A Lofty JMT Moment (el photo inside-o)

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Wimpy dial-uppers should not click here

My buddies were on the final section of switchbacks nearing Forester Pass, I was about 15 minutes behind them on a ridge well below the pass. I couldn’t stop taking photos. I kept stopping, they kept hiking on. They were eager to make the pass as the clouds looked threatening, but I kept seeing great photo opps every other step I took. Looking back down the drainage we just came from, I felt like I was on top of the world. The Sierra was laid out before me like a living topo map, a sea of peaks, zillions of lakes, endless ridges and canyons. My imagination went wild as I dreamt of exploring every canyon, every headwater, every lake. Future adventures went zipping through my mind. It’s not that it would be nice if I explore every crevice of these mountains, it’s that I MUST! I took this self-portrait as my buddies were screaming “YEEE-HAWW!!!” as they made Forester Pass. I lifted my arms both in exhilaration and needing to air out my stinky armpits. It sure felt good. I love these mountains.”

“There's a TV antenna sticking out of your pack.”

“It's a lightning rod.”

“He's holding his arms that way for better reception.”

“nice pic!”

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Super Duper Flipper Dipper Size

Here's another lofty "touch the clouds" moment. This time I'm on the trail to Mt. Whitney, looking southwest across Hitchcock Lakes and another endless sea of Sierra peaks. The clouds were racing just a few feet over my head. I had to duck a couple times to avoid a collision. The big cloud coming at me in the middle of the photo was none less than the infamous Cloud 9. I gave a high-five to Cloud 8 and jumped up on Cloud 9 and rode it across the Owens Valley to the Inyo Mountains. Aladdin then gave me a magic carpet ride back down to Lone Pine and we had lunch at the Pizza Factory. I bought. My buddies had to hike down to Whitney Portal and call for a taxi back down to town while I waited by the motel pool, sipping a pina colada and watching the Raiderettes splash and giggle in black and silver bikinis. It was a good day, a very good day. And yes, I'm rather bored at work right now. Don't worry, I'm getting paid for this. Government job. Oops, there goes the phone, bye!”

“got together and decided that we all hate your guts.

No one personage should be allowed to have so much fun...you ROT and your pictures ROT too. (although...if you keep puttin em up, I'll keep lookin at them).”

“Buck you lucky duck!”

“Great pics! I really like how the sky looks.”

“Thanks! I'm creating a pay site for my Raiderette pics for those who are interested. It's amazing what they'll do for a mere sip of pina colada in a little town like Lone Pine. Clickity click click click.”

“Buck, how was the fishing?”

“Hi c bat! Oh man, the fishing was incredible! Absolutely fantastico! I caught goldens and rainbows and brookies in both the creeks and lakes. It was so always a tough decision between grabbing my fishing rod and my tripod, so usually I took both. If I was walking up a creek, I'd sneak up with my rod and catch a few trout in the pools and then set up my tripod as the trout scurried off and snapped a shot the scenery. In the mornings and evenings most of the lakes were filled with the rings of rising trout. The problem with thru-hiking is that you have to pass up so much incredible trout water in the name of daily mileage requirements. There are so many places I'm goin' back to and spending a week in each basin. Thru-hiking is a great way to see a lot of amazing country, but man, it's also torture having to leave so quickly.”

“wow...those pictures are amazing.....Why can't Pennsylvania be like that....I'm wishing to go back this summer to California but I doubt I will get the opportunity to”

“I love to read your trip reports Buck. Thanks for falling behind to snap those shots, they are very motivating.

><((((*>”

“That's why I wanna go out west some day....

Thanks for sharing the view”

“Love the little captions!”