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Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
this was a a solo trip although it started with Rob who was with Tarah and (as far as i remember someone else) so quickly parted their company and shoot for Dade. This was a weekend right after a light snow so it added much needed texture to otherwise bare rock.
Clyde Minaret – the highest and perhaps the most strikingly looking peaks in the chain. We did this peak in a rather long day hike as we wanted to be there by the lakes (Minaret Lake specifically) before the sunrise to picture (you’ve guessed it) the first light. I should say the obvious.. Ansel Adams Wilderness is an incredible area and if you haven’t been – please strongly consider.
We did he peak via Class 3 Red Rock route, my memory holds it to be solid Sierra Class 3 with some moderate exposure (close to what Norman Clyde was) albeit we didn’t have to use any rappelling gear.
I also remember that this was the peak where I lost my gray BD helmet (it rolled somewhere of the south slope) so if you ever find it – please return. (it has a dainese sticker on it)
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
Ritter and Banner… Should I tell more? Actually to make it sound even more epic – it was a winter ascent, so double
Some of you might know where these mountains are located, for others – this is in the very heart of beautiful Ansel Adams Wilderness area.
Winter ascents have their own perks and in this case we added somewhat around 5 miles of plain walking from Mammoth resort (lifts) down to the Agnew Meadows trailhead - thanks to the deep snow. We’ve decided to break it down into 3 full days due to the snow: the first day was for hiking in, the second – to actual summits and the third for hiking out.
The approach itself was fairly straightforward... it’s a highway all the way until Ediza Lake, mostly flat. On the second day we’ve approached Ritter first and were able to cut a little on the west slopes via one narrow chutes just above the glacier. The summit was a blast but the fun began when we started traversing down from Ritter to the saddle below the Banner. I was not very comfortable with rappelling at that time and just descended on my own (now that I think of it was a bit stupid) but doing so allowed me to take a pretty epic shots of guys from the perspective otherwise impossible (lessons learned – have a second rope and rappel in parallel to the group for that epicness)
Anyhow, Banner was much easier but some of us were a bit slow so we met the sunset descending.. and the real challenge begun… The thing is that in order to get back to the Ediza Lake one has to go down rather steep slope (from the saddle between Ritter and Banner) And while I bet it wouldn’t be as much of a challenge during the day light, but the night added a few moments to that descent… We made it down safe regardless…
Next day was a long and painful return (lifts at Mammoth Mountain are slightly higher Ansel Adams Wilderness.) and while normally it would not be a problem, that extra winter gear got me so slow… – I barely made it back to lifts…
Awesome tri
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
2017 winter accent. Great year for mountaineers route - chutes are full of snow making it much easier to get to the base. IT was April and snow was still firm, just in general 2017 was a great winter year in Sierra
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
Polemonium Peak to Mt. Sill traverse – end of September - we took west side to avoid U-notch couloir. Started from South Lake (that day I met Gilberto first time).
We arrived at the camp spot, just below Agassiz, around 11pm and it was rather cold already (summers are not that long in Sierra) so we traded the dinner over a good night sleep (as good as it gets assuming the start around 3am)
I remember Lorenzo was very angry on Jose who left the only propane tank and stove out and it got too cold to work (one stove for the 4 of us.. – underestimation)
We caught up with Gill (who started from the parking lot) only at U-Notch. Sarah and Peter were already close to the summit of Polemonium when I first caught sight of them. It was a windy and rather cold morning on the west side of this 14er, nonetheless Gill scaled it in shorts, and without protection – a man of courage, paragon! It’s an “upper Class 4”, ropes are highly recommended - 30 meter is enough (unlike the neighboring North Pal – 60 meter) The most thrilling part is actually the descend from Polemonium around V-Notch to above Polemonium Glacier (believed to be the highest glacier in Eastern Sierra Nevada). There is a fin-like ridge that one has to down climb and it’s a pure thrill.
We then proceeded to Mount Sill, where Peter and Sarah had some campaign (because why not). It was getting late so we quickly descended below Sill and aimed for Potluck Pass, south-west of Mt. Jepson. Potluck Pass to the base of Agassiz – I stayed at around 12400-12200 and it saved me A LOT of energy! We met Cindy just after the sunset and quickly rushed back to the parking.
