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Monday, October 5, 2020

Weekly Post: The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get by Robert Glenn Ketchum (#201-231)

Continued. . .

by Robert Glenn Ketchum


Growing up my parents had a home near Sun Valley, Idaho. It was there that I learned to ski. Over many years I befriended members of the Decker Flats Climbing and Frisbee Club, with whom I had both life, and art-forming outdoor experiences. I had my camera, and these are my adventures. Enjoy!!  
~Robert Glenn Ketchum



Monday, October 5, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #231  
DFCFC, #231:  
Of all the birthday presents that I received over the years from Gordon Williams, my most loved and used, are two very clever camp chairs that he gave to Vicki Golden, and I, so we would not have to sit on the ground when van camping. My tricked-out van was a Dodge Tradesman, and it was not all that big, so for the two of us to live in it for months at a time, everything had to have a place. I designed stashes around the wheel wells for the freeze-dried food storage that we took backpacking. I had a print drawer for my big prints, in a shallow box with a lid on it beneath the platform that supported our mattress. Opposite the double-wide side doors, was our pantry, clothes closet, and a cooler storage for cameras, and particularly, film. The two front seats were Captain’s Chairs, and mine nearly abutted the clothes closet wall, but there was about a 5” clearance. Knowing the van, Gordon designed these two camp chairs to fit in that space when not being used. Folded down, the seat locks flush to the “back,” creating a very thin profile. In use, you pull the “seat” out of the “back,” reverse it so the slant “feet” face the ground, and then slide it back through the braces of the “back", to form the sitting chair. I have had these camp chairs for over 50yrs. now, and they have graced the ground, and the roof rack on top of the van, at camps in almost every state in this country. I took this picture this morning, and they still look this good, and are now getting used at my beach house. Thank you Gordon, for being a GREAT friend, a mentor, and for giving gifts to me, that still keep on giving. May you Rest In Peace!

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, September 28, 2020


The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #230  
DFCFC, #230:  
In our friendship of many years, Gordon Williams, and I, always exchanged birthday gifts. As neither of us had much money, we gave each other things we found, or made. In my case, it was usually prints of my images that Gordon had said he liked, or from trips he had led me on, so that he might remember the fun they were. In his case, the gifts to me, reflected Gordon’s love of unusual found objects. The previous post revealed the old mining town outhouse sign that has followed me to every residence I have ever lived in, and now decorates the door of my digital studio, inspiring my new work. This object (above), is something else entirely. This “jewel” box consists of two found items, both recovered from the debris around old mining camps. I am not sure what was housed in the metal case, perhaps an instrument of some sort. Gordon carefully redecorated it with a lining of red velvet, and added the bent, and rusted, spike, as the jewel in the case. This beloved object of wonderful weirdness, sits on the table behind the 25” monitor, where I do my work in my digital studio. In the feng shui of my mountaineering mind, my current creativity is enriched, because I am surround by gifts of inspiration, love, and friendship. I am sure Gordon understands exactly what I have done,..and why!

