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.
CASTLE ROCK AND FRIENDS FROM MORO ROCK
LOOKING ACROSS THE KAWEAH RIVER VALLEY TO CASTLE ROCKS
THE TOP OF THE WATCHTOWER ON THE WAY TO PEAR LAKE
ROUNDING THE CORNER AFTER PASSING THE WATCHTOWER
ASTER LAKE ON THE WAY TO PEAR LAKE
THE TRAVERSE FROM PEAR LAKE TO TABLELANDS BASIN
FIRST VIEW OF TERRAIN AFTER GAINING THE HEIGHT OF LAND ABOVE THE RANGER STATION
PLEASANT UNCOMPLICATED TERRAIN AT THE MOUTH OF TABLELANDS BASIN
LOTS OF EASY WALKING ON SLABS IN THE LOWER ENTRANCE TO THE BASIN
AFTER A LONG DRY WALK I FOUND WATER AND A NICE SITE FOR THE NIGHT
FOUND THIS NICE SPOT WITH JUST ENOUGH TIME TO SETUP AND FILTER SOME WATER BEFORE DARK
MELLOW WALKING SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF TABLELANDS BASIN
LAST SECTION OF OPEN WATER EARLY THE NEXT MORNING
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE LAST SECTION OF OPEN WATER
NEARING THE TOP OF TABLELANDS BASIN
MOOSE LAKE AND ALTA PEAK FROM TABLELANDS BASIN
LAKE 10435 ABOVE BIG BIRD LAKE AND DEADMAN CANYON
FIRST VIEW OF DEADMAN CANYON AND THE GREAT WESTERN DIVIDE
LAST OBSTACLE BETWEEN ME AND LONELY LAKE
BIG BIRD LAKE
ANOTHER VIEW OF BIG BIRD LAKE
HORN COL, HORN PEAK AND LONELY LAKE FROM THE TOP OF THE UN-NAMED PEAK AT THE END OF THE TABLELANDS
BIG BIRD LAKE AND DEADMAN CANYON
HORN COL AND THE KAWEAH PEAKS
LOOKING OUT DEADMAN CANYON TO THE ROUGH FIRE
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE ROUGH FIRE AND DEADMAN CANYON
THE ROUGH FIRE FROM TABLELANDS
MILESTONE ON THE LEFT AND THE ATTRACTIVE PEAK AT THE HEAD OF DEADMAN CANYON
HORN PEAK AND COL WHILE TAKING THE WRONG DESCENT OFF TABLELANDS HIGH POINT
LOOKING OVER THE BACKSIDE OF ANGEL WINGS TO KAWEAH GAP, EAGLE SCOUT PEAK AND OTHERS ON THE GWD
IGNORING THE MAP AND TRIP REPORTS I DECIDED TO TAKE THE WRONG DESCENT.
LATE AFTERNOON VIEW OF HORN PEAK
LATE AFTERNOON VIEW OF LONELY LAKE
LONELY LAKE AND HORN PEAK
CAMPSITE ABOVE LONELY LAKE
SUNSET ON HORN PEAK
SUNSET ON HORN PEAK
SUNSET SKIES FROM LONELY LAKE
EVERYONE IS WELCOME AT THE ONLY WATER HOLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
EARLY MORNING VIEW SOUTH PAST LONELY LAKE
LONELY LAKE THE NEXT MORNING ON MY WAY TO HORN COL
ANOTHER VIEW OF LONELY LAKE THE NEXT MORNING
HORN COL FROM A DISTANCE
THE CLASSIC VIEW WHEN CROSSING HORN COL
NEXT OBJECTIVE: COPPERMINE PASS
LOOKING BACK AT HORN PEAK AND COL AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRAVERSE TO COPPERMINE PASS
FIRST OF THREE VIEWS OF THE UNIQUE FORMATION AND THE VIEW DOWN INTO DEADMAN CANYON
SECOND OF THREE VIEWS OF THE UNIQUE FORMATION AND THE VIEW DOWN INTO DEADMAN CANYON
LAST OF THREE VIEWS OF THE UNIQUE FORMATION AND THE VIEW DOWN INTO DEADMAN CANYON
ANOTHER VIEW OF COPPERMINE PASS FROM MIDWAY ACROSS UPPER DEADMAN CANYON