High Sierra Trail trip report

“Here is the info deedawg:

http://www.photodo.com/prod/lens/detail/TaAF28-300_35-63LD-808.shtml

I just got home from work, I'm too lazy to do the link correctly and here is another review (a personal person) not a professional review.

http://www.geocities.com/samirkharusi/tamron28to300.html

Have fun.”

“Forget it all it's the wrong lens. It is the regular and not the Ultra we were talking about. I gotta get some sleep. Good night!”

“HPM

Very nice trip report. Really makes me want to be there. I hope to get to hike with you again one day.”

“Forget it all it's the wrong lens. It is the regular and not the Ultra we were talking about

Thanks, not too bad for such an extreme zoom range. Presumably the XR version would be somewhat better.

One last question if you don't mind: is it a non-rotating front element?

Now back to our regular entertainment... :)”

“Over the hump
We got up the next morning a little late and a little sore. I got the fire going again and tried to supply a little more smoke cover. Madman’s knee was feeling much better. Not 100% but much better. Luckily with the knee issues he’s been having lately he carries a knee brace and was wearing it when he hurt his knee. It probably kept the damage from being much worse. We looked at the map again and set our goal for the day as Colby Lake or maybe further if we feel like it. We struck camp and headed up the trail into the swarms of mosquitoes.

It became very obvious that this was going to be a death march until we got over Colby Pass. If we stopped, the bugs bombarded us. We were already wearing long pants and long sleeves with bandannas under our hats desert rat style. All that was exposed was out hands and faces. Several times mosquitoes would fly into our mouths when we opened them and would send the unfortunate target gagging and coughing. One of the other guys would grab him and help keep him moving. It got worse because we didn’t want to open our mouths for anything, not even water. So if it happened again you now had a cottonmouth AND a bug in there. We were constantly applying bug dope but the bug spray would only last about 15 minutes.

On top of that, the trail was still poorly marked. We would frequently see Cairns that went nowhere and the tread way would just vanish in sections. We just made it a point to keep heading up canyon and keep a sharp eye out of the trail. We didn’t want to speak so we usually just grunted and pointed with a trekking pole.

Unga! Tarzan see trail. Make like cheetah. Umgawe.

The above situation also meant that we took very few breaks. The lack of rest was wearing on us but we were all committed to getting out of this area as fast as possible. And that in itself was a crying shame because the canyon was beautiful. I really didn’t feel like taking any photos but I forced myself to take one or two. Once again this is an area I’d like to go back to. Next time I’ll go later in the year and bring a bug suit. Not a head net, a bug suit. Before too long we reached the area where Gallats Lake had been. Ranger McGranola had warned us that Gallats had gone dry and he was right. All that was left was a big green meadow with a stream meandering through it. At least I got a photo of that. This was the place where we were supposed to head cross country towards Kaweah Peaks Ridge and Pants Pass. We looked at it and looked at each other. Nope, not today. The trail skirted the edge of the meadow and then went straight up the side of the valley. This section was a grinder, probably more so than anything else in this valley. It was narrow, steep and the footing was loose. We were all away from water and yet the bugs were still bad. Unreal, where are these things coming from? Mercifully we topped out into a beautiful high cirque below the pass and the bugs went away.

We looked at our watches, 11AM. We had been pushing hard and not really drinking or resting since before 8am. Yep, that was a grade “A” grinder. We decided to take an early lunch. We relaxed on the soft grass and made it a point to drink lots of water. Over the last few days an old concern had surfaced again, the water filter was becoming difficult to pump. We could get water out of it but it required some muscle to pump it now. I still had my purification tablets and I used them on occasion. Some of the guys however, didn’t want to give them a chance and referred to my tabbed water as “dirty water.” Whatever, just nut it up and drink. The water was clean but if you didn’t use a bandanna to cover the mouth of the container you would get some floaties in the water. Personally, from years of being a Boy Scout I’ve most likely eaten or drank most anything at one time or another. It means nothing to me. The only thing I didn’t like was the chlorine taste that the tabs gave the water. Letting the water sit overnight reduced it somewhat. Much the same I by far prefer the taste of the water from my PUR hiker. The tabs will be a backup item for me.

