Lichens of many colors
We’re now at the stage where we have ordered most of the solar equipment that’s to be installed, and are waiting for it to arrive. So the time is right for me to take some play time, as August is likely to be a time of focus on the installation of the PV systems.
A fallen bristlecone
These two photos above I took a couple of days ago when I headed out to check messages. Where I am at Crooked Creek there’s an internet connection but no cell reception, so a ten mile round trip gets me to an overlook above Bishop to check voicemails and texts.
So Monday evening I came down the mountain – over 6,000′ down, about two hours’ drive – to Bishop. Today I picked up a wilderness permit and supplies, and found a motorcycle mechanic to replace the failed wheel bearings.
This was good for a chuckle in Bishop.
Wednesday I head into the Sierra range west of Bishop with my backpack. I’m set up to spend 5 or 6 days in the heart of the high Sierra. I’ll head into the John Muir Wilderness, including a section of the John Muir Trail, over Piute Pass (11,423′) and into the Kings Canyon backcountry, Evolution Valley, LeConte Canyon and eventually back over Bishop Pass (11,972′) and back, finishing with a hitchhike between trailheads back to the parked Jeep.
The Evolution Valley is considered one of the most beautiful sections of the Sierra backcountry. Even the name is appealing… In a different lifetime I backpacked about 60 miles of the Muir Trail, beginning at Tuolumne Meadows trailhead in Yosemite. The Evolution Valley was legendary back then, but with no prearranged food restock caches I never made it that far. Now some 40 or 45 years later I’ll finally fulfill this dream.
But first I wait for the morning mail… my replacement camera is supposed to arrive by tomorrow. Otherwise it’s smartphone photos. Expect no posts until I return in about a week.