to shuttle just 10 miles to the Sawmill TH is because the Taboose road is so degraded that it takes quite a long time to get there (and return). One of the official regular shuttle services might be 2x that price.

Besides using his 4x4 SUV for Taboose (he lives in Lone Pine & uses a mini-van for standard THs), he thinks a regular truck or SUV is necessary. He was just up there last week 'rescuing' some JMT hikers he had previously dropped off @ Horseshoe. They were done with the snow and wanted to bail.

So, with this in mind, I'm thinking of reversing course and hiking up Sawmill. I can leave my mini-van @ the Taboose creek campground and get dropped off @ Sawmill. I'm thinking I can offer someone hanging around $20 or $40 bucks to drive me the 5 miles. On my return over Taboose pass, I could camp by the last creek crossing (around 5 miles from the TH) and then road walk the 4.5 miles down to my car the next morning. I've hiked from the Symmes creek (ie Shepherd pass) TH to the OV road before - essentially the same distance - and it's actually pretty nice if done very early in the morning.

Right now I have a permit for Taboose Tues 7/25 and could conceivably stick to those plans if anyone with a truck/4x4 is heading up that way on the same day. I could still leave my car at the Taboose creek campground and do the road walk on the way back. If I did this, it would be an interesting in/out lollipop to check out some of the more intriguing fishing holes in the near vicinity.

[Ashery]

Unfortunately, Hobbes, while Tues 25 was one of the two viable openings for Taboose when I reserved the permit yesterday, I opted to for the other option, Sat 22, because of the fact that I need to be back in Lancaster by late afternoon on Sun 30.

I'll be heading out in a few minutes to go get some new tires on our Passport, actually. Your info makes me think that that'd be sufficient to get to the trailhead, but regardless, its chances are a lot better than my little Subaru.

[maverick]

Besides using his 4x4 SUV for Taboose (he lives in Lone Pine & uses a mini-van for standard THs), he thinks a regular truck or SUV is necessary.

Great, another wrinkle. Now, even with all this chaos going on at work, if there would be a small window of opportunity that presents itself, to get to the Meet-up, the road may not be doable any more with my car, because of the road degradation.