Post date: Jan 10, 2013 5:07:03 PM
Yes, it's darn cold, and the snow is falling in the high country, and for most of us, that means it’s a time to pull out the maps and study the routes we would like to explore. This is wonderful fun.
Obviously, each map combines trails that we would like to take, destinations we would love to see, and rivers and lakes we would like to fish. But they also include trails that we have already taken…and that allows us to drift off into reveries, and pull up Picasa pages full of photos that we took. And then there are the routes that we left for next time. What if we went back there, and instead of going over the pass, we went down that canyon.
Whew! That looks steep. But I bet not many people get down there. The fish must be huge and hungry. It’s hard to see on the map, but it looks like that trail just kind of dies out down there…maybe we could climb up those slabs to get out?
And we’re off on another adventure.
Right now out two major trips next year have been more or less identified. We do want to explore Jack Main Canyon in Yosemite, either from Hetch-hetchy or as a through hike down from Sonora Pass/Kennedy Meadows. And we’ve also decided on a SEKI hike, either to Cloud Canyon or up the North side of Kings’ Canyon into the Volcanic Lakes area. Or maybe over Lamarck Col…
Hmm. Better get those maps out again and take another look.
By the way, if you like this kind of research, check out http://mapper.acme.com/
A great site that allows you to explore the whole Sierra (and much more) to your heart’s delight.