together jg and i hauled 65 pounds, 5 liters of water included. we hiked five miles in and a thousand feet up.
one of many creek crossings
the sky became increasingly overcast in the afternoon and i was thankful for the coolness. we shared the trail with at least two dozens of people coming and going, most of whom carried fishing poles.
the trail wasn't steep but the air was thin so we took a lot of breaks along the trail. during one stop, a fellow backpacker asked about our approach for mt langley.
hiker: are you guys taking new army pass?
schmee: no, we're taking old navy... uh... old army.
jg: now you know where my wife shops.
the perfect rest stop after a quarter mile of stair steps
equine watering hole and a glimpse of mt langley
(behind and above the major general)
in 4 hours and 25 minutes, we arrived at cottonwood lake 3. it didn't take us long to find a choice camping spot.
that guy was totally condescending to me and jg. he made it very clear that he did not take us seriously, talking without so much as glancing at us. at first it seemed sort of funny. as he persisted, jg and i looked at each other in disbelief. i thought may be it was my hot pink outfit that offended him. but jg approached the counter ten minutes before i did and the guy was equally a jackass before i showed up.
what is with that beard anyway?
view of lone pine peak from inside the visitor center
and from outside
what a fantastic line up of peaks. there was a little sketch casually taped to the window mullion that identified the peaks but i failed to take note. i can only be certain of langley and whitney. and lone pine.
permission to camp two nights by cottonwood lake 3
of course we went with the free pack. true to its value, parts began falling off as we hiked toward cottonwood lakes. first a zipper pull, then the chest harness snap closure, then the accessory loop.
my own personal mule
i went with my trusty marmot garmsal bag, fully loaded at 25 pounds. i paid $65 for it and i'm pleased to report that all parts are perfectly in tact.