We packed up and headed up the trail around noonish. The trail, once again, disappeared. ~sigh~ It just has to screw with us until the very end doesn’t it? Once again we pulled out the GPS and used it to direct us to the pass until the trail reappeared. The trail steepened and switch backed up to the pass and it was very loose footing. We were all tired from the morning grind so we slowly climbed up the trail. The guys were waiting for me at the top. On top there was a nice view in either direction and a little sign informing us that we were entering King’s Canyon National Park. We could clearly see Colby Lake below us and the trail down just dropped off the other side steeply. We looked over at the area we were supposed to cover in the cross-country trip plan. Wow, it looked dicey. Abandoning that plan had a pretty cool result. We got to see a large section of King’s canyon NP. Not a bad trade off at all. We ate a quick snack and headed on down to Colby Lake.

The trail was immensely better maintained on this side but it was steep and a bit rocky. We made pretty good time heading down that is until we spotted the snow bank next to the trail. We looked at each other and smiled.

Madman: SLUSHIES!
Us: Damn straight!

So we kicked back and had another round of slushies. I do believe that snow slushies are the best morale booster and trailside refreshment of all time. We were finally feeling human again. We packed up and headed for the Lake.

On the way down we passed several more snow drifts and one large one that covered the trail. Madman decided to ski down it. Capt. Obvious, being himself, tried to telemark down it. He succeeded too. It looked pretty cool but I’ll just walk.

Before too long we located a nice campsite on a bluff over the lake. We relaxed in camp and just hung out. This was by far the best campsite yet. After dinner we could look down at the lake and see fish hitting the surface like mad. Once again I wish I had a fishing pole. A decent fisherman could probably clean house at Colby Lake. At dusk we could also see clouds moving in and the barometer was dropping. Rain was coming. We could also hear thunder off in the distance. We all smiled at how cool it sounded rolling up the valley and across the tops of the nearby peaks. It then became obvious that it was coming closer. Hmmmm, might want to be sure the tents are pitched for the storm. Tarptents need to be pitched so the tail is into the wind. If you aren’t, you most likely will get wet. Our tents were fine so we gathered up any items that happened to be lying around and went back to watching the storm develop. At the end of the canyon we could see the glow of lightning hitting the far peaks through the clouds. We heard the familiar rush of wind that precedes the first drops of rain heading up the canyon and we all prepared to make the dash to our tents. Sure enough, the wall of white was approaching so we ducked under cover.

The rain wasn’t particularly hard but the wind was high and at times it came down hot and heavy. The thunder was getting closer and closer. It’s been a long time since I was in thunderstorm at eye level and it was cool to experience it again. I could hear Lightnin Rod and Capt. Obvious counting off the 7-second measure through the rain. In a nutshell, you can tell how far away lightning has struck by counting the time between seeing the strike and the time you hear the thunder from the strike. Prevailing wisdom has it that 7 seconds equals one mile of distance. Only I’m not sure what the deflection of sound off the mountains will do to that measurement. We could now see lightning flashing closer and closer ad then KA-CRACK-POW! I could clearly see the shape of the last blast through the silnylon of my tent canopy and it blinded me momentarily. Lightning struck just over on the other side of the lake, less than a quarter mile away. YIKES!

Capt. Obvious: So are we ok here?
Me: Yep, just stay low and stay centered on your sleeping pads.
I could hear the distinct “shuffle, shuffle” of movement from the other tents.
Capt. Obvious: Ok, All good.
Lighnin Rod: Dude, get off me! Your side of the tent is OVER THERE!
Capt. Obvious: Hey! You pitched the tent on an incline!
Madman and I: LOL!

The storm continued for a while and eventually passed on. I could hear it thundering down Colby Canyon on the Sequoia side of the pass. I poked my head out of my tent, clear starry skies again.”

“Being outside during a thunderstorm is an amazing experience. I have been in numerous storms that sound like your experience above. Nothing beats it.”

“Cool. Thanx.”

“Great report HPM. The storm sounded cool. Lightning is beautiful if you are safe, better than any fireworks I think. Thanks for taking the time to share the adventure of your trip so intimately.”

