A trip into Pioneer Basin (yikes dial-up pers!)

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Broadband Rocks

I think I've mentioned Pioneer Basin before, but my mind is wandering there again. I'll try and post some photos of the hike into this place in between small bouts of work here. This photo is the lowest lake in Pioneer Basin, but it commands crazy awesome views to the peaks across Mono Creek (Mono Creek is in a deep canyon between the lake and those peaks). It's only a few miles (I'm guessing about 8-ish) from the trailhead to the lowest Pioneer Basin lake, but the altitude is tough to deal with if you had just driven up that morning and started hiking. Mono Pass is about half-way there, which is around 12,000'. Mono Pass is very stark, like hiking on Mars (we've all hiked Mars here, right?), and the lower reaches of Pioneer Basin is just the opposite... very luxuriant meadows filled with wildflowers in season. One of the upper lakes has golden trout, the rest are predominantly brookies. This photo was taken early in the morning as the sun was just hitting the highest peaks. Seven mosquitoes were killed, two severely injured during the making of this photo. Names withheld pending notification of nearest relatives.”

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Marsh Lake Super-sized

Only about a mile from the trailhead, just a little ways off the trail leading to Ruby Lake, likes a series of gem-like marshy lakes in a grand setting. This lake is called, surprisingly enough, Marsh Lake. My hiking buddy, Jim, lines up a shot on the tripod. As you can see, it's nearly impossible to take a bad photo here. The only thing that could ruin a good shot here is having a smelly, unkempt Bigfoot go running through your pic. That would suck. Or a pesky saucer-shaped craft with rotating lights hovering over the peaks and ruining an otherwise fantastic scene.”

“DAMMIT!”

“Oops, the above photo is indeed Marsh Lake, but it was a different shot than I was thinking. Jim isn't lining up a shot on a tripod in the above photo as I suggested, so please stop squinting at the screen. Jim is lining up a shot in the same place in the photo BELOW. I suck and I hate myself.


Super Super Flipper Dipper Size”

“I was in Pioneer Basin in September - a beautiful area. Your pictures to the area justice.”

“Gawd!!! Keep posting these man, I'm on a cable modem.”

“Who's the crippled guy hunched over, and how the hell did he get all the way out there?”

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Here is a shot of us hiking near the... WHAT THE? Ooops, wrong pic, sorry. My mind is wandering again, my apologies.”

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No Wussies Allowed

Ahem. Focus, Buck, focus. Okay, I can do this, really, I can. About half-way up up the trail to Ruby Lake you come across this pond. I always stop at this pond, take off my pack, and relax for a bit. I backpack for beauty like this, so there's no use just blowin' by it on the trail. At the time I took this photo, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were skinny-dipping in this pond. Since this is family oriented site, I decided to Photoshop the neked cheerleaders out of the picture, except for the one swimming underwater since you can barely see her anyway... GUYS, QUIT SQUINTING AT THE SCREEN! Really now.”

“Oops, sorry, that wasn't supposed to be that big, honest. I screwed up. FOCUS, BUCK!”

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Run With The Big Dogs Here

This is Ruby Lake, early in the morning. Since we had gotten a late start that day, we decided to camp here. I awoke to the sound of coyote howls echoing off these walls. Trout were rising everywhere. It was freezing cold. It was a typical High Sierra morning.”

“Oh! Now I can't wait! That's the area I am packing into next July for a week. COOL!!”

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This is another self-portrait. I was simply trying to take a shot early in the morning looking back towards the basin that holds Ruby Lake, but the %$@&#@! freaking shadows wouldn't let me. So I threw up my arms in despair. I've learned with shadows and photography... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I also got a good shadow shot of me going pee, but that's only available on my pay site.”

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This is another self-portrait. I was simply trying to take a shot early in the morning looking back towards the basin that holds Ruby Lake, but the %$@&#@! freaking shadows wouldn't let me. So I threw up my arms in despair. I've learned with shadows and photography... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I also got a good shadow shot of me going pee, but that's only available on my pay site."”

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I love mornings. It's tough to decide what to do first thing in the morning because that's one of best times for fishing, as well as photography, but also it's a wonderful time to hit the trail and hike as the sun pops over the ridge. On this day I got most of my fishing and photography done before the sun popped up and we hit the trail early. I had oatmeal for breakfast that morning in case you were wondering. You're welcome.”

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Ruff On The Dial-Uppers

Here's my dogs at Ruby Lake right after they had just run down a group of Sierra Club backpackers and nearly killed them all until I called them off at the last minute. I really need to invest in a couple leashes.”

“sucked...thanks for wasting MY time...LOL.

inspirational!”

“those pictures are great, but Buck you are such a DORK!!!!

LOL”

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Honkin' Size

Due to being busy at work and time constraints, I skipped some great aspects of this trip, including Fourth Recess Lake, which is crazy beautiful. Here's a shot of the lower lake in Pioneer Basin in the late afternoon.



Dream On, Dial-Uppers

As the sun set, the entire basin was painted with pink alpenglow. The brook trout fishing was amazing as rings of feeding trout covered the surface of the lake.”

“I love your pictures Buck. Thanks for sharing, now I only need to find a good excuse to come to California for a couple of years.”

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Do some people actually still surf the net with a dial-up modem?

The guy I was hiking with on this trip is an ultra-lighter, and he thought this single-walled 3 lb tent was splurging. No, I didn't sleep in that tent with him, come on.



Crank it

This is from a bluff above the lake in the morning, while I tried to hold the camera still while swatting skeeters. I need to rescan most of these photos because I scanned them on a computer with a funky monitor setting and the greens came out a little whacked. But I have no pride, so I'll do it later. You can still see the beauty of the geography, which is all I'm trying to share anyway. I'm craving a hot fudge sundae right now.”

“Buck - what are the temps like overnight in those areas at the time of year you took those and what time of year was it?

Thanks”

“Hey Buck....you got any photos of Pioneer Basin?”

“Hey Roam Around, these photos of Pioneer Basin were taken from a trip in early-to-mid August. A couple of the pics of Marsh Lake were taken more in the early fall on a separate trip. As for the nighttime temps, hmmm... in the summer I'm guessing lower 50's-ish or so, perhaps even upper-ish 40's? It's not all that cold and it heats up real fast after the sun comes up. Even the High Sierra is typically t-shirt and shorts weather by day, and usually not too bad at night. Of course I've been back in there even in mid-summer and have it freaking freezing at night, but usually it's not too bad. The REAL high High Sierra gets purdy darn cold at night, but still, the Sierra is known for mild weather and mild temps for such a big mountain range.”

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Scorchfire better stay the h-e-double toothpics out of this link

This is looking over the lowest Pioneer Basin lake towards the bowl that holds Fourth Recess Lake. Just left of center in the pic, you can barely see the dark streak that is the big waterfall that enters Fourth Recess Lake. That is a hecksta gorgeous lake. I don't have any photos uploaded online of Fourth Recess Lake, but perhaps Wind Walker or Tekdude or someone else does.”

“Not me....but I am very inspired to visit this lovely place now!!!”

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These are just a couple croppy versions of previously posted photos of Pioneer Basin. The scenery of this place is just incredibly majestic, and it's less than 20 miles roundtrip to check it out. This place is tied with 82 other Sierra basins as my absolutely favorite place, bar none.”

“buck, your captions remind me of the moosejaw emails. and btw, i hate you for where you've been and i hate you more for your photography skills.

everybody's thinkin it, im sayin it
TROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“yeah, we're all jealous. But thank God I finally have a new goal!”

“Wind, it's all white now. Very boring. May suggest you wait until summer?”

“Going in July - and hitting Second and Fourth Recesses- anyone wanna come along?”

“Keep me in mind Lady.
Awsome places.”

“Will the DCC girls be there too? I keep wanting to go hiking in the Sierras, but I never get further than Colorado.

Buck where are the afternoon thunderstorm pictures?”

“Trailtrekker - I'd like to try to do part of the trip - maybe go in and skip 4th Recess and Pioneer Basin, but catch up with you guys in 2nd Recess. Bugs will be bad in July.”

“This could be a strong possibility for me too. I plan on going in there a couple times this year, I could plan it to coincide on these dates. Don't be alarmed when you see me, I always hike with a chainsaw like that.”

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Dial-up No Man's Land

Here's a shot of our camp on the lowest Pioneer Basin Lake. My buddy is fishing from shore. I had to use a 3-stop hard GND for this shot to even come out because of the heavy shadow/light differential, and it's rather obvious. This was my last shot of the trip as I took this photo from the window of a large cigar shaped craft that had just abducted me. I pleaded for once last photo before they made me lay down on the metallic table and shove that cold prodding instrument up my... MOOOOOON RIIIIVER. They were kind enough to drop me off back at the trailhead so at least I didn't have to hike back over Mono Pass... which I thought was a thoughtful thing on their part. But the eyes on those little beings... ohhhh, the eyes.”

“I originally planned it for second week in July, but I see that's when the south/north /lamarck col thing is . I'll see if I can move it around a bit. Be nice to meet some new TT'ers, always great to hike with you, Wing.”

“Hey, I gots that "splurging" tent... just no fab photos like this for it to reside in.

Buck, you're warped. So what's the SO think of upcoming life in your garage... and random encounters with pro football cheerleaders??”

“Hi lizs! You have that same tent with the big fatty exclamation point on the side? It's actually a nice tent, although being a single-walled tent, my buddy complained of condensation. And yes, I'm wArPeD. And what's a "SO"? If SO somehow means future fiance (I'm engaged to be engaged, that's about as committed as I can be right now), she won't put up with life in the garage with dogs. She mumbled stuff about dog hair and no heat and too many tents and sleeping bags and backpacks and kayak paddles and skis and fishing rods and tripods and stuff like that... I'm not sure, I really wasn't paying much attention.”

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ScorchFire's Worst Nightmare

This is the section of trail above Ruby Lake and nearing Mono Pass on the way over to Pioneer Basin. There was a forest fire that day hence the hazy sky. Will somebody please leash that dog?”

“LOL... "significant other"

Yeah, my "exclamation tent" also has condensation up the wazoo. But I do have a (drumroll) HINT!!

I use little bungees, like 6" long, when staking out the side vents. It pulls them out nice, while getting the vent flap up off the ground.

And another HINT (oh lucky day!). The tent doesn't seem real wide on the sides in the middle. So I got some kinda sliding plastic clamp thing in the camping dept. at WalMart. I can put it on the fabric in the middle of each side of the tent at the bottom, then stake that out, thus giving more room inside. I don't know the weight of the two clamps.”

“Awesome pictures as always! You have convinced me that I need to get to the Sierras more than once a year. So I have come up with a plan, I'm telling my wife that I have half the vacation time built up than I actually do. So once next summer rolls around I'll have a few extra days built up that were not wasted hanging out with relatives during the holidays.”

“Good one reptiles.”

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56K This (ya right!)

Sorry, I changed a couple things on my photo.net site and the link got screwed up so I'm reposting this to the thread (for those interested in Pioneer Basin).
This was our campsite on the lowest Pioneer Basin lake, early morning. My hiking buddy looks like he's doing yoga down there, but he's actually fishing. Okay, carry on.”