-Home- ---------------------------------- -Gallery- ---------------------------------- -Photo Blog- ---------------------------------- -Message Boards-
Sierra Backpack Trip (Rae Lakes) Aug, 3 - 9 2008
See the Panoramas from this Trip Here
|
Me (Ed), Lars, and Lou (Harry's bud) traveled to Onion Valley, just outside Independence CA, to do a week long backpacking trip within parts of Kings Canyon NP and adjacent wilderness. Our stops were Kearsarge Lakes, Charlotte Lake, and Rae Lakes. Overall, it was a successful trip and the scenery was just spectacular. I lugged a full size tripod along with us, and the resulting panoramas were well worth it. You can see them on a separate page by clicking the link above^.
|
|
Sunrise in Onion Valley campground at the trailhead. We spent the night of Aug 2 car camping at 9200 feet hoping this would ease our altitude sickness. Lars took the beemer which flew up 395 in record time. I originally planned to stay the night before in Independence, but I'm really glad Lars got us this campsite.
|
|
At around 8:30 am we began cramming everything back into our packs and finalizing preparations for the big day ahead.
|
|
Lou along the trail to Kearsarge Pass. The eastern slope of the Sierras is known for being dry but it has its own beauty.
|
|
Heart Lake can be seen a few hundred feet below the trail.
|
|
As we neared Kearsarge pass we slowed down to a crawl. Our ultra heavy packs (first day) combined with the elevation began to weigh on us. The only thing we had working for us was our fresh energy.
|
|
We reached Kearsarge Lakes late in the day. As soon as I crested the pass and began the descent towards the lake I had a royal case of altitude sickness. I got dizzy and felt nauseous. I was glad we were so close to our camping spot. I don't think me or Lars ate dinner that night.
|
|
Lars sets up the tent.
|
|
The Kearsarge Lakes are a worthy destination in their own right. While waiting for Harry the next morning I walked around with my camera.
|
|
The Kearsarge Pinnacles set the backdrop for the lakes.
|
|
After Harry arrived we packed up and headed down the trail towards Charlotte Lake. We stopped at Bullfrog Lake for a break. It was overcast and not a great picture day. Lou got a chance to do some fishing though.
|
|
That night's camp was at the crowded Charlotte Lake. I think it took us 20 minutes just to find an open campsite. There were dozens of other people there. The nice thing is that the woods obstruct the view of the other campers making it seem more private.
|
|
Here was my fully loaded pack. The next morning the rain had cleared out. We discussed the possibility of thunderstorms in Glen Pass and decided to be on the trail by 9 so that we would be over the pass by noon. That did not occur. The actual time we left? I think it was more like 11:30 am. By that time, ominous clouds began to appear on the horizon.
|
|
Lars pumps water in Charlotte Lake.
|
|
Our trip over Glen Pass was interesting. Lighting was striking some of the nearby peaks, less than a mile away. There was a lot of cloud to cloud lighting and the sky was dark. We moved swiftly over the pass and were very relieved as we began to descend toward Rae Lakes. We rock-hopped across a small stream dividing upper and middle Rae Lakes.
|
|
We arrived late at Rae Lakes. This was another very crowded place. By sunset, most of the clouds had cleared and we drifted off to sleep.
|
|
Sunrise at Rae Lakes. This pic was taken near our camp.
|
|
The next morning Harry prepared for his long solo hike out. It was Wednesday, and he was supposed to meet grandpa Vanderburg at 3pm Thursday. He decided to complete the Rae Lakes loop back to Cedar Grove rather than do Glen Pass again.
|
|
This was our camp at Rae Lakes. Harry was about to leave.
|
|
We had all of Wednesday to relax at the Lakes. Lars took advantage of this and caught up on some sleep. Lou got to do some fishing. I walked around with my camera soaking in the the sights.
|
|
Painted Lady looms above Upper Rae Lake. Rae Lakes lived up to the hype. All the struggle was worth it. The water was as clear as I've seen it in the Sierras.
|
|
This was one of my favorite pics from the trip. I took this from the northern end of Middle Rae Lake. Our camp was somewhere on the peninsula in the center of the frame.
|
|
We were surprised to find that the water temp was quite tolerable. I was tempted to dive in, but the intermittent clouds and gusty winds made for a pretty strong wind chill. Had it been a sunny day, I probably would have.
|
|
Lars tests the water.
|
|
One of Lou's catches.
|
|
Along the JMT near the Rae Lakes ranger station.
|
|
Late in the afternoon on Thursday, we decided it was finally time to tear ourselves away from Rae Lakes. He didn't get far. We hiked a mile or so towards Glen Pass and camped at some beautiful little Tarns.
|
|
Lars is almost silhouetted (through lens foreshortening) against the distant peaks.
|
|
The view from our camp. This turned out to be an excellent camp. It was above timberline, so the views were unobstructed. The "range of light" did not disappoint that evening. We were treated to a spectacular sunset.
|
|
Sunset highlights Painted Lady's best features.
|
|
This cloud reminded me of elephant.
|
|
The next morning we trekked back over Glen Pass and started up the trail towards Kearsarge Lakes. We stopped at Bullfrog Lake again. This time the weather was perfect. While Lars and Lou rested, I busted out the tripod for some panoramas.
|
|
At the edge of Bullfrog Lake, I pointed the camera east towards Kearsarge Pass. That night we camped at Kearsarge Lakes again.
|
|
The next morning we packed our things and headed back to Onion Valley. We paused in Kearsarge Pass to take some panoramas.
|
|
At one point or another during the trip, each of us had had "Ma Ya Hi (numa numa)" stuck in our heads. We arrived at the beemer exhausted and elated to be back. The first song we played? "Ma Ya Hi". Here Lar's is drumming to the beat.
|
|
That afternoon we drove to Lone Pine for you guessed it, Carl's. I convinced the girl at the counter to look in the back for some of those chocolate cakes. Luckily they had some stashed away, and it was soooo goood! Then we drove back to the Mt. Williamson Motel in Independence. It's a cozy little place run by some really friendly people. The shower felt awesome.
|
Back to World Travel Menu
Back to the Gallery
Back to the Homepage
All photos copyright Edward Laag 2007