We're planning to hike another glacial basin in a week, but we're not in search of frozen mummies. Check out the rest of this blog page if you want to know about our mummy search from 2008.
This time, I'm taking a look at California's rooftop after one of the biggest snow years in the last half century. In late August, what will we find at 11,000 and 12,000 feet in the rugged northern shoulder of Kings Canyon National Park?
I'm suspecting there still will be snow fields even in late August. Maybe not. Either way, it probably will still be wet even in the arid alpine of the Sierra Nevada. There's a peak called Columbine in the area we're hiking. Gotta be some gorgeous, high-elevation flowers.
We're going to Dusy Basin, which is the same basic neighborhood as Mendel Glacier, where we went three years ago.
We'll cross the crest from the east side, coming from South Lake. It's not a lot of distance and, unlike the Mendel climb, there's a trail.
But if we're going to get a look at Palisade Glacier, we'll be boulder scrambling again, I'm sure.
I've seen the high country during drought and during average years. I saw Mount Whitney after the big 1995 winter, and it was amazing. I'm expecting this will be incredible as well. Look for photographs and a lively rendering of what it looks like.
We all see the water coming out of our taps. I think it's just as important to see where it starts in California.
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