Backpack Trip in Sequoia NP

Photos from this summer's 6-day trip into alpine basins of Sequoia NP and John Muir Wilderness. Segments of the trip were off-trail or by little-used paths. Most of the trip was above 11,000', with clear skies and no smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view from 14,000'

May 22 High Desert Rock Art

Our group of six was out to camp and hike to rock art sites in the Mojave. But characteristically, cold weather showed up, as it does so often in late May.

That's snow down to about 8000'

Bighorns are the popular motif out here

More bighorns

The archaeologists say Paiute-Shoshone medicine men pecked them into these basalt boulders roughly a thousand years ago

Lots of lithic scatter out here, from local obsidian sources

This rock is covered in images

There's also wild horses and burros out here. They are destructive and have displaced the bighorns and the BLM has to do periodic roundups

A wide-angle view of the area

These are older and cruder-looking images. Some of these probably date to pluvial times when Sierran glaciers retreated into their upper basins. So these are potentially over ten thousand years old.

We looped back to camp on this higher route that dropped into another canyon. Snow flurries fell on us for a little bit up here

Nights were cold, but driving out Sunday the sunshine felt good

Spring 2021 Outings

 Well, here we are finally coming out of hibernation.

I never tire of the view of DTLA from Griffith Park

In February, Hiking Club did a fun loop hike in Griffith Park, with warm sunshine and green hills. I think February is my favorite month to hike.

In March the outing was to Malibu Creek SP where we visited the MASH site.

In May we climbed San Gabriel Peak, pointing out above the coastal marine layer.

In June we climbed Echo Mountain and saw a vivid double solar halo.

Miscellaneous Other 2020

 2020 was the year of staying home, and aside from the August pack trip in the Sierras I stayed pretty close to home. I went into LA only a handful of times, even.

In July I threw my pack together and hiked up Mt Baden-Powell to overnight. I saw comet Neowise but couldn't capture a picture of it. I cowboy camped under these 2000 y/o limber pines on the 9400' summit, it was a quiet night and pretty sunrise. 

Sunset above Hollywood, with the Griffith Observatory

 This summer was hot and trails were crowded, so I hiked more than usual at night, and got a lot of great photos.

 

Greater LA from Echo Mountain  

Sunrise over the desert, taken on the way to work. Mt Baden-Powell is one of those peaks back there.

On a hike in November to Nightmare Gulch. I'm looking down into mud caves here.

Down inside one of those mud caves.

Christmas Day, atop Verdugo Peak with a view over the Santa Monicas and out to the Channel Islands, almost 70 miles distant.

Sierras 2020: Golden Trout Wilderness / Sequoia NP 6-Day Loop

Our 2020 Sierra trip was smaller, and simpler due to the travel risks of covid.  But we fashioned a six day loop hike in August that kept an emergency bailout to a one day hike for safety. This time we took advantage of the relative solitude and some seldom-used trails in Golden Trout Wilderness. And we did a little cross-country travel into Sequoia NP on Day 4.

Our loop hike in GTW, looking SSW with exaggerated relief

 With backpacking so popular this summer, we still were able to hike for two days without seeing anyone. The GTW comprises 474 square miles (!) of south Sierra forests, rivers, meadows and peaks immediately south of the start of the 'high' Sierra and Sequoia NP.  Elevations on our trip were still 9000 - 11000', and our timing luckily fell between mosquito season and the breakout of a hundred fires on August 19 that lasted for many weeks and made breathing smoke intolerable.

Beautiful alpine Miter Basin in Sequoia NP

We spent the first half of the loop hiking through meadows in the GT before making a camp on Rock Creek and spending Day 4 hiking into Miter Basin. This place is a true joy to visit, and while we did see 3 or 4 other people this time, on previous trips we might see one or none. 
  

Looking NNE into the basin

 

Hiking in Downtown LA

Our club's February hike was another guided tour by the LA Conservancy. Now, while we were hiking through the central business district, I knelt down to get this photo of our guide, and then later some club members said they liked it. And, the more I looked at it the more I like the multiple parallel alignments, converging lines, bluebird sky and reflected illumination. I'm not known for great photos, but I think this is one of my favorites. I sent it to the Conservancy with permission to use, and was told they're interested to use it.

New Year's Day hike to the Hollywood Sign

Hiking Club was out there on NYD, to enjoy perfect hiking weather in the world's greatest park! Stops included the Hollywood sign on Mt Lee and the Batcave

Photo by Fran R.

 While on the mountain we waved for our selfie at the Hollywood Sign Webcam. One of the cams is mounted on the water tank down there, above the second 'O'.

That's us waving

On the hike back down, you can see the cavity that is Bronson Quarry

"Atomic batteries to power.... turbines to speed..."