Sierra Rendezvous 2005

“jvz - Please be patient. We have our top people working on it!

...and yes. The goal is to make it possible for all groups to meet in Wright's Lake Basin.”

“I'm clueless, so I'll just wait till the dust settles, but I do want to make this trip.”

“SS, just follow trekkngirl and you will be ok”

“i am figuring if we all meet at a certain area, be it airport, or other...we'll be fine. I am not worried. NOt the first time that I am away from home. lol.
we should send out cell phone numbers.
maybe a good idea to have some sort of contact.”

““SS, just follow trekkngirl and you will be ok”
Ewker
2:50:48 PM
11/19/04

That didn't work very well the first day of the Winds trip. She left om and me in her dust. ;-)”

“You mean it's not just me she leaves in the dust?
In my case, I was so far behind, the dust had already settled.”

“JVZ & Phil - That looks like the right idea to me. I'll leave the finer details to you locals. I guess we need to see what the rest of the PNW Pool and the Sac Pack have in mind for timing etc.”

“ya the days will unfold, unfold, unfold~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”

“I'm patient. Just wanted to throw in some thoughts. I am definately in to whatever you plan but giving you an idea of who was taking what trail for permits. On standby.......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.fade.I'm dieing. Can't friggin wait. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”

“PNW carpool checking in. Jerry and I are more or less set on going in at Kearsarge -- mainly because there are more permits available, but it looks beautiful. (Snow Nymph has a Kearsarge album on Webshots.

We will need to hike in on Saturday, could be the afternoon. We can just go on our own, park at the TH, and trust that someone will drive us to our car at the end, but we can also connect with other Kearsarge people from Sacto, PNW, or flying into Sacto and provide a ride to 2-3 people. It's a bit out of the way, but we can do it if the out-of-towners need transportation.

It will sort out. Bunches of options and they're all great.”

“I'm down as a maybe.”

“I'm trying to line up my airline options and hop a ride from either SAC or Ontario. I think it would help me acclimate if I started hiking up to Anvil Camp early Saturday morning. If I couldn't make it then I have the option of camping up at the second saddle or at Mohogany Flats(I think that's the name, down by the stream.) Is anyone planning on spending Friday night in Lone Pine or camping at the trail head?”

“WooHoo!!!! Dude

This trip is gonna ROCK.. :)”

“Okay Wannabp - It sounds like we will have part of the Sac Pack starting on Saturday and some on Sunday then. That will help open up the options for the flier arrivals and the permits.

We need to hear from the other PNW and Sac Packers”

“I think I will wait on plannng on this trip. Too much trip planning going on right now. I will wait for the cliff notes. This looks like a great group of folks, well except for Hodge - but I can tolerate him. :)”

“OK, here\'s Plan 3 or 4, let\'s call it Plan 3/4.
Because so many people have signed up and more might still, and permits will be a problem, Kearsarge Pass is the better trailhead. But those that want to do Shepard can still go that way.
Group 1 starts Saturday for Kearsarge Pass.
Group 1a starts Sunday for Kearsarge Pass.
Group 2 starts Saturday for Shepard Pass.
Group 2a starts Sunday for Shepard Pass.
Group 2b starts Monday for Shepard Pass.

Itinerary for Group 1:

Day 1 - Saturday - To Kearsarge Lakes 4.5 miles.
Day 2 - Sunday - Lower Vidette Mdw. 2.5 miles.
Group 1a catches up... we hope.
Maybe everyone will get to see the bear. She came within 9 feet of me, when I camped here.
Bubbs Ck. looked like there would be good fishing.
Day 3 - Monday - Lake before Forester Pass 6 miles.
Day 4 - Tuesday - Wright Lk. 7 miles
Meet up with Groups 2, 2a, & 2b.
Day 5 - Wednesday - Crabtree Ranger Station 7.25 miles.
Day 6 - Thursday - Tarns above Guitar Lk. 2.75 miles.
Day 7 - Friday - Trail Camp via Mt. Whitney 6.75 miles.
EARLY start. On the trail by 6am?
Day 8 - Saturday - Out 5 miles.
Total mileage 41.75 miles.

Disclaimer: Miles are approximate. I drew to lines quickly on the TOPO! Program and rounded off.

If you could declare which Group you would like to join, it will help with planning the permits and shuttles.

I will be in Group 1.”

“group 1, I am pretty sure you can add trekkngirl to that list also”

“I'll pick group 2 but am flexible. Hitching a ride in and out to an airport is the main goal.”

“I guess I'm 1a or 2a..... so long as it's a Sunday start and that Big Poopa guy isn't in my group ;-)”

“Landscaper and I will be in Group 1. We could do a Sacramento airport pick-up, but LA is about 3 hours closer for people to drive to the TH and possibly more economical. We could also snag part of the SacPack and PNW group, if needed.
last edited: 11/21/04 12:10:15 PM”

“walkindude, hope you can make this trip. You may have to pack a tent instead of a tarp for this one.”

“Hi guy! Give me a shout by email. I will be looking for a carpool also.”

“Big Poopa?, Who you calling Poopa?
Dang foreigners. I think I might have to place a call into our homeland security and have them do a nice long security check on your truck when you come visiting. Ha Ha.

What is up Hodge? How is work? Send me an email sometime.”

“They don't allow tarps there?!?!

What the Hell kinda Country is California anyway?”

“lol, I said that because of us being above tree line. I guess you can use rocks to tie it off.”

“Group 1 for me also. Maybe. lol”

“surrrrrrrrrrrrre....group 1 is good for me....probably. i think i will let the dust settle a little before total commit but group 1 sounds good at this point :)”

“Walkindude, we do allow tarps in Calif. Rockman has used one the last couple of Sierrapaloozas.
You just have to be creative setting it up.”

“It's been a while since I have checked in - 10 days in Paris and not turning on my own computer is my excuse.

I am interested in Group 1 I think. I would like to drive to the TH on Friday and hit the trail Saturday morning. I haven't really looked at the map recently but is there a group going in at Shepherd's Pass on Saturday? Is that group 2? Fewer miles but more elevation? Don't you hate people who don't take time to read the painstakingly written details of the trip and ask questions they could get the answer to by just reading through 400 or so posts?

It sounds like anyone looking to fly into Sacramento might have a variety of options. I will be fine tune what hospitality I can offer as the time approaches...”

“Walkindude...don't listen to them, lots of folks use tarps in CA...driving stakes can be a challenge sometimes in the rocky terrain though.

Zero trees above 11K....
”

“Great photo WW. What was the location?

And pepperdog was that Paris,Texas or Paris France? If Paris, France I wanna know that when you ate at the Paris McDonald's, as a patriotic American, you did order a large Freedom Fries?”

“Sol- This is Looking back at Darwin Canyon/lakes from Lamarck Col...last day of the 2004 Sierrapalooza :)”

“I thought that was very familar..nice..what a hike!!!”

“Sol - that would be Paris, France and no, I didn't eat at any of the McDonalds I saw there (I guess I am not much of a patriotic American, but you knew that!). I did take a picture of a Starbucks on the Champs Elysees for a coworker who loves Starbucks.”

“Of course I knew you'd say that! Man what a nice vacation luckyDog. Link us to the pictures when you get them up.”

“I updated the trip page to reflect the 5 possible groups and itineraries. I will clean it up later.

In December we can get a better idea of who prefers which trip and get organized for permits. I'm leaning toward Group 1a (Kearsarge leaving Sunday) myself.”

“hiya phil......how many hikers are allowed in the groups? which is the best cowboy trail (just kidding)? i cannot wait to see where you tell me to go:)~~~~~~~~~~”

“om - The quota on the Kearsarge Pass trailhead is much larger than on Shepherd Pass so we are hoping that most people will opt for group 1 or 1a. If we stay around 30 total for the trip divided up into 3, 4 or even all 5 proposed groups, then we probably won't have to worry too much about a limit. After the permits are obtained, then anyone else who wants to go will have to apply for their own permit or wait for someone to cancel.

In December we can organize the groups and decide who will apply for what permits.

As far as you are concerned, it looks like nav will be in group 1 (Wheezers and Geezers). I think if you plan your travel around being in group 1 (no offense intended), then even if you end up in any other group you will be here in time. You can fly into either Sacramento or Los Angeles early enough to find a ride to the trailhead since there are people coming from both those areas.

I think my son, brother, nephew and I will be in group 1a. My brother and I will send our sons on ahead each day to make camp for us and have coffee water ready.”

“My Gawd, it's turned into a bloody mob!

I haven't been monitoring this, what gives Phil? Are you providing illicit activities or something?

Guess I'll watch more closely.”

“I've checked "out" of this trip, I'm officially checking "in" to the High Sierra Trail Trip.