“Your welcome.

Only three more installments left to go.”

“I always get this uneasy feeling when I am in a tent during a thunderstorm.

I always ask myself: "What kind of madman does it take to hang out under metal poles during lightening strikes. If someone sees this, they will have me locked up for evaluation."

Good report, hpm. Keep the installments coming.”

“Only three?

I guess that means you'll have to start making some up, because no one wants this to end!”

“Well, when I was a kid I did want to be a writer.”

“A little post-hike update.

Lightnin Rod's heel blisters abcessed and they needed to be lanced and drained this week.

Everyday on the trail he would clean them out and apply antibiotic ointment a couple of times a day but I guess they were way too deep and he couldn't keep them cleam enough.

Ouch.”

“Am I the only one waiting with baited breath for the next installment???”

“NO!!!!!!!”

“Mmmm……bacon
One thing I forgot to mention last installment. A little bit before the storm a group of kids on an outward bound trip passed by the campsite heading up towards the pass. We saw them take a long break up the trail. There really wasn’t a very good campsite beyond ours and it would have taken a long time to climb the pass. By our estimation, if they didn’t stop before the pass they would have been on top of the pass or just below it when it started storming. We were hoping they got themselves to a decent place before the storm hit.

I woke up with a bit of a puddle in my tent. It seems there was a runoff that developed that ran right down to my tent. Bummer. Oh well, nothing was all that wet except my fleece and it was soaked. A little sunshine and that won’t last long.

While we were packing a group of older men came walking by with hip packs on.

Me: Good Morning, How are you today?
Old Guy: Where’s the trail?
Madman: You’re standing on it.
Old Guy: Where’s it go.
Madman: Colby Pass.
Me: I’m fine, thanks for asking.
Old Guy: No, I mean where does it go from here?
Madman: “That way” he says as he points at the only obviously beaten track across the grass
Old Guy: Thanks.
Madman: Seemed a little confused
Me: That is no Nowslimmer.
Capt. Obvious: They guy we met at Olustee?
Me: Yeah.
Capt. Obvious: Nowslimmer could kick their ass.

Our goal today was Roaring River Ranger Station and hopefully a bit past it. Breakfast and breakdown by now was an automatic response to us. Much like breathing, you just do it and don’t think about it. So away we went.

We began a long and rocky descent from Colby Lake. The trail was much better marked and maintained on this side of the pass and we were making good time but it looked like the clouds were building again. At one point we came around a ledge and we paused at a nice overlook of the valley below.

Capt. Obvious: ~sniff~ Do you smell something?
Lightnin Rod: It’s bacon!
Madman: Yeah, I smell it.
Me: ~growlph~ My stomach smells it too.
Lightnin Rod: My food bag is no longer appealing.
Capt. Obvious: Come on Lodgepole!
The food conversations had been going strong for days but now they had reached a fevered pitch. We were ready for food that could not be eaten with a spoon. We hiked on with visions of pork products floating in our minds.

We eventually reached the campsite of the old guys we saw that morning. To have reached us so early on such a steep climb they must have been hiking at daybreak. The clouds continued to build and when we reached the end of the steepest descent it started to rain. By this time the tree cover had thickened up and kept some of the lightest rain off of us but it was obvious that we needed to get into raingear. Sure enough, right after the gear went on the heavens opened up. We continued hiking in the deluge and about half an hour later we spotted a horsepacker camp.

Horsepacker: How y’all doing?
Me: Great, a bit damp, but great.
Madman: Good looking horses you have there. (While eyeing the coors light in the horsepackers hand.)
Horsepacker: Thanks, looks like it ain’t raining down below us.
Me: Nope, looks nice.
Capt. Obvious: So, how was the bacon this morning?
Horsepacker: (looking surprised) Real good.
Lightnin Rod: Yeah, we smelled it about two miles or so from here.
Horsepacker: Really?
Madman: Sure smelled good.
Me: And most folks think bears have good noses.

The horsepacker didn’t pick up on the little known fact that now was the appropriate moment to offer us a beer or at the very least food so we moved on.

