Welcome to the next edition of
California Mountain Adventures!
On this adventure we spent three days in the spectacular area of the High Sierra known as
Dusy Basin!!
So my buddy Larry(@csusbgeochem1) and I got our gear packed up and jumped in my truck and headed up route 395 to Bishop, CA where we met my other friends Mike and Chris. From there we left town and drove up into the mountains. Up Bishop creek passed all the little cabins and campgrounds to the trailhead at South Lake. We parked the trucks, threw on our packs, and started hiking up the Bishop pass trail. The trail climbed up above South lake into the drainage between the Inconsolable range and Hurd peak. We hiked by Long lake, Spearhead lake, Saddlerock lake, and Bishop lake. And then made the final climb up to Bishop Pass. As we made our way up it began to rain lightly. I got to the pass first and got my rain coat and pants on and waited for the others to arrive.
Starting the climb up above South lake
Long lake and Hurd peak
Overlooking Spearhead lake and Long lake
Arriving at a gloomy Bishop Pass
As we headed down the back side of the pass into Dusy Basin the rain stopped and the the clouds started to break up a little. We dropped down the trail into the basin and then left the trail and headed cross country to a beautiful little lake that sits right at the base of Columbine peak. We made our camp by the lake and spent the rest of the day relaxing at camp, fishing for trout in the lake, watching the Marmot's run around, talking with each other about peaks we've climbed and peaks we still want to climb. Then after a little dinner we all headed to our tents for the night.
Our camp in Dusy basin
Mike trying some fishing
Me and Larry at camp
The next day was the big day of the trip. We planned on making the climb up to the summit of Columbine peak(12,662')!! We left our camp at the lake and made the climb up to the pass just west of the peak, Knapsack pass. I took the higher more direct rout and got into a bunch of huge talus while the others took a lower route and avoided it. Once we were all at the pass we started working our way up the west ridge. With a little bit of easy route finding we kept the climb class 2.
Approaching Knapsack pass
Views from Knapsack pass
Starting to work our way up the southwest ridge
Climbing the southwest ridge
We made our way up the southwest ridge and onto the summit!! The views from the top were awesome! The huge peaks of the Palisades range to our east, and to our west across LeConte Canyon and out to the Black Divide! As well as great views directly overlooking Dusy basin and Palisade basin! The summit block is really cool too. It sticks out like a big diving board! This was my second time to this summit, but it was a first for the rest of the crew. We hung out for awhile and enjoyed the views and got our pictures out on the "diving board". Chris was especially having fun on the diving board, standing on one foot and jumping up and down. He had Mike and I watching on edge, Larry couldn't even watch! It was a bit hair raising, but Chris is a mountain goat like me so I wasn't to worried.
Me, Chris, and Mike on the diving board
Overlooking Palisade basin from the summit
Overlooking Dusy basin from the summit
Chris on one foot
Chris jumping in the air
After enjoying the summit for awhile Larry and I said goodbye to Mike and Chris. They headed back down the southwest ridge to Knapsack pass and then down into Palisade basin where they planned to spend a few days. Larry and I headed down the northeast ridge to Isosceles pass. This ridge had some big talus and some steep drop offs, but we got to the pass no problem. We had a little bit of easy class 3 down climbing to get off the top of the pass. But after that it was an easy hike back down into Dusy basin and back to our camp. Once back at camp we got a light sprinkling of rain again, but not much. I still took a quick swim in the lake! We did a bit more fishing too but mostly we just hung out and enjoyed our last night camping in Dusy basin.
Larry looking down Isosceles pass
Sunset from camp
The next day we woke up to an absolutely beautiful morning. But with the clouds already building we knew it wasn't going to stay that way for long. So we got packed up and started hiking early. We got back to the trail and up and over the pass. We moved quick, dropping down passed all the lakes and meadows and eventually back to our trailhead at South Lake. And just as we got back to my truck it started to rain. Perfect timing! We loaded up our stuff and made the drive home. On the drive we reminisced about how amazing the trip was, and also thought about our buddies who were still out there in the storm.
Morning time at camp
Leaving our camp in Dusy basin
Dusy Basin
The Palisades, Isosceles peak, and Columbine peak from Dusy basin
Overlooking Bishop lake and Saddlerock lake on our way down Bishop pass
Making our way back down the trail
And that's gonna be it for this California Mountain Adventure! Thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed it be sure to follow me for more adventures!
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Thanks @daveks, thats way cool! I'm honored.
Keep up with the great content!
I've got a serious good friend from around there. Grew up in Bishop, and is a hiker and rock climber. He's up the other end right now, working for Tesla in the Reno area. I'll bet you'd love to meet him, but alas, I can't convince him to come to Steemit.
That is beautiful. I've spent far too little time in that area, and most of it passing through or in Yosemite. Probably my favorite National Park.
