Yosemite 2015 part 2

yosemite_loop_2015_0445.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0477.jpg

I prefer a tight and trim backpack with no extraneous items.

yosemite_loop_2015_0455.jpg

 They just don't do brute-force dynamite trailmaking like they used to.

yosemite_loop_2015_0466.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0471.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0498.jpg

Trails tell the story of humans as well as animals. This is me, except it is not me anymore; I had to throw out the old Cascadia trail runners after this trip.

yosemite_loop_2015_0536.jpg

I arrive at the amazing Red Devil Lake area in time to see the next day's destination of Red Peak lit by the last rays of the sun.

yosemite_loop_2015_0534.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0508.jpg

I treat water with UV light from a Steripen. It does not kill or filter anything; rather it sterilizes the bad organisms so they don't propagate in your stomach.

yosemite_loop_2015_0543.jpg

Red Peak and Red Peak Pass.

yosemite_loop_2015_0593.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0580.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0600.jpg

DAY 7: The sudden appearance of thick smoke the next morning suggests that I may be in the path of a fast moving fire. I determine that I am surrounded by enough water and bare rock to survive a possible sudden flame engulfment, and carry on for my day hike up to the Red Peak Pass.

yosemite_loop_2015_0611.jpg

I tie my pack to a tree to lessen the chance of a bear dragging it away, and remove the bear canister. I take enough items with me so that I can survive the night in case my pack disappears.

yosemite_loop_2015_0637.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0626.jpg

Clever trailmaking: alternating red and grey stone steps.

yosemite_loop_2015_0663.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0658.jpg

From below, the hike to the top of Red Peak pass looks a bit uneventful, but it turns out to be very interesting. Altitude is approximately 11,200 ft. This photo is taken by the only people I see that day. Spotify/Jumi Hendrix/The Wind Cries Mary.

yosemite_loop_2015_0689.jpg

DAY 7: The next morning the air is brisk and I meet two Brits. I ask you, where are all the Yanks?

yosemite_loop_2015_0716.jpg

I eat an early lunch while regarding the clouds passing over the Clark Range. I revel in high altitude meadows, where you can sense the very brief passage between harsh winters.

yosemite_loop_2015_0720.jpg

I am not much of a peak-bagger but I am compelled to climb the nearby peak at Isberg Pass.

yosemite_loop_2015_0727.jpg

Interesting stone fragments look like an abandoned roman mosaic.

yosemite_loop_2015_0732.jpg
full_assembled_pano_1500.jpg

360 view from the peak. Spotify/Beethoven/Eroica. Pure elation.

yosemite_loop_2015_0746.jpg

I am sorely tempted to keep following the ridge and climb the next peak, but I still have far to go today and cannot afford another two hours of play.

yosemite_loop_2015_0771.jpg

The second I cross Isberg pass and descend into the Ansel Adams wilderness, the trail really degrades. Random trail rubble really s*cks.

yosemite_loop_2015_0767.jpg

Descending, I get off trail as much as I can. Talus rocks are a pain, but I am able to descend faster by taking more direct routes.

yosemite_loop_2015_0769.jpg

Micro-cracks in the rock lead to splits and micro growth cultures.

yosemite_loop_2015_0770.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0807.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0827.jpg

DAY 9: A strong print; coyote? So much for my paw identification skills.

yosemite_loop_2015_0842.jpg

I leave the horrible trail and continue going cross country, to discover an old log cabin.

yosemite_loop_2015_0850.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0856.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0870.jpg

Berries = bear food = bears.

Who says you can't get depth-of-field effects from an iphone 5?

yosemite_loop_2015_1012.jpg

Yep, another bear on the trail.

yosemite_loop_2015_0908.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0921.jpg

These Smartwool socks always fail in the same place. 100 miles is just not satisfactory.

yosemite_loop_2015_0923.jpg

The trail goes from bad to worse. This is one ugly trail.

yosemite_loop_2015_0933.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0942.jpg

At night on my iphone I am reading Napolean: A life. The French fought a protracted war against the savage Spanish guerillas, they called it the "The Spanish Ulcer." Against this context the tortured trees remind me of Goya's "Los Desastres de la Guerra" and particularly the drawing "This is Worse".

yosemite_loop_2015_0945.jpg

It is always interesting to get of view of where you will end up the next day. Spotify/Mahler/Alpensinfonie.

yosemite_loop_2015_0967.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0966.jpg

The mule is not cooperating. Lots of swearing. According to the cowboy: "She thinks that she can get away with this sh*t."

yosemite_loop_2015_0985.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_0995.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_1016.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_1048.jpg

The only place large enough to stretch out is a natural passage that could lead to unwelcome animal encounters during the night. I erect some simple barriers.

yosemite_loop_2015_1099.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_1199.jpg

DAY 10: The iPhone is a camera; I try pushing its limits.

yosemite_loop_2015_1265.jpg

I have to climb over more than forty trees on this last day.

yosemite_loop_2015_1264.jpg
yosemite_loop_2015_1305.jpg

I recognize the backside of Mammoth Mountain from previous ski trips. Unfortunately this also means cell towers, and email only brings trouble. Trip over.