April 24th thru 27th, 2008
Tour de Josephus - 4 days in the Sierra
Joe
Day #2 - Friday, 4/25/08 - Bear Creek Spire to Lake Italy Basin
A luxury camp site above the Lake Italy basin looking West.
....continued from Day #1.....
I awoke with a new resolve, ready to get up and over Cox Col - sliding snow or not. (**keep in mind when I say sliding snow I mean 6" of light unconsolidated snow sliding on a firm base. The snow was NOT acting like a slab. There was very low avalanche danger - so please don't think I was being reckless in unsafe conditions when I say "sliding snow or not"!). Being this was my first time moving camp, things took a while to pack up. And like a reptile, I moved pretty slowly until that nuclear orb of fire cast it's first rays on me. So I didn't exactly start up the slope at the crack of dawn. But I wasn't in a major hurry anyway. No matter how many big descents I did or did not make on this trip, the whole adventure "out there" was a new and profound experience upon itself.
Pictures from within the tent are as just as cool as they look. Dade at sunrise:
Bear Creek Spire, with my morning work laid out ahead of me:
Dark blue skies, brilliant white snow, clean Sierra granite and a pair of skis. I'm set.
Looking down over Dade and Treasure Lakes towards Rock Creek Pack Station - many miles and thousands of feet behind me:
A great vantage of the towers on the Northeast Ridge and the incredible North Arete of BCS:
Although the unconsolidated snow continued to make for difficult and slick skinning, it looked prime for skiing!
My skin track leading up from my previous night's camp spot (bench on the left side):
As the slope steepened the climbing became brutally difficult. Nearing 13,000' didn't help either. I took this picture so I could remember how exhausting the conditions were:
When I was only 20' from the ridge I was confronted with a steep headwall full of hollow spots next to rocks, all of which were buried by a shallow surface layer of new snow. There were moments when I believed there was no way I could reach the ridge. But somehow I found a way through and reached Cox Col. Looking back down at the wallowing spots:
An incredible view of the North Arete (left skyline) of BCS:
One last look North, down the length of Little Lakes Valley:
And on the other side stood Mount Gabb (13,741').
And Mount Hilgard (13,361'):
The full view looking West over Lake Italy basin:
Prominent Seven Gables on the left:
I was originally planning on camping near Lake Italy. But with the hellish experience I had with the massive pack and difficult climbing to Cox Col, I was quite content camping up high and just taking day trips down low with my day pack. Luckily I found an amazing flat and sandy camp spot with a world class view around 12,000'. It would not be a fun spot in stormy weather, but I was confident in the forecast of light winds and clear skies. Chilling:
The view East back towards the crest was pretty good too:
Mount Julius Caesar on the left:
Mount Gabb with Gabbott pass on the right:
After setting up camp, lunching and even a nap, I set off to ski this couloir on the shoulder of Mount Julius Caesar:
Views looking back towards the Sierra Crest (Dade and Pip-Squeak). My camp was dead center of the picture below the pretty spires on the crest:
Snow conditions in the couloir were not as favorable as they appeared from a distance. And when large rocks continued to project off the steep face of Julius Caesar in my direction, I was convinced to ski just the lower half of the couloir and the apron:
A view of the less seen West face of BCS:
My camp is just above my right ski tip:
The skiing in the couloir was not so great, but the apron was worthy. See the tracks?
On the edge of Toe Lake. The air was still, tall mountains lurked above me in all directions. I started wishing I had decided to camp here after all.
I had a 1,000' climb ahead of me before I could enjoy dinner with a sunset:
Looking back at Mount Julius Caesar and my tracks:
Cruising back up to camp I enjoyed critiquing my tracks from earlier when I had skied down to Toe Lake (lower left).
Distant view of my tracks. Sorry for so many boring pictures, but there wasn't another soul around to take pictures of.
The good life at last:
More gorgeous granite:
My tracks down from Cox Col. I would have to climb back up this on our return trip out:
A black bean burrito with cheese and spinach for dinner, followed by a good night's sleep. Mmmm Hmmm!
This was one of the first days in a long time where I had absolutely no communication with another person. Think about it. Have you ever had a full day where you did not see or speak to another person including the phone, etc? I couldn't remember the last time for me. I missed the girls, but enjoyed the solitude.
Here's a little video from the crest at Cox Col:
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