Me: Damn, a failed Yogi attempt.
Madman: I’m so depressed. Bacon AND beer.
Lightnin Rod and the Capt.: Bacon, sigh.

We hiked on and the rain began to let up so we ditched the rain gear. Around lunch time the rain came back so we pitched the tarp and ate under that. After lunch the rain finally left us alone for the rest of the day.

In the late afternoon we came to the Roaring River Ranger Station. This place resembled a ranch. There was a corral out back and a very small porch complete with a rough made rocking chair.

Madman beat us all to the chair.

Madman: This is pretty nice. All I need is a glass of lemonaid, a dog sleeping at my feet and a shotgun in my lap.
Us: A shotgun?
Madman: Yeah, so when people wander into the yard I can wave it around and yell (In his best Yosemite Sam voice) Git off my propertie!!
Us: Nice.

We decided to head further down the trail and before too long we ran into the Roar River Ranger coming up the trail on horseback. We talked briefly and she gave us some info about good places to camp up ahead. We later found out that her directions were all based on how long to get somewhere on a horse. Her directions were also a little rambley and hard to follow. We thanked her and headed on. Our goal was to stop and camp when the trail started to leave the river but we overshot it and were at the beginning of the climb towards Sugarloaf Valley. We stopped and backtracked a bit until we located a site near the river and made camp.

Capt. Obvious came back from pumping water with a cool river rock that was almost perfectly round. We all thought it was cool so we all went to find one too. We spent an hour or two rock hounding. Back at camp we built a nice fire and discussed our day tomorrow and set our goal as Ranger Lake. We also spent a healthy chunk of time discussing food. We were long past ready for a big solid meal. The fire died down and we all crept off to bed.”

“AH! A shotgun, dog sleeping at my feet, what else could you want?

Oh yea! Ice Cold BEER!

Keep it coming!”

“Rockhounds!”

“"Me: Damn, a failed Yogi attempt."

I love it!”

“hey HPM, just so's ya know... if y'all got Costco out there in your neighborhood, they sell Ready Crisp bacon, $7.99 a box, about 60 or so pieces of bacon per box. cooked, ready to eat, and NO REFRIGERATION REQUIRED.”

“That ready-to-go bacon rocks for backpacking and camping. Sam's Club has it out here.”

“Yes, we have Costco and Sam's here, and they both carry it.”

“My sons and I carried a whole box of ready crisp on Sierrapalooza :)

Thanks HPM ...I'm still enjoying this report!”

“deedawg I don't even know what a non-rotating front element is. But here is some data for you. There is a $40.00 manuf. rebate going on until Sept. 30th.

Model A06
Lens Construction (Groups/Elements)
Angle of View 75°-8°
Type of Zooming Rotation
Diaphragm Blade Number 9
Minimum Aperture F/22
Minimum Focus 19.3in.(0.49m)
Macro Mag. Ratio 1:2.9
Filter Diameter ø62
Weight 420g (14.8oz)
Diameter x Length ø2.9 x 3.3in.
(ø73 x 83.7mm)”

“deedawg I don't even know what a non-rotating front element is.

It's kinda technical, so don't sweat not knowing. In a nutshell: a lens with a non-rotating front element is built in such a way that the very outside end, where you might attach a filter, won't rotate when either zooming or focusing. This is important if you use a polarizing filter where you turn the polarizer to get just the right effect -- if the lens then rotated when you focused or zoomed and the front element rotated, you'd spoil the setting on the polarizer by rotating it with the lens. Thus having the front element NOT rotate is a good thing and is found on higher end and newer lenses.

Does that make more sense?”

“Yep, it make sense and nope it doesn't move when autofocusing. I checked.”

“I am definitely packing some of that bacon on my next trip.

Snownymph is sometimes wearing mosquito netting pants in here pitcutes - she must have had a similar experience at some point in her adventures.”

“Hey HPM, help us out with the next installment please! j/k Had to bring this back to the top.”

“HPM - What are you doing to us?

”

“Sorry gang. I don't mean to leave you guys hanging.

Next one coming soon.”

“Tease!”

“Thats it....lets IGNORE him LOL”

“Big Coop - that's not mosquito netting pants snow nymph wears - it is part of her Victoria's Secret Harem Girl Fantasy Costume.”