Overall – a long haul but I really enjoyed this trip! Nothing like Palisades!
I remember when I went up the chute to Carillon for the first time and stopped by the cliff to watch Whitney’s east face from that north angle, oh yes, I remember clearly I told myself I’m coming back for that sunrise shot. This series represents exactly that - a commitment to a promise I gave to myself – to take that shot and and, to some extent, also to climb Russell. It was a solo assent and the entire trip was focused on essentially two things: take the shot and summit but also be back to Newport to return the rental in under 24 hours. And I succeeded.
Not that I haven’t gone up the mountaineers’ route, quite the opposite, but I think it was the first time I did it in a summer, also in the night as the plan was to be there by the sunrise. It all went mostly smooth (I had to bushwhack a bit, but it almost doesn’t count)
Memories first – this is what counts, and for anyone witnessed a sunrise over sierra mountains there should be no need in explanation, for others I would say go and see it for yourself )
Merriam and Royce was an ambitious day hike w/ Lorenzo. As usual we (myself mostly) insisted on an idea that it would be great to picture it at the sunrise and so we started somewhere around 1-2AM, if not earlier (can’t remember now). But I remember clearly how we barely made it by the lake, just a few minutes before actual sunrise - this was, perhaps, the most exciting part of this entire hike! The climb itself was rather ordinary (at least as I remember it) with some moderate exposure, despite being ranked class 4 (we took the the Northeast Chute). We promptly traversed over to Royce via the saddle, summited, descended and headed back to TH.
Ps… The sunrise was perhaps the most memorable moment as the lake was only a few inches frozen and the surface was still clear of snow. The haze of distant fires casted the light in a softer spectrum (aka picture perfect setup)
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
Polemonium Peak to Mt. Sill traverse – end of September - we took west side to avoid U-notch couloir. Started from South Lake (that day I met Gilberto first time).
We arrived at the camp spot, just below Agassiz, around 11pm and it was rather cold already (summers are not that long in Sierra) so we traded the dinner over a good night sleep (as good as it gets assuming the start around 3am)
I remember Lorenzo was very angry on Jose who left the only propane tank and stove out and it got too cold to work (one stove for the 4 of us.. – underestimation)
We caught up with Gill (who started from the parking lot) only at U-Notch. Sarah and Peter were already close to the summit of Polemonium when I first caught sight of them. It was a windy and rather cold morning on the west side of this 14er, nonetheless Gill scaled it in shorts, and without protection – a man of courage, paragon! It’s an “upper Class 4”, ropes are highly recommended - 30 meter is enough (unlike the neighboring North Pal – 60 meter) The most thrilling part is actually the descend from Polemonium around V-Notch to above Polemonium Glacier (believed to be the highest glacier in Eastern Sierra Nevada). There is a fin-like ridge that one has to down climb and it’s a pure thrill.
We then proceeded to Mount Sill, where Peter and Sarah had some campaign (because why not). It was getting late so we quickly descended below Sill and aimed for Potluck Pass, south-west of Mt. Jepson. Potluck Pass to the base of Agassiz – I stayed at around 12400-12200 and it saved me A LOT of energy! We met Cindy just after the sunset and quickly rushed back to the parking.
Overall – a long haul but I really enjoyed this trip! Nothing like Palisades!
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
Mount Bradley and PhD – The two peaks I would not forget because of the exactly two memories – the smoke of wildfires that was all-encompassing and because I was stupid enough to decide to adhere to my intermittent fasting regiment (breaking the window at 4PM sharp with 4 hour window, which meant precisely the entire day at altitudes of over 13k w/o any food what so ever – so foolish – never do it guys… never).
It was a day trip and as the name suggested we’ve traversed via PhD – which is a cool-looking peak on its own. Started at Onion Valley TH, via Independence Creek, south of the ridge and then descending as little as possible over the Pinyon Creek, we’ve summited via the north slope of Bradley. Because I was fasting and because of the smoke I was the slowest on this trip (which means nothing really, but it’s always nice to beat Jose (that never happened to me really))
Mount Bradley and PhD – The two peaks I would not forget because of the exactly two memories – the smoke of wildfires that was all-encompassing and because I was stupid enough to decide to adhere to my intermittent fasting regiment (breaking the window at 4PM sharp with 4 hour window, which meant precisely the entire day at altitudes of over 13k w/o any food what so ever – so foolish – never do it guys… never).
