With only a week to go before I was due to pull up stakes and head back to NH, there was time for one more adventure. After a false start thinking I wanted to go to Hell for Sure Pass over on the West Side (I did drive all the way up to Courtright Reservior), I came back and settled on plan B. That turned out to be an intro to the Ritter Range and Minarets. Knowing the shortest way in there was to use the now familiar Rush Creek approach, I came up with a Summit Lake loop. Lots of ups and downs along with some aggressive camping restrictions, but still a nice intro to the area.
THE 2ND STORM ARRIVES ON THE EAST SIDE
BISHOP CREEK VIEW FROM RT 395
POST STORM SUNRISE ON WILLIAMSON
EARLY MORNING VIEW O MT BRADLEY / PINYON CREEK REGION OF THE CREST
ANOTHER POST STORM VIEW OF THE SIERRA CREST
COTTONWOODS AND WILLIAMSON
SOUTH END OF SILVER LAKE FROM THE RUSH CREEK TRAIL
LOOKING DOWN AT AGNEW RESERVIOR FROM THE SPOOKY CANYON TRAIL
SPOOKY CANYON TRAIL
PARTIAL VIEW OF MT RITTER FROM ONE OF THE SMALL PONDS IN THE CLARK LAKES REGION
PARTIAL VIEW OF MT RITTER FROM ONE OF THE SMALL PONDS IN THE CLARK LAKES REGION
OUTLET STREAM FROM THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE, RITTER RANGE, HIGH SIERRA
LATE AFTERNOON VIEW OF THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE, RITTER RANGE, HIGH SIERRA
LATE AFTERNOON, SHORELINE, THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE BASIN, RITTER RANGE
HEADING UP AND OVER THE RIDGE TOWARDS GARNET LAKE
LATE AFTERNOON VIEW OF THE EAST END OF GARNET LAKE, RITTER RANGE
CAMPSITE AT GARNET LAKE, RITTER RANGE
EARLY MORNING REFLECTION OF RITTER AND BANNER IN GARNET LAKE, RITTER RANGE
EARLY MORNING REFLECTION OF RITTER AND BANNER IN GARNET LAKE, RITTER RANGE
PARTIAL VIEW OF MT RITTER AND SMALL PEAK TO ITS SOUTH, RITTER RANGE
MORNING DAY 2, COMPLETELY FROSTED AND SOAKED TENT AFTER HEAVY FROST
MORNING VIEW OF RITTER & BANNER FROM SHORELINE OF GARNET LAKE, RITTER RANGE
MORNING VIEW OF THE EAST END OF GARNET LAKE, RITTER RANGE
HEAVY DOSE OF FROST ON PLANTLIFE, RITTER RANGE
ANOTHER MORNING VIEW OF RITTER FROM THE JMT ON THE WAY OVER TO THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE
THE MANY ISLANDS IN GARNET LAKE FROM THE JMT ON THE WAY OVER TO THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE
COLD MORNING ON THE JMT LOOKING BACK AT GARNET LAKE
ANOTHER VIEW OF GARNET LAKE FROM THE JMT ON THE WAY OVER TO THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE
DRY VOLCANIC TERRAIN ON THE JMT ON THE WAY OVER TO THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE
FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE MINARETS FROM THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE
MINARET SKYLINE FROM THE JMT IN THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE, RITTER RANGE
TELE ZOOM OF THE MINARET SKYLINE FROM THE JMT IN THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE, RITTER RANGE
CLYDE MINARET FROM THE JMT IN THE SHADOW LAKE DRAINAGE, RITTER RANGE
BRIDGE OVER SHADOW CREEK ON THE WAY DOWN TO SHADOW LAKE
LOOKING UP CANYON FROM SHADOW LAKE
STARTING THE DESCENT TO THE RIVER TRAIL ON THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
MY FAVORITE TREE IN THE HIGH SIERRA - THE SIERRA JUNIPER
SOUTH TO MAMMOTH MT FROM THE RIVER TRAIL ON THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
LOOKING BACK UP TO THE NARROW ENTRANCE TO SHADOW LAKE FROM THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, RITTER RANGE
ANOTHER CLOSE UP VIEW OF THE SIERRA JUNIPER
LATE AFTERNOON VIEW OF VOLCANIC RIDGE AND THE MINARETS FROM SUMMIT LAKE AT ABOUT 9900FT.
STORMY SUNSET TO THE SOUTH FROM SUMMIT LAKE, RITTER RANGE
BRIEF SUNRISE COLOR ON RITTER & BANNER FROM SUMMIT LAKE
BRIEF SUNRISE COLOR ON CLYDE MINARET FROM SUMMIT LAKE
BRIEF SUNRISE COLOR ON THE MINARETS FROM SUMMIT LAKE
SUNRISE COLOR ON MT RITTER FROM SUMMIT LAKE
SUNRISE COLOR ON RITTER & BANNER FROM SUMMIT LAKE
BRIEF SUNRISE ON MINARETS AND RITTER / BANNER FROM SUMMIT LAKE
BRIEF SUNRISE ON MINARETS AND RITTER / BANNER FROM SUMMIT LAKE
AN HOUR AFTER SUNRISE THE VIEW WAS GONE