“Victoria's Secret Harem Girl Fantasy Costume? I thought it came from REI. 8^)


"hpm: Damn, a failed Yogi attempt."
Navi: Could I buy one of those beers (holding out a fiver)?
Horsepacker: Sure no problem, help yourself.

Usually works like a charm.”

“I thought she looked very sexy it!


8p”

“Gold?
During the night we got a spot of rain but nothing major. We left our tents up longer than usual the next morning to help them dry while we ate and discussed our day. Our goal today was to reach Ranger Lake some 12+ miles away, and make this our last long day on the trail. By this point most of our wounds were starting to heal up, and those that weren’t we were accustomed to so we were able to travel fairly fast.

The nature of the trails was very different in King’s Canyon. The trails were wider and softer; mostly sand instead of the rock we ha come accustomed to in Sequoia. The climbs didn’t seem as steep either. Every few miles we passed fences to keep horses and pack stock from wandering too far. It was painfully obvious that this was the horsepacker park and Sequoia was the backpacker park. Not that we minded, it was just an obvious difference. The softer trails were a blessing to our sore feet and the terrain was still just as pretty.

We had also developed a pattern of doing big miles by lunchtime and the end of the day being a bit of a struggle. Today was no exception. We started by climbing over a low divide and descending into Sugarloaf valley. Through the valley the trail was relatively flat. Yes, there were climbs and descents, as there always are, but none of them seemed challenging. This area looked like prime bear habitat but there was no sign of bear. This was a little perplexing, as throughout the trip we had seen some scat but nothing near what we thought it would be. There were also signs everywhere of past burns. As a matter of fact we saw evidence of past burns almost everywhere we went over the time of the entire trip.

As we neared noon the trail started a long slow uphill climb and the hike became a bit of a grinder. Nothing too rough, but when the climb isn’t very steep we tend to move faster than we should and then tire out. We had a stopping point in mind for lunch but we were getting tired quickly. We pushed onwards and finally decided to just eat lunch at the next stream we came across. Before too long a nice stream appeared and we dropped packs.

So Lightnin Rod, Capt. Obvious and myself are sitting there in the shade and Madman is at the stream pumping (with difficulty) water. Up the trail we hear the sound of horse tack jingling. Sure enough a pack train comes down the trail. The lead rider then tells us to move all our stuff even further away from the trail than it already was, and frankly I didn’t think it was even close. They then proceed to lead the horses through the stream and stop in the middle to water their horses. Ok, fine. It’s a national park and they belong to everyone all but it sure would have been nice to at least give Madman enough time to finish pumping before you lead them straight into the water. Madman quickly reeled up his filter and waited for them to pass and let the water clear. Sure enough, he no sooner gets his prefilter out of the water than the horses start peeing in the stream.
and peeing
and peeing
and peeing
and peeing some more.
Good God.
Thanks, we appreciated that.

We left the stream alone for a while after that. Later Madman went back to pumping.

Madman: There’s lots of gold in this stream.
Capt. Obvious: Like how much?
Madman: It’s everywhere. I just collected a handful.
Us: Hmmmmm……….

In a jiffy we were all in the stream hunting for the “gold.” I later found out that it was a sort of mica (I think) that reflects a most convincing gold in sunlight. We had a great time poring over the streambed and we must have spent an extra hour there. Lots of cries of “Claim jumper!” and “Git offa my propertie!” could be heard. After a while we looked up and saw the clouds building again so we cut short the amateur prospecting and hit the trail.

After lunch the trail climbed steadily and seemed to drag on forever. We went through several thickly wooded sections where the bugs were bad. All of the streams we came across in this section were loaded with trout. You could see five, six, or seven of them just swimming about in the shallows. As we neared Ranger Lake the trail entered a very rocky section and we were about spent. It became very frustrating as your mind would mess with you and you would be sure the lake would be over the next rise, around the next bend and so on. Of course it never is and a little grumbling ensued. Yeah, it’s a long day, whatever. I’m tired and a bit irritable too. Please stop making it worse.

