East Ridge of Mt. Russell

So I've realized that blogging is a great way for me to journal places I've been and whatnot. On more than one occasion I've searched the blog for info on something I did in the past for information.

Since I've done some cool stuff lately, even though I haven't blogged in forever (it became too depressing when I got sick back in March), I figured I'd sort it out and put something on the record.

I made it car to car in 10 hours, which is 2 under what I'd anticipated. The weather was great, I didn't see anyone all day except for three 40-something dudes on the actual ridge. The typical response from older guys is "are you out here all by yourself?" Yes. I am. I'm a strange bird. The typical response from younger dudes is to generally ignore me. Oh yeah and I saw a freakin' platoon of guided guys heading up the slabs for an overnight at Upper Boy Scout Lake. They were going to spend the night and then get guided up the Mountaineer's route.  I applaud anyone for getting outside, but I have to say (with some shame) that I feel superior for doing something harder. All by myself. Yes, I'm a terrible egotistical person. Oh well.


A little bit of info for future reference: I approached via the rockwell variation (described on summit post) where you go up the canyon from Upper Boy Scout Lake rather than turning right at the lake. This reduces the amount of scree you have to climb, but deciding where to start up the blocky chute takes a bit of a leap of faith. At any rate it was fine, and I descended via the normal approach. I cannot imagine going up the scree. It would be...not fun.

I did the East Ridge of Mt. Russell Saturday. Here are some pics (all taken with iphone):

 The iphone got fogged up in my pocket

 looking up the Rockwell Variation chute

looking down the scree that I pawed my way up (again, Rockwell Variation approach) 

 Mt. Whitney looks cool from this angle

 looking at Mt. Carillon from the lower part of the East Ridge

 A cool lake on the north side of the Russell-Carillon col - the ridge does have some exposure!

 another shot of the pretty lake

looking back at the East Ridge 

 East Ridge again

 I can't remember what this is

 summit shot - camera is facing East

summit shot, camera facing west 

 another lake shot. It was so blue!

 Mt. Carillon

 Mount Whitney

 Mount Whitney - massive!

 East Ridge

 chocolate milk. nom.

 East Ridge

glad I didn't come up this shit.

Virginia and Summit passes

July 15 I hiked over Summit and Virginia passes. You start at the Green Creek trailhead (in the Hoover Wilderness, south of Bridgeport). The loop is about 18 miles, not too high (the passes are around 10,000 feet). I found some nice boletes, and the whole area was super pretty. Green Creek, by the way, is gorgeous! Check it out some day.

 boletes!

 I don't know what this is. Must look it up.

 nice trail through volcanic terrain

 summit lake - empties east and west across the divide.

 the cirque below virginia pass

 old mining stuff

soon to be dinner.

Mt. Dana

I hiked up to the top of Mount Dana July 14th. It was not that hard, and the views were great. Plus I didn't have to buy a new park pass since you can park just outside of the Tioga pass entrance. I want to wait as long as possible before buying a pass.

 looking up the plateau to the summit

 looking west

 nice views of Mono Lake

I love skypilot so much. So pretty. It's like finding treasure when you find a nice population of these guys.

Mokelumne wilderness - Fourth of July Lake

I suck at hiking. Therefore I decided to hike a lot until a) I suck less or b) I get sick of it.  Here was the first foray into the Mokelumne Wilderness. You start at Carson Pass and then go down around Fourth of July Lake and then up to the Forestdale Divide. The loop is about 15 miles. Since I was off the couch, I was practically crippled by the time I made it back to my car. I have the fitness to do the hiking, but my joints suffered.

 orchids

 I need to look these up.

Wow they keep changing the google blogger page. Anyway, this is a great link, so check it out. I love big interesting words!
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/07/02/project-twins-unusual-words/

Givers and Takers

I'm not even sure how to begin this post. I've had some thoughts fluttering around my brain lately and the best I can do is to say that they involve giving and taking.

I'm don't know if I'd call myself a very giving person, but I do like to do things for my friends. I like doing those things - making cookies, taking people out to dinner, whatever. It makes me happy to do things for the people I care about. I've often wondered if I'm really a giving person if I derive pleasure out of the giving - doesn't that actually make me selfish? I've thought about this for years and decided no. The gain the receiver gets from the gift is only doubled when it makes the giver happy too - not cancelled out.

On the other hand, I find that derailed friendships often involve me inevitably feeling like I'm getting nothing in return for the effort I put in...so does that mean that there really is a price to the energy I give? Hard to say. I never intend for that to happen - it's not planned. What I can say is that resources are limited, so even though you enjoy doing things for others, you've got to do the best you can to invest those resources wisely.

Then there are those who take, and will always find people to take from. I can't figure out how a relationship between two takers works...someone must inevitably give. In my parents, it's my Mom who give and my Dad who takes. At this point, that's what works for them, so to say "giver" and "taker" seems way too simplified. My dad gives by receiving, and my mother receives by giving. They are basically one unit.

I've found myself involved with takers...or people who give just enough to keep you on the hook. They are awesome to be around sometimes, so awesome that it eclipses the rest of the picture and blinds you to reality. As my friend Kat says "The takers will destroy the givers."

I have some friends who give so much that I feel bad about it - I feel bad for talking their ear off about boring stuff that bothers me, or asking for things...I feel like I can never give enough back to those people. But they are still there and I love them for it. I can only try to give back to those people - or to be there when they need me.

The final point is that I know I'm hard to get to know. I'm liberal with new people about personal information - I don't have a whole lot of shame.  But actually devoting time to new people is tough. I should try to be better about that. But should you give a little to a lot of people who aren't close or a lot to a couple of very very close friends?