View allAll Photos Tagged JohnMuirTrail
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Last year we went to the iconic Yosemite National Park with destination Half Dome. It's a strenuous 18 miles (29 km) roundtrip hike with 4800 feet (1500 m) altitude gain. On the way back we took the less steep route via John Muir Trail. Turning around we saw an impressive sunset scenery - the Half Dome in back, the smallish Mt Broderick and bigger Liberty Cap in the front, and Nevada Falls to the right.
I processed a balanced HDR photo from a RAW exposure, and carefully adjusted color balance and curves. I welcome and appreciate constructive feedback.
-- ƒ/5.6, 16 mm, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, Sony NEX-6, SEL-P1650, HDR, 1 RAW exposure, _DSC0670_hdr1bal1d.jpg
-- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, © Peter Thoeny, Quality HDR Photography
Muir Pass Hut with Mount Solomons, August 19, 2019. Plenty of snow even this late in the season.
Kings Canyon National Park, John Muir Trail, Muir Pass, mile 127.7 Elevation 11,955 feet.
The sunset show on July 15 coming to an end with a last throw of light against the high clouds. Peaks deep in Yosemite to the Northwest are throwing long shadows across the clouds right of center.
This was the scene at our campsite below Silver Pass, surrounded by snow and frozen lakes. However, no wind and 50F degrees made it a pleasant evening and the view justified all efforts to get there. Those are the days you don't forget.
The view goes from Goodale Pass (left) to the Ritter Range (just right of the brightest part of the horizon) and ends with the eastern Yosemite peaks around Donohue Pass and Koip and Kuna peaks. The valley on the right side is Cascade Valley. The John Muir Trail comes up from the valley and crosses Silver Pass just behind the location this was taken from.
Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, CA. About 15 miles SW of Mammoth Lakes. CA.
JMT DAY 29 - GOLDEN HOUR NEAR HITCHCOCK LAKES
Golden hour near Hitchcock Lakes
While waiting for the sunset under the gloomy sky, the clouds gave away for the sun to shine a bit. I rushed over to this particular spot of the small lake, not too far from where we were camping.
The sun cast a bright golden glow all over the surface that it touched as it shone through the gap between the towering Mt. Hitchcock and the rocky hillside. And I really hoped that this would turn into a decent sunset.
The thick blanket of clouds hovered right above the Great Western Divide in the far distance. As if it would further drop and swallow up the entire range any minute.
Near Hitchcock Lakes, Sequoia National Park, CA
Looking down on Muir Pass from the Mt Warlow Ridge. Lake Helen and McDermand far right at the top of Evolution Basin, Muir Hut (hikers visible surrounding) and pass at about mile 129 of the JMT center right with Mt Solomons finishing the goddard Divide behind, the Black Giant centered in the Black Divide at center left, and Wanda Lake at left where the JMT winds down towards LeConte Canyon several miles below left. Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California.
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McClure Meadow, Evolution Valley.
First time I saw this scene, it changed my life. My brother and I first walked the JMT in 13 in memory of our middle brother. Half way down the trail and I could have just called it a life experience and never done it again. When I first came upon this scene I literally dropped to the ground. Even today I am drawn to its presence as if by command. Probably the same inexplicable oceanic feeling and belief generation that evaded Freud in Civilization and Its Discontents . And I guess for me, it is that instinctive spiritual feeling, quite visceral, that keeps calling me, come back.
The second time I experienced this feeling was my approach to Grey Pass, on the SHR, sealed the deal. The view of the Palisades sent a shock down my spine and froze me in my tracks. The feeling in my soul, like for a moment, I'd found the answer to all the greater questions in life.
I'll keep coming back until these bones and muscles force me to ride a horse, and even after then I believe I'll be spending eternity here. Kings Canon is my heaven.
The scene just composed itself, the monkey pushed the button.
Update: After 3 years of being drawn to this photo, and looking with tears dropping, I've noticed some trail angels were looking on, see notes on photo. I've now thought about Joe and Marion's adventures between this ridge and the great divide, specifically Lake Basin where Marion has a name sake lake. I need to go to Marion Lake. Twice I've set out for that very location and twice I've been stopped in my or my brother's tracks. Quite often your soul diverts you away from power points where you have a learning lesson, for which you are not ready. First time I felt I had run out of food and needed to return. Second time it was my brother's insatiable desire for an In-And-Out Burger, I kid you not, and he got very angry and insisted we turn around. I've learned in my life that when irrational displays come out of nowhere from normally rational people, you listen. So we turned around. Question is, is it a good point or bad point. My strong sense, both times, was a feeling of diversion and not avoidance. Could be I wasn't ready for that lesson. Twice in my life, I've finally overcome and challenged these feelings, both times the experiences were doorways I needed to step through to get to where I am today. Good or bad, these can be very powerful spots. Because of these past experiences, I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't stepped through those doors. Funny thing is, upon passing through the door you are shown the next blaze. You better remember what the question was.
Or I could have been experiencing altitude sickness and deliriums.
This is a shot you can probably find several versions of if you do a little searching. But this one is mine. I don't think one more will hurt.
Three of us, two retired men (one who who wasn't sure if he could hike 50 plus miles; that would be me) and a young fit man who could have easily hiked twice as far in the 6 days we were on the trail started hiking at South Lake on the Bishop Pass Trail September 8 and 6 days latter ended our hike at North Lake. According to a more accurate account than I can generate we hiked 55 miles, gained 8,730 feet and lost 9,200 feet elevation. This area, part in Kings Canyon National Park and part in the John Muir Wilderness is about 20 miles southwest from Bishop, California.
Here is a brief summary of our route: South Lake Trailhead - Bishop Pass - Dusy Basin - LeConte Canyon - Muir Pass - Evolution Valley - Puite Creek Canyon - Humphrey's Basin - Piute Pass - North Lake Trailhead. We passed more than a dozen lakes some of which I will mention when I upload photos.
Thanks to "OldManTravels" for the invite and detailed planning. You can see his photos and a detailed description of our hike here: www.flickr.com/photos/12150532@N04/
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John Muir Trail 1990
OK, so heading up to this very black looking Black Giant isn't something I'd be doing today. In 1990 this looked good to us. We made it across the pass and I don't recall any serious lightning or rain or hail. However, decades hiking in these mountains have taught me otherwise. When the skies look like that, stay as low as you can and just wait it out.