SEKI Smorgasbord

Here’s the summary:
A two-night trip in SEKI out of Roads End; I followed the Sierra High Route to Lake Basin, then exited via Vennacher Col, climbing Vennacher Needle on the way. I next headed to Bench Lake, then over Explorer Pass, and down to the JMT, which I followed south over Glen Pass with a short detour to climb Mount Bago.

Here’s the 11,000 word version:
https://ontheswitchbacks.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/tr_roadsendseptember20184.pdf

If you skip to the bottom of that TR, there are links to a Flickr album and a gear list.

Keywords: Sierra High Route, Copper Creek Trail, World War III, Vennacher Col, Vennacher Needle, Explorer Pass, animal butthole dimensions, Mount Bago

Eye candy:
As you may have heard, the High Sierra is scenic

Hard to believe I didn’t camp there

Sierra magic

Above Lake Basin

Marion Lake – I recommend a running start

Above Upper Window Peak Lake

More Sierra magic

Maybe we’ve seen it eleventy-thousand times, but Painted Lady is still scenic

There are many ways up Mount Bago. I don’t recommend that one.

Another awesome trip report!  The photography is top notch, and the videos are a nice touch.  I’m planning a similar trip for next summer (Copper Creek – SHR – cartridge pass to bench – jmt over pinchot and out to road’s end), so it’s great to read this for some more detail and potential alternates.

This was an awesome trip report to go with my morning coffee- several cups of it. So many lines resonated with the solo hiker experience, though my favorite by far was “ ..I threw up in my mouth a little bit, then I was 100% sure”

I mean, who hasn’t been there, right?

Ike

Great trip report and pictures! Thank you for sharing.

And by the way – 9000ft of climbing in a day is pretty impressive. I normally hit the wall by 6,000ft on a good day.

Thanks all! Glad someone is reading it :)

Rick, I’ve done a mix of that route over the last couple years on this trip and two others (including climbing the talus from the S. Fk. Kings to Bench Lake). If you search, you can probably find the TRs from those (or I can point you to them). Definitely a great route you have planned. If you have any more specific questions, don’t hesitate to PM!

Ike, yes, who hasn’t been there before–and I know with certainty that I’ll be there again!

Brad, I was pretty surprised at how good I felt after that much climbing. I tend to omit discussion of distances and climbing in TRs these days, but I finished that first day with something like 10,800 feet of climbing, and woke up the next with legs feeling fresh. I’d like to recreate that in the future, but unfortunately, I don’t know what the recipe was.