JMT-

And where there is water, there are flowers

After Evolution Lake, you're entering a true alpine world – Goodard divide in the back, water rushing over glacier-polished rock in the foreground

The Goodard Divide – behind it the wild and rarely visited Ionion Basin (may go there this summer)

Mt Goddard from the JMT just below Muir Pass

Lake McDermand (front) and Wanda Lake from the pass late in the day

The sky above us that night, looking into Le Conte Canyon

First light in the morning, hitting the peaks just west of Black Giant Pass (bottom left)

Hot Coffee!

Snow near Helen Lake

Snow bridges over the waters in Le Conte Canyon – clearly a ton of snow this late in the season (July 6, 1989)

Crossing Middle Fork Kings River at the small lake around 11300 feet, just below Helen Lake

Down in the valley of Palisade Creek a differnt kind of flower (too dry for the lillies)

we camped near Palisade Creek – back then there was a real forest there. Now it's pretty much burnt up…

An early start always works well on the Golden Staircase – up to the waterfall before the sun hit us

Looking back into the valley that's now half ashes compared to this old shot

Here a comparison image from my 2008 video

Artsy-fartsy stuff you do when you haul a tripod along

Second breakfast at lower Palisade Lake – beginning of my favorite section of the JMT (Palisade Lake over Mather and through Upper Basin)

more when I get the next box scanned…

Higher on the trail, which starts climbing right after you reach Lower Palisade Lake from the slopes below it's outlet

High above the lower lake

Flower explosion right next to the trail below the Palisades

Looking back north at Upper Palisade Lake from Mather Pass

got a few more to finish off Day 13.

Here right on the top of Mather Pass, a perfect example of Sierra Columbine

Looking south into the upper Basin, July 7 , 1989; a perfect day with almost no humidity

The other direction of Mather Pass – which I must say is my absolute favorite of all Sierra Passes when it comes to the view from the top

And it is the place where the avatar shot was taken, same day.

In the Upper Basin heading down – this was the only year I ever saw this snow field up there

Campsite that night, low below Pinchot Pass where the trees still allowed counterbalancing the food