New and Old Army passes

The road to the Whitney portal splits around Lone Pine. The left fork goes to Horshoe meadow (and two trailheads). One is the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead and the other is the Cottonwood Pass trailhead (they are almost right next to each other). This is a good place to bivy, since it is at 10,000 feet and the Whitney Portal is a fucking zoo. I camped there Friday and Saturday nights.

Sunday I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, since I was kind of tired and I had a couple of blisters on my feet. I knew I didn't want to go home yet (I was already all the way down in Lone Pine and at a trailhead). I thought I might do Langley depending on how I felt. As it turned out, the weather looked a bit ominous. I ended up going up to Cottonwood Lakes, up Old Army pass and then down New Army pass for a loop. I think the loop is about 14 miles, but I can't be sure. I know it's at least 6 to get to Cottonwood Lakes from the trailhead.

I was excited to check out Cottonwood Lakes since I've genotyped trout from there. I like to visit places that I've heard of in my work.

Photos:

 Mt. Langley is on the right

 one of the Cottonwood Lakes

Cottonwood Lake 4. You can kinda see Old Army pass on the left of the cirque 

 looking down on #4

 view west from Old Army pass (the pass is about 12,000 feet)

 looking up at Langley

 There were a lot of Sierra primrose (Primula suffrutescens) on New Army Pass

 looking down on High Lake from New Army Pass

 The foxtail pines in this area are awesome. Krummholz.

 a giant field of moraine boulders

 it was a good decision not to hike up there.

 storm over the portal

I hit a huge cluster fuck on 395 near Mammoth. It might not be apparent, but the road is covered in hail/snow/sleet. There was a storm over the whole sierra from Lone Pine to Bridgeport. I saw a lightening strike fire near the switchbacks above Mono Lake. It was DUMPING rain at Crowley Lake. I stopped there for pizza on the way home.