It was a day trip and as the name suggested we’ve traversed via PhD – which is a cool-looking peak on its own. Started at Onion Valley TH, via Independence Creek, south of the ridge and then descending as little as possible over the Pinyon Creek, we’ve summited via the north slope of Bradley. Because I was fasting and because of the smoke I was the slowest on this trip (which means nothing really, but it’s always nice to beat Jose (that never happened to me really))
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
Hazy skies but clear mind. We climbed to Lone Pine Peak (we being myself, Lorenzo, Lauren and Hayla). There was one of my 2017 close calls when a giant bolder slid underneath me and took off roaring down the chute. We spent the night a few hundred feet below the summit and boy the sunrise was amazing. That haze really made it look different, less saturated and more delicate. Really enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back one day. We almost met Sarah and Peter, as they were accenting the North Ridge, but we decided not to wait for them and just left them a present at the top. Btw.. that haze is because of burning forest somewhere near Olancha
This was the second day of Eugene’s trip to CA in February of 2018. After failed attempt to summit Whitney and a miserable next day attempt on Morgan South we headed up the Death Valley for some warm and welcoming weather. We didn’t have much time before the sunset so we settled on Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and it was the right choice. A small hint for those travelling and taking pictures is to go to the right of the parking lot, in about a mile the footprints will disappear and if you lucky enough you’ll get that 30 seconds of low sun just right.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
Polemonium Peak to Mt. Sill traverse – end of September - we took west side to avoid U-notch couloir. Started from South Lake (that day I met Gilberto first time).
We arrived at the camp spot, just below Agassiz, around 11pm and it was rather cold already (summers are not that long in Sierra) so we traded the dinner over a good night sleep (as good as it gets assuming the start around 3am)
I remember Lorenzo was very angry on Jose who left the only propane tank and stove out and it got too cold to work (one stove for the 4 of us.. – underestimation)
We caught up with Gill (who started from the parking lot) only at U-Notch. Sarah and Peter were already close to the summit of Polemonium when I first caught sight of them. It was a windy and rather cold morning on the west side of this 14er, nonetheless Gill scaled it in shorts, and without protection – a man of courage, paragon! It’s an “upper Class 4”, ropes are highly recommended - 30 meter is enough (unlike the neighboring North Pal – 60 meter) The most thrilling part is actually the descend from Polemonium around V-Notch to above Polemonium Glacier (believed to be the highest glacier in Eastern Sierra Nevada). There is a fin-like ridge that one has to down climb and it’s a pure thrill.
We then proceeded to Mount Sill, where Peter and Sarah had some campaign (because why not). It was getting late so we quickly descended below Sill and aimed for Potluck Pass, south-west of Mt. Jepson. Potluck Pass to the base of Agassiz – I stayed at around 12400-12200 and it saved me A LOT of energy! We met Cindy just after the sunset and quickly rushed back to the parking.
Overall – a long haul but I really enjoyed this trip! Nothing like Palisades!
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
A quick hike up to the summit of the Mt Carillon. We started around 2AM in the morning and approached it via the chute right below the Lower Boy Scout Lake. Easy walk up considering a firm snow and good company.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.
North Palisade – an epic trip which I’m unlikely to ever forget. Almost died descending - dodged a massive rock that apparently got dislodged by a melting ice. Flew by only by a few feet away from my head and only thanks to guys yelling did I notice it… U notch is notorious, that’s for sure.
This the first taste of proper alpine climbing, that is ropes, harness 14k – fun. I can’t stress more how thankful I’m to guys for showing me how to manage this mess. I’m still much more comfortable unprotected than with ropes but at this point it’s just stupid not to be.
As you may already guessed we took classic U notch route, via North Fork. Camped around 12400, just at the foot of glacier. Alpine start and that year was snowy so luckily we had no ice on the approach. The crevasse at the bottonm reminded of how painful will the slide be should we glissade down for any reason. I remember I collected a lot of gear on the approach, funny – apparently there are folks that do just that in Yosemite.