Luckily we hit the sign for Ranger Lake and we made camp at the first decent spot. I checked the GPS and apparently we logged 14 miles today. No wonder we were all whooped. We made camp and went about cooking. As usual, food and a spot of rest made everyone perk up a bit. I was going to go for a dip but didn’t. I don’t know why but for most of this trip that was the case. I have every intention of going for a swim when we hit camp but only did it a couple of times. Go figure. The guys turned in before dusk and I went wandering and explored the area a bit. I think I was the only person who explored our surroundings on this trip. I thought it odd.

The lake was surrounded by a wooded boulder field and made for a very interesting walk. There were lots of things to climb around and through. If I was thinking I would have carried my camera with me but I had left it in camp. I decided to try and find the ranger station that the map claimed was here. I couldn’t seem to locate it so I climbed up to the highest spot I could easily reach. Sure enough, once on top I spotted it. More like I spotted what was left of it. The ranger station had been torn down and a pile of supplies cover by a couple of battered tarps was left on the old foundation. The site itself had a spectacular view of the whole valley on one side and the Silliman Crest on the other. Truly it was a million dollar view. I would love to wake up at look at that everyday. I decided to poke around in the supply pile. There were several boxes of gear stashed there. I went ahead and opened one of the boxes. Inside were ropes, lanterns, gas cans and other gear. Most of it looked old and not in the best of shape.
I wandered back to camp when I looked up to see the alpenglow on the Silliman Crest. I hurried back to camp to get my camera to get a shot of it. I scurried up to a high spot and took a couple of shots but the best of the alpenglow had passed. By now it was dark so I headed back to camp for the night.”

“bck up for those who thought I quit writing this.

Last one coming soon.”

“Get outta Dodge
We got up the next morning and went about packing up. I took another stroll around the area. I think that Ranger Lake was one of most interesting areas we camped and would be great to bring your kids here. The climb would be long but once you got here there would be lots of things for an imaginative child to do. Just a game of hide and seek would be cool up there.

The plan today was to get as close to Lodgepole as possible without getting there. Sounds goofy but we were tight on money and were trying to conserve. Plus changing plans in a popular area is fraught with its’ own set of issues. Foremost being whether or not we could get a campsite without being forced to drive into town and hotel it.

Our first task was to climb over Silliman crest. The trail climbed steadily up the side of the ridge and provided us with several good views. What concerned us was the fact that the trail seemed to be going the opposite direction of where we thought the pass was. We checked the GPS and it told us we were indeed headed the correct direction. Come to find out I had mistaken Silliman Peak for Twin Peaks and our consternations was for nothing. ~sheesh~ That’s embarrassing.

Our food conversations had reached a fevered pitch. To the point where I was telling the guys about the “half-gallon challenge” that AT thru-hikers sometimes do. In a nutshell at the half way point of the trail they try to eat a half-gallon of ice cream. Well, the guys were itching to go for it. Needless to say, nothing we carried food wise was appealing to us anymore.

We reached the top in about an hour. Had we decided to make so time we could have easily walked over to twin peaks or maybe Silliman Peak. We stopped for a snack and some pictures and headed down towards Twin Lakes. We made it down to Twin Lakes in a jiffy and Capt. Obvious went to pump water while the rest of us kicked back on two perfectly placed rocks that somewhat resembled an easy chair and an ottoman. Very nice. Twin Lakes was another pretty spot. We found a lot of places out here that we would like to come back to.

The rest of the day was almost all downhill and we were making great time. We also started to see other people on the trail. Lots of people. We were used to seeing maybe a couple of groups but this was a constant thing. The backcountry was feeling crowded now. Another interesting thing is that we were passing people like they were standing still. At one point there was a small group heading our same direction on a short uphill section very slowly. You do the usual “excuse me may we pass you” thing and they staggered all over the trail like drunk drivers. I guess we startled them. It was almost like swerving to avoid a collision was passed them so fast. As we passed I could hear one of them mutter something about trail runners. Us, trail runners with 38-40 pound packs. Nope, you are just really slow and out of shape. Sorry to have startled you.

