Nee's Journeys

Trip Logistics July 17-24, 2020 Sierra National Forest - Blackcap Basin - Red Mountain Basin and Bench Valley Total Mileage - 30ish - Lots of cross country on this trip Photos Originally Planned Route  - This wasn't the exactly route as originally planned but a version.  There were some deviations that ended up occurring on the trip. In the April timeframe it was becoming clear that there would likely be no organized Sierra Club outings for the summer and I started to plan for an alternative private trip.  I wanted to explore an area I might lead a Sierra Club trip at some point and also somewhere that was likely not to be too crowded.  I had read of Blackcap Basin just a few years earlier….maybe because it’s on the west side of the Sierra I didn’t know anything about it but reading a friend’s trip report and looking at the topo map it looked great.  The plan was to do an 8 day trip given the length of time to get in and out of the basins and 8 days is about all...

  Trip Logistics When - August 24-29, 2020 PCT Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake Total Mileage/Ascent - Approximately 72 miles and 16,000 feet of elevation gain Photos Map of Route Time for another Renee and Steve adventure.  This one was quite up in the air due to wildfires….the 2020 season was apocalyptic between fires and covid.  Our plan was to d0 a section of the PCT and finish off the last leg between Mt. Whitney and Lake Tahoe.  Our original plan was to do this hike and end up at Berkeley Camp at Echo Lake and enjoying some wine and good food but covid-19 put an end to that dream.  Simply for my own lazy purposes we went from south to north since it had 2000 feet less to climb…hey every foot counts.  I started the trip by staying overnight in South Lake Tahoe and there were lots of tourists up enjoying the smoked in lake and casinos….I didn’t quite get it myself but to each his own.  I will make a plug for the place I stayed though - The 7 Se...

Trip Logistics When – July 3 – 5, 2014 Emigrant Wilderness – Kennedy Meadows to Unnamed lake above Iceland Lakes – Partial x-country route Elevation gain from Kenedy Meadows to unnamed lake – approx..   2700 ft One way hike from Kennedy Meadows to unnamed lake – approx.. 9 miles Unnamed Lake – approx.. at 9200 ft Pictures -  https://www.flickr.com/gp/57882009@N02/4F110W/ I’ve fallen out of the habit of doing a write up after each backpacking trip and this is my attempt to restart.   For the last several years I’ve always gone backpacking on the 4 th of July.   I miss the fireworks but being in the backcountry makes up for that.   This year we did a trip in Emigrant Wilderness with the intent to get to Iceland Lake.   The same trip participants from last year were in attendance this year – me, Curtis, Steve and Nora.   Our trip got started out with margaritas and great Mexican food in Alameda.   We a...