Sept 2015. After the stormy spring left me feeling like I hadn't accomplished much I made plans for a fall trip where I could experience the range without concern for snow. Arriving in Lone Pine after the drive over from Vegas, I found the whole Owens Valley full of haze and smoke. Next morning I drove around to the west side and made the hot drive up to Wolverton and what I hoped would be better vistas south and west of the Rough Fire. Other than a 24hr stretch of haze and grey skies, things worked out pretty well.
GETTING CLOSER TO LION LAKE
TYPICAL OF THE TERRAIN GETTING DOWN TO LION LAKE
TAMARACK LAKE FROM THE MEADOWS ON THE WEST SIDE OF LION LAKE
TAMARACK LAKE FROM THE MEADOWS ON THE WEST SIDE OF LION LAKE
STARTING THE DESCENT TO TAMARACK LAKE
TAMARACK LAKE
DRAMATIC SETTING ON THE WAY DOWN TO TAMARACK LAKE
LOOKING DOWN THE BROKEN GROUND THAT GETS YOU THRU THE FIRST CLIFFBAND
LOOKING BACK UP AT THE TOP CLIFFBAND
THE GORGE THROUGH THE LOWER CLIFFBAND
LATE AFTENOON VIEW OF THE HEADWALL AND CLIFFBANDS
SABER RIDGE AND OTHER PEAKS FROM THE CLIFFBAND ABOVE TAMARACK LAKE
SABER RIDGE AND OTHER PEAKS FROM THE MEADOW ABOVE TAMARACK LAKE
EVENING VIEW OF THE NORTH SIDE OF MT STEWART
EVENING IN THE BASIN ABOVE TAMARACK LAKE
EVENING VIEW OF THE NORTH SIDE OF MT STEWART
EVENING VIEW OF THE NORTH SIDE OF MT STEWART
EVENING LIGHT ON THE INTERESTING CLIFFBAND ABOVE TAMARACK LAKE
EVENING LIGHT ON THE INTERESTING CLIFFBAND ABOVE TAMARACK LAKE
ONE LAST LOOK AT THE CLIFF BANDS BETWEEN LION AND TAMARACK LAKES
DAY FIVE AND ONE LAST UNKNOWN DESCENT TO TAMARACK LAKE
AT LAST ... THE TRAIL IS OVER THERE IN THE WOODS
THE LINEUP OF INTERESTING CLIMBS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CANYON
I THINK THE SABER IS THE BUTRESS ON THE RIGHT
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SAME TWO CLIMBS
LOOKING DOWN VALLEY TO THE JUNCTION WITH THE ELIZABETH PASS TRAIL
LOWER SECTION OF THE ELIZABETH PASS TRAIL
FIRST SIGN OF FALL
LAST VIEW UP TO TRIPLE DIVIDE PEAK AND THE LION LAKE SECTION OF THE TRIP
LAST VIEW OF PEAKS ABOVE TAMARACK LAKE AS THE TRAIL TURNS TOWARDS ITS JCT WITH THE HIGH SIERRA TRAIL
FIRST VIEW OF PEAK IN THE HAMILTON LAKES REGION
FRESH DOUG FIR CONES WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE
PARTIAL VIEW OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF ANGEL WINGS
DAY SIX: BUCK CANYON VIEW HEADED WEST
FOREST DETAIL ON THE HIGH SIERRA TRAIL