We stopped for a lunch break and it was just sad. We sat around looking into our bear cans like kids whose Mom just served them their least favorite meal. I made an effort to choke down some of it but it was a fight. There was a deer scavenging around where we were and briefly considered just dumping the food for it to eat. Nope, can’t do it. LNT and all that. I was ready to get off the trail. I was sick of my food, the trail was feeling crowded (it really wasn’t), I was tired, I was satisfied with the trip and I really wanted to talk to Treebait.

We pushed onwards past a nice meadow and stopped far a quick break and discussed where we should stop. The decision was made to push onwards. Before too much longer we hit a wide spot in the trail and the trail began the last descent into Lodgepole. It was either camp here, backtrack or go out to Lodgepole. No one was interesting in backtracking. Madman and Capt. Obvious were trying to rationalize camping there but it was a crappy spot. Frankly I had no interest in camping there and the call of the Lodgepole market was ringing in my ears. We sat there for a bit. I was weighing the possibilities of going out but I was concerned about getting a campsite. It would be a gamble going into a popular area on a Friday and hoping to get a campsite. I really didn’t want to drive into Fresno and spend our last full day in California sitting in a hotel room either. There was still the issue of getting the Jeep because we had no come off the trail in Wolverton as planned. I’d either have to walk or hitch a ride.

Then Blake appeared walking down the trail to Lodgepole.

Blake: Hi guys.
Us: Hi, good hike today?
Blake: Yep, just came down from Silliman Lake. You guys heading out today?
Me: Well, that’s the debate. Trying to save money and all that. How about you, heading home?
Blake: Well, not really. I work at Lodgepole.
Us: Cool.
~insert thoughtful silence here~
Blake: Well, I’ll leave you guys to it.
Us: All right, see you later.

So we are sitting there and then I think aloud “Hmmm…I should have asked him for a ride back to the Jeep.”
Madman: Well, that would be convenient. You could chase him down.
Me: Yeah I could. I’m going out.

I grabbed my pack and ran down the trail while the guys were still getting up. I caught up to Blake about five minutes later.

Me: Lodgepole won out. Say do you know of any shuttle services or anyone who would be willing to give a guy a ride to Wolverton.
Blake: Well, they stopped the hiker shuttles about five years ago in the park and I don’t have a car.
Me: Hmmm…bummer. Thanks anyway.

We chatted for a few more minutes and then I headed on down the trail. By now I was committed so I’d best find a way to the Jeep.

I hit the parking lot a few minutes later and still had a walk through the campground to reach the visitors center. So I’ll just ask any hikers I see. Sure enough the car campers in the area looked at me like an alien. I ran into a couple of groups of hikers but none were willing to give me a ride even with me offering to pay. Weird, hikers have always been willing to help out other hikers in my experience. I guess I just found the only two groups in the US who won’t. One of them was even heading my way. During this last exchange Blake caught up to me.

Blake: Say, let me ask the people at the Lodgepole Dorm if someone would give you a ride.
Me: Thanks that would be great.

As we walked up the Campground check in booth I asked Blake to wait while I tried to get a campsite. As I walked up, a large red sign with the words “CAMPGROUND FULL” greeted me. Hmm…wouldn’t hurt to ask anyway. Signs like that only mean “maybe not” to the persistent.

Me: I take it that there is no room at the inn for four tired backpackers who have been on the trail for two weeks exploring the wonders of the SEKI backcountry?
Ranger McComfort: You’re good, but no we are full.
Me: That’s a bummer. So my only hope is if someone cancels?
Ranger McComfort: Yes.
Me: So how long does a no-show have until their reservation is cancelled?
Ranger McComfort: They have until noon the following day.
Me: Really? I didn’t know that. When we were coming out here I was concerned about losing our site because….~insert tragic tale of air travel here~ It was a great relief to get here at 5 am and see our name on the whiteboard.
Ranger McComfort: So you were out for two weeks? ~She started thumbing through the reservation cards~
Me: Yes, we hiked the HST to Whitney and returned by way of Colby Pass through Sugarloaf Valley and over Silliman Crest.
Ranger McComfort: Wow. That’s a huge trip.
Me: It took a couple of years to plan.
Ranger McComfort: So how many are in your party?
Me: Well, four. Two of my Boy Scouts, my Assistant Scoutmaster and myself
Ranger McComfort: You are a Scoutmaster? Was this a scout trip?
Me: Yes, been a Scout leader for several years. No, not a Scout trip. I just really wanted to hike here and those were the three people I enjoy hiking with most.
Ranger McComfort: Huh, look at that.
Me: Yes?
Ranger McComfort: This guy should have been here three hours ago. Looks like a loss of reservation to me.
Me: Such a shame.
Ranger McComfort: So, would you like a site by the water?
Me: We like the water.
Ranger McComfort: It will be real close to other sites though.
Me: Well, we did get used to privacy while out there.
Ranger McComfort: Ok, I’ll just swap your site for this other site.
Me: Cool, thank you very much. The staff here never fail to impress us.

