Southern Sierra High Route Backpack – Days 4-7 Golden Bear Lake to Cottonwood Lakes

on in Backpacks, Southern Sierra High Route

“It’s all still there in heart and soul. The walk, the hills, the sky, the solitary pain and pleasure–they will grow larger, sweeter, lovelier in the days and years to come.” –   Edward Abbey

Continued: Southern Sierra High Route Photo Journal Days 4-7 ~ 2018

Days 1-3 Bishop Pass to Golden Bear Lake Journal

Day 4

September 20
Golden Bear Lake to Wallace Creek – 12.7 miles

Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Sunrise – Golden Bear Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Climbing Junction Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Top of Junction Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Loose scree and talus on the way down from Junction Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Heading toward Shepherd Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Shepherd Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Marmot ~ Shepherd Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Leaving Shepherd Pass to head up and over Wright Lakes Notch
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Wright Lakes Basin
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Foxtail Pines
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Wright Lakes Basin
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Route to Wallace Creek
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Wallace Creek Camp

Day 5

September 21
Wallace Creek to Iceberg Lake – 7.3

Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Looking down at Wallace Creek
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Sunrise – Wallace Creek
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Wallace Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Dan framing the top of Mount Russell
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Tulainyo Lake – Highest Lake in the Sierras
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Waves of ice
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Headwall up to the Russell-Carillon Pass – YES we have to go up that wall… very intimidating!
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Climbing the Russell-Carillon Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Climbing Russell-Carillon Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Celebrating a successful climb
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Heading up to next objective – the route directly to Iceberg Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Top of the col to head down to Iceberg Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Loose Scree on the way to next low rise
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
View down to Upper Boy Scout Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Looking at the Whitney-Russell Pass that leads directly down to Iceberg Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Iceberg Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Sunset – Mount Whitney

Day 6

September 22
Iceberg Lake to Rock Creek – 11.4 miles

Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Dawn – Ready to climb the mountaineer’s route
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Sunrise from the Mountaineer’s Route
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Early morning on the Mountaineer’s Route
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Climbing to the notch on the Mountaineer’s Route
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Top of the notch
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Looking at the class 3 chute after the notch that leads to the summit of Mount Whitney
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Climbing the chute to the top of Mount Whitney
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Top of Mount Whitney
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
We even ran into Puppy on the way down Mount Whitney. She was assisting a sick hiker with a helicopter rescue.
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
The first of the Mount Muir climb from the Mount Whitney Trail
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Top of Mount Muir – elevation 14,018 – This is the kind of photo you get when the summit is a small rock!
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Top of Mount Muir – elevation 14,018
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Mount Muir
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Steep loose scree on the way down from Mount Whitney to Upper Crabtree Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Crabtree Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Climbing Crabtree Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Miter Basin
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Heading to Sky Blue Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Sunset – Sky Blue Lake
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Rock Creek

Day 7

September 23
Rock Creek to Cottonwood lakes TH – 12.2 miles

Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Early morning climb up to New Army Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
Cottonwood Lakes from New Army Pass
Southern Sierra High Route Backpack - Days 4-7
End of an amazing trip

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8 Comments

  1. GoalTech
    October 21, 2018 at 8:40 AM  ·  Reply

    Amazing pics amazing hike!

  2. Janet
    October 2, 2018 at 6:49 AM  ·  Reply

    Wow….It was beautiful! You are such an inspiration, both of you. Well done! Great photos.

  3. Marilyn Crabtree
    October 1, 2018 at 7:06 PM  ·  Reply

    What amazing trail with so many rocky paths. I don’t know how you do it. Of course I enjoyed Crabtree pass and Crabtree Lake. I’m thinking that somewhere I heard this was named for some of my husband’s distant family who came to CA from West Virginia.

  4. Lynda
    September 29, 2018 at 6:20 PM  ·  Reply

    Stunning and challenging! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  5. Warren
    September 28, 2018 at 9:17 AM  ·  Reply

    Just gorgeous!

    The Rock Creek photo is just stunning.

    You go so many places. I have actually been to Cottonwood trail head and hiked up to the numbered lakes. But I haven’t had the pleasure of that view from New Army pass. Maybe someday.

  6. BeeKeeper
    September 28, 2018 at 9:02 AM  ·  Reply

    What a power couple. Playing together in stuff like this is beyond the scope of most individuals let alone couples. The photos, memories and experiences are priceless. I know you cherish them. Thanks for sharing!

  7. neil
    September 28, 2018 at 7:35 AM  ·  Reply

    Great pics, as always! Namaste

  8. Gina
    September 28, 2018 at 6:59 AM  ·  Reply

    Thanks for the pictures! That looked like a beautiful hike!

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