Thanks for a great look at the Dusy Basin. It really does look like my kind of place.
Aww man, bummer he won't join Steemit. I'd love to see more High Sierra adventure posts on Steemit! I love Yosemite too. I got to spend a week up there climbing a few peaks last month. It was so awesome.
Thank you so much for being part of the #socalsteemit community.
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WOW the scenery is amazing
Yep it is! I love this whole area. And I think this is like my 4th or 5th trip now to Dusy basin. lol.
I can see why you would go back
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Sweet! Thank you.
You are most welcome @derekrichardson!
Never been, but looks gorgeous. I am always surprised at how arid California can be. I always had this vision in my minds eye that it was green there, but noooope. Only way up north it seems.
Did you eat any of the fish?
Yep, basically the more north you go the greener it gets. And the west side is always greener than the east side as well.
Mostly we did catch and release but I did eat a trout the first night. Even though I use barbless lures sometimes the fish get hooked funny and won't survive if released. I can't remember exactly what I had it with, most likely some kinda rice or soup. And definitely with some Wild Rivers Trout Seasoning that stuff is the best!
Oh, I just love your photos and I appreciate your energy. Scott and I are travelers as well, but nothing like this. Can't wait to see what other adventures you have been having.
Ren
Thanks! I'm definitely glad to meet you. If you like this one stay tuned, I've been doing so much cool stuff I've got a ton to post about. I'll give you a follow as well so I can be sure to check out your travels!
Love the photos and the tale. While we long for the mountain views, we have to stay closer to the roads. We're not really up for the more strenuous hikes.
Thanks for sharing.
Scott
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this is so beautiful. Really makes me want to get back into hiking shape - but climbing is not my thing. I can't deal with heights - getting dizzy and sick. But I can do trails :)
Isn't it! The Sierras are so beautiful.
I'm a little crazy, I LOVE the heights! lol.
You should find a good trail by San Diego and I'll come down and we can go hiking someday! That would be fun.
I have to get into hiking shape first. I used to go up Cowles Mountain every day and every Sunday, we used to do a long hike - then, life happened... right now, there is so much I need to do that i feel if I add hiking I never get anything done.
But once I have the garden under control and the irrigation in, things should be better...
And I moved further away from the trailhead and feel guilty to use up all that gas - but walking through a neighborhood is just not the same.
When we hiked Mt. Whitney, coming back down from the Summit on the backside, where it goes straight down towards the lakes, I had to literally touch the rock wall on my left to not get dizzy...
No hurry. Whenever you are feeling ready and have the time.
Trust me I understand the garden work. I just spent all morning doing some watering, raking up leaves, and trimming 2 trees some bougainvillea and some cacti. And all that work is like a drop in the bucket. lol.
I know exactly which part you're talking about on the Whitney trail! I love that section.
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Wow! Awesome Photos!! Very nice to scroll through!
Thanks @heyimsnuffles. Glad you enjoyed it!
Such a rocky landscape! I always enjoy your photos and I also envy you a little bit :)
It really is. I've often thought the Sierras should have been named the Rockies and the Rockies could have been the KindaRockies. lol!
@derekrichardson There you go and I thought that I have seen all of the beauty in the high places of our country! But nothing like the awesome scenes that you posted here. I could easily get lost there for a week, or a month at least. Beautiful and blessings to you!
Thanks @papilloncharity. I'm totally with you. If I could, I'd spend my whole summer up there!! The scenery in the High Sierra is so amazing. Sometimes I can hardly believe it's real.
So true! Mother nature always opens her treasure chest to persons that appreciate her! Blessings to you and take care with your adventures!
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That looks SO spectacular! I love mountain lakes (or lochans as we call them in Scotland!). And I love marmots! We don't have them in the UK though, so I've only ever seen them in photos.
Heck ya, marmots are way cool! They're almost everywhere in the high Sierra. You can always hear them down in between the talus going "meep... meep, meep". lol.
Haha! I'll have to put this region on my bucket list. I walked the John Muir Way a couple of years ago - it goes across Scotland from west to east. Now I can really understand why he did what he did.
That's awesome! I hadn't heard of the John Muir Way before, but I looked it up and it sounds great! Dusy Basin is not far off the John Muir Trail. My first time visiting Dusy was en route to resupply at a resort by South Lake during my 2011 JMT thru hike from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney. I thought it was a great area and knew I'd have to come back. I've been back several times now! lol.
The John Muir Trail will go on my bucket list too. It must be much more spectacular than the John Muir Way, which has some very pretty spots, and celebrates John Muir's early life and birthplace, before he headed west!
My neice is living in San Francisco, so I think this is something I need to do in the next year or two!
Hiking the John Muir Trail changed my life. I've been addicted to the Sierra ever since! If you have the chance, definitely do it!
It's sublime not just minimal!