JL and I made a trip out to the Eastern Sierras at the end of March. After visiting SB in Boston, I flew into LA and we made a lazy arc through Joshua Tree, Lone Pine, Bishop, Mammoth, and Tahoe on the way back to Berkeley. I got to climb at J Tree (Colorado Crack!), Alabama Hills (excellent setting with Whitney in the background, OK climbing), and Pinecreek Canyon (a nice multi-pitch outing on PBR Street Gang).
Rest day activities included some fishing and a trail run into the unknown: without doing any prior research, I followed a faint trail out of the back of Tuttle Creek campground which eventually joined a rugged dirt road. This in turn joined a trail which led to what I now know as The Ashram. Beyond this stone house (which must serve as a staging ground for routes on Lone Pine Peak), the trail peters out. After a small sampling of the local scree I decided to head back to the campground. It was refreshing to explore so freely, definitely a luxury afforded to those willing to travel fast through varied terrain.
Below are some pictures capturing some nice moments from the trip, but it’s worth noting that we also experienced: a dust storm which led to an early departure from J Tree, a snow storm which led to a roadside bivy, and a scorpion in the tent (JL removed this chopstick-style). These small hardships lend a pleasing texture to a good journey, something on which the unadulterated fun can stick.
Lastly, here’s a short time lapse of some climbing in the Alabama Hills. I’ll note that we weren’t the only ones who thought the location looked nice: the woman coiling the rope around 1:15 is actually doing a modeling shoot for Macy’s. Go figure.
The Bright Obvious 