Talusdancers

Annual
FLETCHER LAKE EXPEDITION

***Fri night October 6

drive to Evergreen Road off sr120 (immediately west of Crane Flat Entrance to Yosemite, 3 hours from Concord), carcamp on roadside (free “dispersed camping,” restrooms at Crane Flat)

***Sat October 7

drive to trailhead (Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite, 90 minutes),
get permit at Wilderness Kiosk
hike to Fletcher Lake, basecamp

***Sun October 8

Parson’s/Fletcher high traverse, class 1-2

***Mon October 9

hike out, drive home

***October weather
in the Sierra is most often very beautiful – the crowds are gone, vegetation is turning colors, the weather is usually very comfortable during the day… and there are no mosquitos! Not surprisingly, nights are cold, and they start earlier and last longer than during summer.

While the weather most often corresponds to this description, there are exceptions. This is, afer all, the “shoulder season” in the Sierra. It can snow. We’ve seen snow on a couple of late season talusdancers trips. One year we arrived following a snowfall of several inches and went on up to Fletcher Lake. Another year the weather was mostly lovely, but a small front passed through and we got some fun snow flurries on the ridge above Cathedral Lakes. Last year we cancelled the trip at the last moment wheb the weather forecast included words like “100 mph winds…”

NOTE – If a blizzard occurs on this weekend, we’ll make alternate plans.
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Dawn, Palisades Ridge and Fourth Lake

Dawn Light, Palisade Ridge and Big Pine Creek Lake #4. August 12, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

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I’ve started a Big Pine Lakes 2006 Trip Report, posting a few photos this morning. Other trip participants should let me know if they want to post stories and/or photos.

- Dan (who also posts photos at G Dan Mitchell and dan’s outside web sites.)
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Caroline reading at our Lake #4 campsite. August 9, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.
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We’re going to put this trip report together piecemeal and photos and descriptions come in from participants. Here are some photos to get the ball rolling…

Group Photo, Big Pine Lakes 2006 Talusdancers Trip. August 8, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

Dawn Light, Palisade Ridge and Big Pine Creek Lake #4. August 12, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

Caroline reading at our Lake #4 campsite. Mt. Sill, North Palisade, Palisade Glacier in the background. August 9, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

Sunrise, Temple Crag and Fourth Lake. Sierra Nevada Range, California. August 12, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

***More photos…

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Group Photo, Big Pine Lakes 2006 Talusdancers Trip. August 8, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.
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Group Shot, 2006 Big Pine Lakes Talusdancers Trip. August 8, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.
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Sunrise, Temple Crag and Fourth Lake. Sierra Nevada Range, California. August 12, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

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Sunrise, Temple Crag and Fourth Lake. Sierra Nevada Range, California. August 12, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: sunrise dawn temple crag fourth lake sierra nevada california color photograph
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<img src="http://64.81.64.200:81/images/talusdancers/MonoLakeClouds200605002.jpg" height="567" width="800" border="0" alt="MonoLakeClouds2006|05|27: Storm, Mono Lake. May 27, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.”>

Storm, Mono Lake. May 27, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.
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