Day 5 - Frozen Lake Pass

Wednesday, July 21, 2010, Day 5

Daily Stats: Marion Lake to Below Frozen Lake, Starting Time 8:10-Finishing Time 2:30, Distance-4.66 miles, Moving Time-3.0 hrs, total Ascent-2212', Total Descent-1290'

This is the day! We must ascend 12,356' Frozen Lake Pass and descend the other side. Roper, the founder of this route and the author of the guide book describes it as the crux, the most difficult part of the whole route. Steep talus and broken rock, snow choked north side coupled with an unusually heavy snow year could make today the reason we are carrying ice axes and crampons.
We leave Marion Lake by 8:30 in clouds of mosquitoes and retrace the route Gary and I found yesterday, back into magnificent Lake Basin. In the morning light it is even more beautiful than the afternoon before. We work our way up through the meadows along side the streams cut deeply into the soft soil until the meadows fade into rock fields. When we reach the last tarn 500' below the pass we stop to catch our breath (we are at 11,800') and grab a snack. As we are munching and chatting about math education we notice another party descending from the pass. We pick up our packs and continue around the tarn and begin the steep ascent up the boulder and talus fields, meeting the other party halfway up the slope. A family of four from Sacramento, mom, dad and two daughters in their twenties, they are out on a modified Sierra High Route, starting at Tuolumne and ending at Mt. Whitney, a total of about thirty days. We wish each other safe travels and continue our climb to the pass. The last 150 vertical feet is a steeply sloping upward traverse to the small notch that is the pass. Difficult? No. A lot of physical effort in the climbing, but just a steep walk up a boulder field. But . . .
What a magnificent place!! From this 12,300+' perch we see down into Lakes Basin, Cartridge Pass, back to Red and White Passes to the southwest, as far south a cross mountain and northeast to Mather Pass and Split Mountain. A light breeze and the high altitude gives us the first mosquito free moments in days. The warming sun, great views, cooling winds and lofty perch say "Lunch!!" (it is 12:30). So for the next 40 minutes we each dine on our meals, the Smiths have smoked salmon and cheese on Pilot Bread, I have Ritz with cheese or peanut butter and jam with fruit snacks and a Luna Bar while Gary enjoys Pilot Bread and gorp.
For the descent we dawn our rain pants, expecting a great glissade once we get on the steep snow 200' below the pass. We work our way down the steep talus and scree, then cross to the snow. I standing glissade the first 100', then drop to my butt to slide the remainder of the slope. The rest follow in similar fashion and soon we are gathered at the frozen lake the pass is named for. Off come the rain pants and we continue down to the next small tarn at 11,600'. Andy makes the suggestion that we stay here for the night, an excellent choice. We explore a bit to find areas between the rocks where we can each lay out a bag, then enjoy the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves, reading and generally lazing around.
I am so excited to be spending my first night outside a tent where I can see the stars. The mosquito clouds have forced us to sleep behind netting every night until this one. We are high enough that the bugs are nearly absent.
After dinner and a stroll around the surrounding area of the cirque I am sitting, recording the days events when Gary comes up with his iPod ear buds and says, look out at the mountain scenery and listen to this. I obey, put the earbuds in and turn around to see the surrounding mountains and valleys. Suddenly, Yo Yo Ma playing Bach fills my ears as the grandeur of the High Sierra at sunset fills my eyes. The two are a perfect match and create a very moving combination. I put my own earbuds in and have been listening to the same as I write this blog as Alpine Glow turns to twilight and to night.
A waxing gibbous moon is illuminating the darkened landscape as I write, creating an enchanting and ethereal scene. Do I only have 25 days left? Where has the time gone?
Tomorrow more adventure as we intersect the John Muir Trail (JMT) and follow it for six miles before veering off it and climbing cross country 1400' over Cirque Pass.
A note about knees. I must confess I was very concerned how well my right knee would do as it had been sensitive in the weeks leading up to this trip. I am happy to report it is GREAT! No pain, even after descending 1500' of boulders and talus. I am very thankful for this and hope it just gets stronger as the weeks progress.
A note on equipment. Gary brought a pair of boots he thought would be better than his trail shoes for this route. Unfortunately, the soles are falling off, and he is tying them with cord to keep them on. These boots will not last 25 more days. We are hoping they will last two more, until our food resupply at South Lake. Gary will drive to Bishop and buy a new pair, then return so we can continue the route. This means I might get to Bishop on Saturday, in which case I can post these blogs which have been building up since the start of the SHR with no cell service to post them.