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Recommends...
The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails
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Peak 11500' Dayhike
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A couple (apparently sans permit) had pulled into the parking lot as we ate breakfast and set out by 7:15 or so. We passed them on the first uphill on the Rafferty Creek Trail -- judging from their pace it seemed that the day might end up in tears. But later we would talk to the guy, and found out that they were Brits from London who'd done lots and lots of backpacking all over the US.
We found a good campsite with a nice view of Rafferty Creek Valley near Fletcher Lake by 10:30, for a respectable 2h45m time over an 8-mile route with a mere 1500 feet of elevation gain. Kim relaxed while I set up the tent, and we soon at lunch in preparation for a yet-to-be-determined dayhike. We were feeling kind of lethargic after lunch, so a climb of Vogelsang Peak seemed out. Instead, I suggested that we hike northwest to explore the region near Evelyn Lake. Peak 11500' looked well-positioned to get a birds-eye view of the area, particularly of the forbidding Ireland Lake, which I had always wanted to see.
We started slowly up the trail to Evelyn Lake, and left the trail at a crest, heading southeast, toward Peak 11500'. I remember stopping a couple times, wanting just to give up. This was nothing that a Balance Bar couldn't solve! After getting a chocolate boost, I was energetic again, and soon we found ourselves at the saddle south of Peak 11500'. From there, the peak is merely 200 feet higher, so we could hardly pass at the option of climbing it. Views down to Ireland Lake and of the high peaks to the east were stunning.
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Department of Geophysics Stanford University |
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