In August 2013, my teenage son and I joined two friends on a two week saunter through the Central Sierras. Our mission was simple and focused highly on entertainment value: we'd take ropes, ice axes, packrafts, and tenkara fishing gear. When we found a steep snowfield, we'd use an ice axe. When we encountered steep rock, we'd use a roped belay. When we found high lakes rimmed with interminable talus, we'd paddle packrafts. And when we found water (and boy, did we find water!), we'd fish. And fish. And fish some more.
These photos represent a small bit of an epic expedition that involved travel by foot, horse, and packraft via trail, talus, and tarn. We carried packs that weighed about 45 pounds apiece, traveled overland most of the day (with one layover day spent day hiking and fishing) and supplemented our anemic calorie plan with fresh trout. We camped off grid, encountered few people, and enjoyed Sierra solitude our way - away from the beaten path of the JMT - a high route where light, storm, and granite meet human soul and suffering.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
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