2004 Pass to Crescent Meadow

One of those beautiful and diverse treks that words cannot begin to describe

Logistically, this was not a simple trek. Beginning trailhead (Franklin Pass trailhead, at ) and ending trailhead (Crescent Meadows in the main, crowded, tourist section of ) were far enough apart, via slow, windy roads, that it made for a painful shuttle. But it was a great trek, nonetheless, worth the effort in every other respect.

Mineral King is spectacular:

We took a day hike on the Saturday prior to beginning the trek, heading up in the direction of Sawtooth Pass. It was too late in the day, however, to attempt to climb all the way up to the pass. We did, however, make it up to the base of the peak, proper.

Sawtooth Peak from the Western side of the Southerly :

Monday

We started hiking somewhere close to 8000 ft. elevation and had to make it all the way up to 12,000 ft (Franklin Pass) in one day. That’s quite a bit of elevation gain in one day for a bunch of old people!

Franklin Lake:

Looking East towards the Whitney Group from Franklin Pass – yes we made it! is almost all the way to the left (with a tiny patch of snow, visible, on the gradual sloping part of Whitney Peak) along the ridge line in the distance:

Tuesday

We descended into Kern Canyon, trying not to think that we would have to climb back out the next day:

Kern River, up close and personal:

Wednesday

Climbing back up out of the Kern Canyon, by a different route, the next day:

Sky Parlor Meadow was much more beautiful than we had anticipated:

And so was Moraine Lake (a place I have longed to visit for years before actually making it there). Needham Mountain rises above the lake in a setting I had seen in some kind of literature, years before – finally witnessed in, on my own, and took a photo, much superior to the one from years earlier:

Mt. Kaweah and the Kaweah Peaks Ridge also rise above Moraine Lake:

We had hoped to climb, Mt. Kaweah (in fact, while we were in camp, several people descended right into our camp, indicating that it was a beautiful, far-reaching view, from the top), but we didn’t have the time nor stamina to attempt it.

And we caught a view of from the Eastern side of the Great Western Divide

Thursday

One of my favorite shots into the Big Arroyo with Lippincott Mtn and other peaks of the Great Western Divide in the background:

Nine Lakes Basin, near where we camped on Thursday night – this area was just down from , our first destination for the coming day:

Friday

Looking South from near Kaweah Gap:

Eagle Scout Peak:

Precipice Lake – Directly below Eagle Scout Peak – boy was that water beautiful and clear (and cold!)

The view towards (far left), Hamilton Lake, Valhalla (Angel Wings), and one of the scariest trails in the world (can make it out at various places):

Several weary travelers on the :

Hamilton Lake – looking back up where we just came down:

Can see a rather exposed section of trail (to the right) in this shot:

Looking down from one of the bridges we crossed (yes, that’s part of another bridge that was destroyed in this wild environment):

The following phota has been described by another Sierra Trekker as the, “Million Dollar View” (near Bear Paw Meadow High Sierra Camp):

Saturday

Saturday, we hiked out the remaining distance from where we were camped at Buck Creek Canyon:

Looking back, at one point, we enjoyed a great panorama of the Southern Great Western Divide: