Deb, that's Mt. Gould (looking to the Kearsarge Pass trail from the north face of University). Dragon is the black spiry thing to the right, then Mary Austin, I think.

Ga-duh! Lost my perspective....need...to...get...out...
Looks like crampons are definitely staying home and I will enter a day later than permitted....waste of $13!! But the prospect of 75mph gusts keeps me away....I can only take 45mph before I fall over. Original plan was to exit Kings' Cyn, but that got fouled up too...... we'll see what transpires......just excited to get out solo again.

Debbie, Pen and I were on top of Cardinal Mtn off Taboose Pass three weeks ago, no snow on east, west and south facing slopes below cc 12K.
Just got back from Carl Heller via George Creek, Heller is 13,200', discontinuous snow at 13,000'. There is so little snow in the Sierra in general, that by the time you leave, you should not need either crampons or ice axe, unless you seek snow slopes specifically. Have fun. A.

asmrz wrote:Debbie, Pen and I were on top of Cardinal Mtn off Taboose Pass three weeks ago, no snow on east, west and south facing slopes below cc 12K.
Just got back from Carl Heller via George Creek, Heller is 13,200', discontinuous snow at 13,000'. There is so little snow in the Sierra in general, that by the time you leave, you should not need either crampons or ice axe, unless you seek snow slopes specifically. Have fun. A.

Thanks Alois! George Creek?! Good job!
I am hoping to hit some "minor" peaks, nothing too time consuming since I'll have many many miles to log in 3 days. Bago and West Vidette are the priorities.
Hope to see you and Pen sometime this summer.

If you change your mind and decide to hike through to Onion Valley, and arrive before Monday afternoon, we could probably give you a ride down to 395 or some point north of there on 395, if that's helpful. We plan to make base camp at the Onion Valley campground and day hike around the area over the weekend (wind and weather and any associated kid whining allowing).

JHH60 wrote:If you change your mind and decide to hike through to Onion Valley, and arrive before Monday afternoon, we could probably give you a ride down to 395 or some point north of there on 395, if that's helpful. We plan to make base camp at the Onion Valley campground and day hike around the area over the weekend (wind and weather and any associated kid whining allowing).

OH that's very sweet. I've hatched my final plans....I will enter and exit Onion Valley starting ugly early Sat morning and going as far I can toward Road's End. Make a U-turn Sun morn and camp at Vidette Meadow or Charlotte Lake in hopes of climbing West Vidette and Bago. Then exiting Monday afternoon/eve/midnight...whenever I can drag myself dead ass out of the wilderness. If you see bears molesting a 2008 bronze Xterra with military sticker, please have them leave their insurance information on my windshield.

Good luck! Likewise if, on your way in or out, you see bears ripping apart a campsite with one newish and one very old TNF VE25, please shoo them towards someone else's site.

One-way traverse complete! Awesome windy/snowy/sunny/fuzzy bear day!

Saw your car at the trailhead; no bear damage when we left Monday.

We had an awesome weekend in Onion Valley - some snow on the drive in Saturday, and a bit of wind Sunday, but conditions were otherwise perfect. Sunny and cold enough at night to keep the mosquitoes, bears, and noisy fishermen and car campers in check, which also made for perfect hiking and sleeping weather. Both the eleven and twelve year old hiked all the way to Kearsarge pass with me, even when given several opportunities to turn back, and insisted that the view into Kings Canyon was worth the pain in their feet. I was very proud of them.

Very cool, JH! I headed straight into the wind and blowing snow Sat morning and got no reprieve until Vidette Meadow, but it was glorious regardless. Plenty more snow than I was expecting too; shin-deep drifts down the west side of Kearsarge Pass and around Bullfrog Lake. It finally stopped snowing sometime after I passed Vidette Meadow, then wouldn't you know it - the bears came out! Freaking big ass sow wasted about 15 minutes of my life cuz I was unknowingly between her and her cubs. AAARRG!
Made it only one-way since Dave hadn't finished the wall on North Dome due to snow on Saturday,(wall was completed on Sunday) so we DROVE FROM Kings Cyn Monday to pick up my truck.....uuuuugggghhh 14 hours on the road....zzzzzzz