Living large
What an epic day.
The climb over Forester Pass was as long and grueling as I remember from my last visit here 12 years ago. Up, up and up with nothing but rocks and tarns (a small glacial lake) and marmots to keep you company.
But delicate beauty can even be found in this rugged alpine setting. Nestled amid the dry slopes and ridges above 12,000 feet are bright red flowers of rockfringe. How these flowers arrive in such a place boggles the mind.
When I finally arrived at the pass after a 3.5-mile climb, I threw up my fists in exultation and yelled to the heavens, "I am on top of the world!" Yes, it felt that good.
Emily and Jim, who were waiting for me, both had a good chuckle at my enthusiasm. The hike down from the pass toward Tyndall Creek was nothing short of spectacular. Rising on our left were Mount Tyndall (14,019 feet) and Mount Williamson (14,373), two of the highest peaks in California. Moving on the horizon to our right, we see the jagged summits of the Western Divide, and stretched out in front of us is an endless expanse of blue sky and green forest.
At the Tyndall Creek crossing we came upon a trail sign that read, "Mt. Whitney 16.1 miles." Jim and Emily said it was the first mention of Whitney since Happy Isles in Yosemite, more than three weeks ago. I noticed Emily's mood turn melancholy: right in front of her was evidence that this adventure would soon end.
Tomorrow, we head due south for Crabtree Meadow, where we will come face to face with Mount Whitney for the first time.
Marek, Tomas, Emily and Jim camped tonight at Tyndall Ponds, just below Tyndall Creek and about a quarter-mile off the JMT. Tomas continues to search for a signal so that he can send photos; alas, no luck.
Comments
At the Whitney Trail Crest, you have to take the summit! It's within reach!
Posted by: John | September 2, 2006 11:32 AM
Your hike over that pass sounded grueling, but you made it. Reaching the top certainly is cause for celebration and you're rewarded by some downhill. Although I don't know if going down is really a reward. It's super hard on the knees. I'm looking forward to pictures when you can finally send them.
On to Whitney!
Posted by: Patti Ogden | September 2, 2006 02:17 PM
Is the Mr. Andrews in your party from the area? You see many of the Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes in the area have the last name Andrews. There was an Andrews lumber mill owned by Frank Andrews in the mountains west of Bishop. Well, their real name was Andresovich, but the family Anglicized their name to Andrews. Many Slavic miners and Basque sheepherders intermarried with the Paiutes in the area. The Andresovich family came from the old Austro-Hungarian empire to make their mark in the gold rush around Bodie. One of the sons Steve Andrews married the daughter of one of the last historic chiefs of Yosemite and Mono Lake named Captain John or Shibanna or Poko Tucket (Horse eater) in Paiute. It was reported that Captain John was the young chief of the Monos who threw the rock on Chief Tenaya, killing him in 1853. Paiute justice, after the the Mono Paiutes let their brethren Chief Tenaya and his band live with them after they left the reservation. The Mono Paiutes had welcomed their "cousin" Chief Tenaya and even gave him and his band an allotment at Mono Lake. Later the Monos were surprised that Tenaya had left secretly, but some of Tenaya's men had stolen the Mono Paiute's horses (which they had stolen on raids from the Spanish). The Mono Paiutes tracked down Tenaya and his band and as they laid with their belly's full of horse meat the Monos pounced on them. a very young Captain John was said to be the one who throw the rock on Tenaya's head. Only a few of Tenaya's braves escaped, the rest were decimated and the surviving child bearing women and children were taken back to Mono Lake and absorbed into the Paiute population. It was reported that the only Indians that the miners saw in Yosemite the year after Tenaya's death the only Indians they saw were Paiutes gathering acorns in 1854.
Posted by: R. Dandridge | September 3, 2006 02:59 AM