TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

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Mike M.
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Mike M. »

TR Day 7 continued . . .
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Mike M. »

TR Day 7 continued . . .

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. . . to be continued.
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Mike M. »

TR continued . . . Day 8

Monday I hiked down to Martha Lake, circling around the lake from the left and then up to the basin that leads to Reinsten Pass.

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Large boulders and granite shelves and benches dominate the approach to Reinstein. This was my first time going over the pass from north to south (I've been over the pass four other times, but always from the south), but navigation to the top of the pass was easy. There was a big, early cloud build up and by the time I reached the top of the pass, the sky was dark and menacing.

I dropped my pack and quickly snapped a few photos.

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. . . to be continued.
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Last edited by Mike M. on Thu May 09, 2019 12:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Mike M. »

TR: Day 8 continued . . .


The wind picked up and it started to sprinkle, then all hell broke loose. Thunder and lightning, drenching rain, then hail, then more drenching rain. I put my poncho on, then my pack, and was ready to head down. There's an easy exit ramp that leads down to gentle terrain just south of the pass, but I couldn't find it. Water was everywhere, pouring off the rocks. I moved around the summit area, trying to locate the exit ramp. I thought I spied the ramp, wormed my way over to it, only to find myself cliffed out. More thunder and lightning., with the concussions very close. I tried to go back down the north side of the pass, then around, closer to Mt. Reinstein itself, but water was streaming everywhere. I must have spent half an hour looking for a route down. Finally I just muscled my way down through a steep field of huge slabs and boulders at the head of the pass (but slightly west of the ramp I knew was there). Fortunately, this worked but the going was tedious and led me away from the gentle terrain below the exit ramp I knew was there. By the time I exited the slab and boulder field, the storm had petered out and the clouds began to lift. I was higher than I wanted to be. It took a while, but I was able to find a chute that led down to more gentle terrain and soon I was in familiar territory.

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I stopped for a quick snack and took my poncho off. It was getting late and I was concerned that Van would be worried, waiting for me there at Lake 10,232.

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I finally stumbled into camp at about 7:00pm. But where was Van? No sign of him at all. I set up camp, cooked dinner, and watched the sunset. The clouds had lifted, night fell, but still no sign of Van.

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to be continued . . .
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by kursavwilage »

Great report!
I love the way you are releasing an episode at a time, almost like a TV show where you get left with a cliff hanger... Can't wait to see what's next.
Love your old school pack. Is that a vintage Jansport?
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Mike M. »

Kursavwillage, thank you for your kind words.

It's a Kelty Super Tioga, circa 1988. Lots of volume and very comfortable, plus it weighs less than many modern internal frame packs. Van hikes with a similar pack, but his is from the early 90's.

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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by SSSdave »

What made this interesting to follow from the outset regardless of incremental release was that it was quite conceivable something might happen like foul weather and throw your meetup into a plan-B. Also the crosscountry bushwhack if up Lower Goddard Creek.
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Mike M. »

TR continued -- Day 9

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Another glorious morning but no sign of Van. I assumed he had just bit off more than he could chew and would show up by mid day. This was to be a layover day anyway, so we were still on track to complete our planned hike out through the Ionian Basin. I putted around camp, cleaned up, snacked, read a book on my Kindle Paperwhite, and hiked down to the meadow below our camp where Van would be coming from.

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Still no sign of Van. Disaster scenarios ran through my brain. I was three days from a trailhead or ranger station, in an extremely remote location. If he doesn't show up by today, should I leave and go get help? Or stay in place and hope for the best? Snake bite? Fall? By late afternoon, my concern grew. I walked out to a lookout point near camp and surveyed the meadow below but no sign of Van. Back to my book. Another afternoon cloud build up, then swirling winds and the lake water kicked up. It looked like rain. Then, at 4:30, Van chugged into camp looking like a stray dog. He was a day behind, having miscalculated the calendar days involved in his diversion down to Tehipite. Oops!

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It was a great relief to have Van safe and sound in camp. He had hiked from the south side of Blue Canyon Pass today and had to cover a lot of ground, while I was lazing away at camp. His legs were bloody from battles with talus and brush. He was tired but sated. His Tehipite fever had been fed.


to be continued . . .
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Great photos and useful information. I hope to do a similar trip this summer. Good to see your route from Davis Lake to Martha Lake. I just may try that.

I assume Van went down the JMT to the Kings River and then on down to Tehipite. Are we going to get a report of HIS adventures!??
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Re: TR: Tehipite Fever 8/6/18 - 8/19/18

Post by balzaccom »

Daisy took the words right out of my mouth. I'd love to read about his trip, too!
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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