March 2002 

 

Note:  clicking on any photograph will present a full screen version.
	Me & Tom at Emerald Lake.  OK, so the good news is that I found Tom & Dafna on the way out.  The bad news is that I found them at the very bottom of the hump.  It seems a broken randonee binding scuttled their ascent plans.  They rented snowshoes down in the park and headed up the trail from Wolverton.  Tired but psyched to get back to the high country, I skinned up and went with them back over the hump and in to the hut.
	Winter Alta.  Back at the hut by noon, we ate lunch and unpacked (again!).  I lay in my bunk lamenting my decision to ski out at first light (had I been lazy and slept in, they might have made it to the hut before I left -- laziness has its virtues sometimes).  After lunch, we set off for Winter Alta, about 2,100' above the hut.  Conditions were stable, so we took the high traverse up to the saddle east of the main peak.
	Great Western Divide.  From the top of Winter Alta, the view across to the Great Western Divide is absolutely stunning.
	Black Kaweah.  This spectacular summit crowns the Kaweah Peaks Ridge, which stands between the Alta Peak area and the Mt. Whitney area.
	Looking NE into Kings Canyon.  I spied this group of peaks over towards the Northeast.  I haven't spent much time hiking or skiing in this area, so I could be wrong, but I think this is Mt. Goddard (send me an email if you know whether I'm right or wrong)
	On the summit.   More terrific views into the Kaweah River canyon and over the Great Western Divide from the summit of Winter Alta.

^{BACK              NEXT}