Mule-packing Humphreys Basin, Aug/Sep 2000

As Mark often said: we've done it all; we've got nothing to prove.

So this year, instead of planning a week-long backpack, we planned a mulepack.
We arranged for mules to pack us and our gear over Piute Pass into Humphreys Basin
(dominated by Mt. Humphreys).

With mules, friends and family who might decline backpacking could
come along and experience the wilderness, too.
Since I've backpacked, hiked and photographed all around this area before, I was confident I could organize a trip.

Our group comprised Mark and Randy and Ora from Kentucky, and Mike Sickels and me from California.
Since Mikes were a plurality, Randy arranged T-shirts for us with BIG nametags:
"Hello, my name is Mike, Manly Mike Millenium Mountaineering, Mostly!"

Well, we certainly had an interesting trip...

(Click on most images to see a larger version.)

The first afternoon we drove to Mono Lake, arriving after dark.

We just threw our bags on the ground, despite thunder and lightning to the South.

Hah!, I assured the Kentuckians, ignore those puddles!
We're in the rain shadow of the Sierras! This is a desert!!
Summer thunderstorms here go away as quickly as they come!!!

And indeed, it dawned mostly clear...

After morning photography, we drove to Mammoth for lunch, under thickening clouds.
While we lunched at a lake, a few thunderclaps were the only warning: then it dumped.
That's hail piling up on the car hood...

As we drove out, we saw a large lightning strike and smoke plume across town.
Later, when we passed by on the highway, we stopped for a closer look.
(Note: I visited Mammoth a month later - I saw nothing from across the valley.
Must not have been too Mammoth a fire...)

So we drove to Bishop under clouds, up Bishop Creek Canyon to our campsite.
Although we didn't ask for a walk-in campsite, we got one -
a nice, secluded site near the creek.
We setup for rain - we weren't disappointed.
We spent the next two days dodging rain and running into town (no rain there!)
to do lunch and dry our gear.

Because of the iffy weather, we delayed the mules one day.
Our new camp, for one night, got just a few drops of rain...

Next morning dawned clear!
Bright and early, we watched the mules packed...

Up North Fork Bishop Creek canyon we go, over Piute Pass to a packer camp in Humphreys Basin
(the packer chose the site for us, based on my request for solitude and views and - foresight! - shelter).

First sunrise from camp. Not colorful, but dramatic, with clouds creeping up-canyon
from the west. ("Hmmm, don't storms come from the west?" "Nah, surely we've had our share of rain!?!")

As the morning progressed, so did the "drama."

Mark and MikeS are ready for whatever comes!

That turns out to be snow. First grappel, then real snowflakes...

The packer's busy no matter the weather.

Sunset.
(We had to walk all the way to the edge of camp to get pictures like this. Good camp!)

Last full day was California-normal-Summer-weather clear.

View from ridge with camp in lower right.
This ridge separates Humphreys Basin proper from the Glacier Divide to the immediate north.

A short hike up and around to the Glacier Divide at Goethe Lake.

There's a mountaineer's pass over the divide to Darwin Bench and the John Muir trail,
just left of glaciers.

In a sheltered cleft, by a little runnel, these flowers still flourished - at about 12,000'!

Last sunset wasn't spectacular, but still - sniff - it was last of the trip.

Midday, our last day - we're packed and ready to go.

...last picture with Mt. Humphreys...

...and we're off.

...and we're done {sigh}.

Last camp at June Lake, on the way home.

Photography break at Tioga Pass.