Fourth Recess Lake

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This is from my same Pioneer Basin trip two weeks ago. I'm taking my Ansel Adams Wilderness slides in today to get developed so I can spam your guts out with pics from a different area. This weekend I'm going up Pine Creek Pass to Granite Park... I can't wait!

This lake is called Fourth Recess Lake and I absolutely love this lake. I'd marry it, but it's just water. I'm heartbroken. Fourth Recess Lake is a side canyon (aka a recess, doh!) near the head of Mono Creek. It's funny to say that Mono Creek has a head, but it does. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Fundamentally speaking (sticking to the basics), Fourth Recess Lake is directly across from Pioneer Basin and only about a mile or less off the main trail. It's as pretty as Sierra lakes come, IMHO. What sets this lake apart is that it's in a long, deep cirque with a really cool waterfall on one end, and it's completely filled with water. Snow Lakes are in the cirque above it. The place is lousy with beeeellions of brook trout, which aren't really technically trout, but char. That fact was free, the next one I'll run your Visa® through my machine at my descretion. Your credit is good with me, thank you for your time.”

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I was up late last night scanning, and I noticed this morning I forgot to put a border around this shot, so puh-lease forigve me, it's just a raw scan border. This lake is Summit Lake, which is at the top of Mono Pass on the way to Pioneer Basin. It was late evening when I cranked by this 12,000' lake, pant pant. I saw a large trout cruising the shore, and I'd be willing to bet it was a golden, even though I've never fished this lake. I guess I was too excited as usual to get to Pioneer Basin to take the time to fix up my rod and take a few casts. Also, a storm was approaching and I was eager to get to lower, less-exposed ground. It rained shortly after I took this shot and when I finally made it to Trail Lakes and set up my tarp, I fell asleep to the sound of rain, which ain't a bad way to go in my book. I remember it clearly like it was just a couple weeks ago. Wait, it was just a couple weeks ago. I guess my memory isn't as sharp as I thought. Mt. Starr is what's reflected in Summit Lake, which Snow Nymph climbed a couple weeks ago. That was another free fact.”

“As always, Buck you Suck.

I just saw Kill Bill a few weeks ago. The Buck in that movie was here to xxx instead.”

“That 2nd shot is way cool. what time of day was that shot?

I am seriously thinking about moving out west...”

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Buck Forester trying to get his earth-legs back after being abducted and violated and dropped back at his campsite by a large cigar-shaped craft with rotating lights that was surprisingly silent. He couldn't sit down for a few hours. It hurt too much. He said the food they served him for lunch was horrible too. Plus it's hard to eat while in the doggy position on a cold metal table for prolonged periods of time.”

“embear®, the shot of Summit Lake was taken late in the evening as the alpenglow kicked in, but it was made more surreal by the approaching storm. If you're a backpacker, the west is where it's at. If you're not a backpacker, still, move out west, the more chicks here the better.”

“it looks like early morning.

why would I be on this site if I werent a backpacker? And yeah, I've taken some trips out there. Nothing like what we have here.”

“Well, I just learned there are two Summit Lakes and two Mono Passes. I was wondering why my ”

“Well, I just learned there are two Summit Lakes and two Mono Passes. I was wondering why my ”

“Well, I just learned there are two Summit Lakes and two Mono Passes. I was wondering why my Summit Lake picture looked nothing like yours, besides the fact that I really suck at photography and why Mt. Starr was reflecting in your shot and not Mt. Gibbs!

Great shot BTW!”

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This is the view of Pioneer Basin from my campsite, which was on a ledge above the lake. I was hoping the lake would glass-out, but I think I sinned earlier that day so God kept a breeze on the lake just to piss me off. I was screaming cuss words that echoed throughout the peaks. That's when I was struck by lightning and everything went dark and then I went hurling through a tunnel towards a light, oh the love, I could feel the love, and the warmth, oh the warmth, and then I saw my loved ones with open arms and they told me to go back and continue taking pictures and to be really nice to everyone and to stop screaming cuss words at the mountains and to brush my teeth more often use more toilet paper in the future to prevent backcountry skid marks. So here I am. I'm changed, I'm different. Nice to meet you. Life is good®.”

“rented fingers suck.”

“When were you there, Buck? Was at 4th recess on the 14 (july), then on to Pioneer Basin through the 18th. We saw a few folks at 4th, but only one or two in the Basin the entire time.”

“embear, the forest out here would look sorta like that, if it weren't for all the trees we have in East.”

“trailtrekker, I spent the night at Trail Lakes on July 16th and spent the night in Pioneer Basin on July 17th, so I was there the 16th-18th, the same time as you. I wish I knew! You didn't see me? I was the guy hiking neked. Well, not totally neked, I was dressed in DEET®. Too bad we missed each other.”

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Since I had a 4-5 hour drive down to the Pioneer Basin trailhead, I drove down the previous night and crashed out on the shore of Mono Lake, which I do often. I love that place. Here's an early morning artsy-fartsy shot of tufa tower silhouettes. There were some wildfires in Yosemite that weekend and the basin was pretty smoky. Mono Lake is three times salter than McDonald's french fries.”

“Wow! you get recess 4 times...I want to go to School where you go!

So when are you going to publish a book with all of these beautiful secret places® ?”

“It's a Secret®. But if you reeeally wanna know when I'll release my Secret® book, you can buy my book "7 Steps To Find Out When Buck Will Release His Secret Book".”

“Wait, is Wind Walker and Hikin' Mike the same dude?”

“Great pictures Buck, how were the bugs at the fourth recess? I am still heading to Pioneer as soon as I can.”

“The mosquitoes took 4.8 pints of my blood. I'm typing right now on a laptop from my hospital bed. I have very little blood and I got West Nile in the process. The doctors give me a minute and a half to live, but I wanted to respond to your post before I... I'm not gonna be able to finish this post... I loved you all, good-bye.”

“Nice pictures, Buck!

Missed you at Whoa Nellie Deli this weekend. Waited by the trapeze where it said "No Trespassing".

I put my legs in Mono Lake once, and as I walked back to my car, I noticed my legs were all white! That lakes is SALTY!”

“Skeeterz have already peaked out, but they're still around in significant numbers. Pee quickly and use DEET®. The lowest lake I stayed at is probably the worst for skeeters because it's marshy and meadowy and stuff. But I think it's the prettiest, so I don't mind mosquitoes at all. I have convinced myself they are my friends. But sometimes, unfortunately, I kill my little friends.”

“Despite the fact that Wind Walker and I share the same first name (Michael) we are definately not the same people...I'm better looking! :D

I'm on the left...
”

“Oh, and that's Wind Walker on the right.”

“LOL!”

“It's hard to say from this pic who's better looking. You both look super hot to me. :^D”

“I think we were hot at the time! :D”