Wish I could do them both, but I still work for a living so hafta be careful about vacation-allocation, + I have a senior graduating HS & enetering college this year, +++++ all the other normal "life" stuff!.

Everyone take plenty of pics to share, I'm sure those of us in the High Sierra will as well!”

“I'm thinking group 2 or 2a. Of course this will depend on the shuttle possibilities. I would like to do Anvil camp and over the pass to Wrights Lakes on the second day.”

“shawn - Glad you checked in! People saw you were on this trip and couldn't keep away!

The NP and FS don't like large groups so we created multiple groups (five possible) for each trailhead and will most likely travel as two or more groups the last few days (15 or less per group seems to be the current acceptable number).

One of the issues for low impact camping is the number of existing campsites available. If you have too many people trying to camp at one place, then creating new tent spaces is a high impact event.

My son and I will be sharing a tent as probably will my brother and nephew. Perhaps others would consider sharing tents on this trip to save weight and reduce impact. In our Scouting days sharing a tent, stove, pots, filter, etc. was the norm. I have wondered why more TTer don't share more stuff.

Wright Lakes Basin is not a problem. It is secuded and has acres of space for pitching tents with no impact.

Crabtree Ranger Station is also a large camping area...easy to spread out.

Guitar Lake has two camping area--at the Lake itself and the bench above it.

Trail Camp is the only site I am worried about. It is a "tent city" already. There will be lots of people arriving there on Friday like us, but from the other direction. However, I suspect a few mile monsters in our group will have decided to hike all the way out the same day they do Whitney.

I am not sure what it will be like at the unnamed lake before Forester Pass for the Kearsarge people. Probably need to get a reading on that from those who have been there.

Finally, hiking along the trail is not a problem. TTers spread out for miles on the trail. We just have to make sure we don't give the impression to others that we are in one large group.”

“I, for one, wouldn't want to be part of a group which would allow someone like me to be a member!

That said, I am leaning toward Kearsarge Pass, hiking in on Saturday. Anyone wanting to go to the trail head from the north on Friday? Anyone wanting to fly into Sacramento Thursday night or Friday morning could have an airport pickup, place to stay Thursday night and ride to the TH with me. I am thinking that it takes about 6 hours to get to the TH from my house so I would want to hit the road no later than noon.”

“Pepperdog,
I'm wanting to fly in on Thurday and go to the TH on Friday but there are an awful lot of people wanting to go over Kearsarge. Has everyone given up on Shepherds?

Here's a question for someone. Is going over Shepherds harder than going over Kearsarge and Forrester? Correct me if I'm wrong but you can't do Kearsarge and Forrester in one day can you?
last edited: 11/27/04 3:03:06 PM”

“Sol - I am open to taking Shepherds. I gather that one of the issues is that you start much higher when you go over Kearsarge. I have done Forrester and it is no stroll in the park. Taking Shepherds is 8 miles shorter a hike, which always sounds good to me.

If we could get to Wrights Lakes Basin before the others I would have no problem hanging out.

We also need to think about getting back to both trail heads at the end of the trip....
last edited: 11/27/04 3:19:58 PM”

“Group 1 is doing Kearsarge and Forrester in 3 days. By taking our time, it appears to me to be the easier of the 2. And prettier too.

jvz is still thinking about Shepard Pass. That could make 3 of you. With 2 cars for the shuttle.”

“Hi, Pepper. Landscaper and I are also Group 1, leaving Kearsarge on Saturday. It would be more efficient for us to bypass Sacramento and go directly to Tioga Pass. We could then meet up with everyone nearer the TH to do a shuttle.

Hi, Shawn, it's been a long time. I don't think the mob part will be apparent except in the before and after phases.”

“Hi wanna - We should be able to arrange things to keep you from having to go through Sacramento.

I will have to drag out maps to figure out which trip I want to take. I am really in favor of a lay-over day; jumping out of bed and packing every day gets to be a little old for someone who doesn't always make her bed in the morning at home!”

“Do you make your bed on the trail?”

“packing up gear every morning is more labor intensive than making up your bed.....but that's just me.

i like the layover day concept...but it has hardly ever happened for me when i plan them.
i am still looking at going over shepards pass, a pretty tough first day...but to me , all first days in the west are tough...if i died, you could just hurl my bones into the pothole.....wonder if one could hire a cowboy to take you as far as anvil camp? heh....”