Score! The guys caught up to us and I told them we had a campsite. Madman looked at the big campground full sign and raised an eyebrow. “It was there when I walked up” He raised another eyebrow. “I’ll tell you all the story later” They guys headed to the Lodgepole market with visions of half-gallon cartons of ice cream dancing in their heads.

So now to rejoin Blake and see about that ride. We walked over to the Lodgepole Dorm and Blake began to tell me about the all you can eat Wolverton Bar-B-Que. I see a plan emerging here. Blake gets me to wait outside while he went in to ask around. A few minutes later Blake comes out with his roommate.

Roommate: “Can you give me a dollar for gas”
Me: “Hell, I’ll give you two!”

Score!

The Jeep was unmolested so I thanked Mike the roommate profusely and drove back to the guys.

The guys were hanging out by the phones sporting cartons of ice cream and Madman assumed his typical post hike position. Phone in ear.

Me: Say, these aren’t half-gallons. They’re only quarts.
Lightnin Rod: As Baden-Powell used to say, “When in the field, improvise”
Capt. Obvious: We had to settle for the quart challenge.
Me: So, how was it?
LR and CO together: No challenge. Tasty, but no challenge.

We got cleaned up and discussed the Wolverton BBQ and the decision was made. We tried to buy tickets at the market like you are supposed to but the clerk told us it was too late. Yeah right, nothing is going to stop us today.

We drove down to Wolverton and talked to the staff. They allowed us to just pay at the door. Madman made it a point to tell them about the epic trip we just finished and the manager told the grill guy to hook us up. Very good job Madman. Someday Grasshopper, you too will be a master of the schmooze.

Needless to say the grill guy hooked us up big time. Several plates later and now well after dark, we headed to our campsite. We just dropped our pads and sleeping bags and slept under the stars.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. We headed out to Fresno to the hotel. Observed the local hoodlums at the corner gas station. Got a nice Steak at Tahoe Joe’s. Got to the airport and got cut in line by a bunch of old people. And made it home without incident.

It was a great trip. A trip of a lifetime.

So, how do we top this? Can we top this?
The Guys: So, how about Alaska?
Me: Hmmm….give me a year or two.”

“Wow, the end of an epic trip report. And what a great one it was! Thanks for sharing your trip with us, HPM!”

“Yoda has nothing on you HPM”

“Oh, and does anybody else think that HPM should change his trail name to Hiker McSchmooze?”

“nice trip and report..did you ever type up a plan while you were putting this together..might be worth passing along or putting together with other trips and sell for those too busy to plan all the details! Alaska say you..hmm sounds nice! But i think i'm gonna dive the Barrier Reef first!..see you around soon HPM!”

“I was totally engrossed and entertained...I love trip reports...reading them and writing them.

Thanks!”

“Opie I use written plans but by now my methods are mememorized.

I'd love to get paid to plan trips.”

“Absolutely loved the trip report!

I would love to spend some extended time in the Sierras but with 12 vacation days a year, it's all but impossible to get out for more than 3-4 days at a time. Great report and photos, I'm now motivated to finish up getting my photos together for my past three trips so I can post a trip report too.”

“Great report...hated to see it end!”

“Great report, too bad it had to end!”

“A great report for a great trip, thanks again HPM.”

“Evening Captain.”

“Now that is a trip report great job HPM!!!!!!


8)”