Started at Road's End at 4:30am to try and avoid the sun and heat while ascending to Avalanche Pass. Sun didn't reach me until Sphinx Creek. This all worked out great. Some larger blowdowns and brush on the ascent, but not too bad.
Deadman Canyon trail was in good shape. I really enjoyed to view here, in particular Ranger Meadow. I reached Elizabeth Pass a bit before sunset and did a bivy on the south side of the pass.
Fantastic U-shaped Canyon - View from Avalanche PassDeadman Canyon - Ranger MeadowBeautiful alpine flowers in Deadman CanyonCreek in Deadman Canyon
Day 2: Elizabeth Pass, Kaweah Gap, Kern Hot Spring
Sequoia - ValhallaHigh Sierra Trail - ValhallaPrecipice LakeLooking down to Hamilton Lake from High Sierra TrailMassive avalanche path from Black Kaweah
Day 3: Kern Hot Spring to Crabtree Meadow
TODO
Kaweah Peaks Ridge from Wallace CreekMt Whitney from Timberline LakeLooking up the Arctic Lake drainage
View SW from Whitney. The higher Hitchcock Lake in the foreground.Looking down the Whitney Portal towards Lone Pine. I think the little lake is Frog PondView west from Mt Whitney: Wales Lake in the foreground. Mt Hale foreground-left. Barnard rightmost. Bighorn Plateau leftmost.Mt Hitchcock and Hitchcock LakesApproaching Forester Pass
Day 5: Forester Pass, Glen Pass, Rae Lakes, Woods Creek
Skypilot (Polemonium eximium) at Forester PassJunction Peak and the unnamed lake just north of it.View north from Glen Pass with Rae Lakes (center at the trees)Flacor, Rixford, Painted Lady, Glacier Spike from Rae LakesBeautiful wetlands at the South Fork Woods Creek crossing
The actual distance of this section is a bit less, but I forgot my water filter and had to backtrack a bit.
Epic views south from Pinchot Pass approachO'Burley and Ickes from Pinchot Pass with unnamed lake at 11,456ftCreek in the Upper Basin, south of Mather PassThe glorious Upper Basin, south of Mather Pass (note the JMT/PCT trail). Amazing views of Crater, Ickes, Arrow and the South Fork King River drainageView of the Palisades from Mather Pass
Day 7: Mather Pass, Pinchot Pass, Woods Creek, Paradise Valley
PCT/JMT approaching Pinchot PassColosseum Mountain in the background with the headwaters of Woods Creek in the foregroundLooking down Paradise Valley towards The SphinxMist Falls