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, September 21, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #229  
DFCFC, #229:  
This blog about my early days in Sun Valley, and my adventures with members of the Decker Flats Climbing and Frisbee Club, will end with these next three posts. All three are posthumous homage to my dearly departed friend, and mentor, Gordon Williams. Gordon took me to the Finger of Fate in the Sawtooths for my first backpack. Gordon led the way up into the Boulders for my first winter camping, and ski-touring adventure. And, Gordon helped plan our Hyndman basin ski-tour, multi-night campout, as well as digging the spectacular snowcave in which we all slept. I am honored to say, he was my best friend. In those early days, none of us had a lot of money, but Gordon was very thoughtful, and we always gave each other gifts on our birthdays. Rather than trying to buy me gifts, he either made them, or “found” them, so these last three posts are my most loved of those gifts. The above was apparently on an outhouse door in an old mining camp. After receiving it as a gift, it was initially hung on the front door of my cabin at Bald Mountain Hot Springs Hotel, but now it graces the door of my digital studio, and watches over me while I create. Thank you, Gordon,..I hope you like the new work I am doing.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, September 14, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #228  
DFCFC, #228:  
After a good, and welcome, night’s sleep to end our 16-mile dayhike, we four awoke early to a nice day, had a final breakfast, folded camp, and began the walk out. Exposed rocks, and open meadows were clear of snow, but it lingered in the shade, and in the forest. As a result, because we were tired, and did not want to make any careless mistakes, we were a very quiet group, concentrating on the placement of every step we took. I am sure I was thinking about many things in the quietude, but now I know what I was NOT thinking. I was not thinking that this would be the last time I backpacked with Gordon, but it was. We would have other hikes together, but never another backpack. Vicki and I would return to Sun Valley with Gordon, and Polly, and she and I would do one more backpack in the Sawtooths, before heading to my home/studio in LA. I was NOT thinking that would be our last backpack as well, nor did I imagine at the time, our relationship was soon to end, because when I took the opportunity to become the Curator of Photography for the National Park Foundation, and move to Washington, DC, she wanted none of it, so she moved back to Sun Valley, and we both found new partners. C’est la Vie! I hope you have enjoyed the many tales within this blog, which now ends with 228 posts. It will still be available under BLOG LABELS on my blog homepage, but it will no longer appear as a weekly blog post. Thank you for following the tales of the DFC&FC, and my friendships therein. Stay tuned for some amazing adventures and research in the North Atlantic, which will be the replacement blog.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, September 7, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #227  
DFCFC, #227:  
At the outlet end of Black Joe Lake, the trail that will return us to our camp at Clear Lake does one more up-to-go-down. There is a somewhat arduous scramble through a boulder field, that crowns out on a granite dome, from which can be had one of the most dramatic vistas in the entire Wind River Range. Gordon Williams kindly took my camera, and made this great pic of Vicki Golden, and me. Behind us, to the left, the far end of Black Joe Lake. Behind me, looms Haystack Mountain, and to the left, Temple Peak. If you follow my blogs, Vicki and I stood in this exact place the summer before, and the image I took is the banner photograph for this blog. (I will see this image repeated once again when I am 60, and it will be my son, and daughter standing where Vicki and I are now. That is about as cool a life-loop as anyone might have.) From here, our trail back to Clear Lake and camp, plunges steeply down, crosses the outlet of the lake, does yet another up-to-go-down, and finally delivers us to our lakeshore tents A welcome end to a LONG, last day. Dinner is enjoyed by all,..and we have some trout, so Belle is especially happy,..well, in truth, we ALL are. Yum! AND, check out my tech-stylish aluminized mylar windshell!

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Monday, August 31, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #226
DFCFC, #226:
After snacks, and a brief respite at the far end of Black Joe Lake, we are still a long way from our camp, and the light is quickly fading from this valley. Time for our merry foursome, and doggo, to get moving once again, so we shoulder our packs, and begin the traverse of the lakeshore. Gordon (Williams) was so comfortable lying in the dry grass meadow, he was the last to arise, and when I turn to see if has begun to follow us, this alignment occurs. East Temple Peak and spire loom above him, and the low sunlit saddle in that granite dike, is where we forged our shortcut earlier in the day, into the basin of small lakes, above. A perfect afternoon!

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 Monday, August 24, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #225
DFCFC, #225:
With the snow now completely gone, the meadows where we are, have dried completely, so Gordon Williams takes a little nappy to refresh himself. What he really wanted was to get Belle Star’s attention, so she would come over and roll around with him. However, when a can of Vienna sausages is out, there is no distracting her from begging for one, so she ignores him. And yes, she did get a sausage or two. It is nice to have the daypacks off for awhile, as we have been wearing them all day, but eventually it is time to re-shoulder them, and begin the trek that will return us to our camp.

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 Monday, August 17, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #224
DFCFC, #224:
Black Joe Lake has now also fallen into the shadow of Haystack Mountain, as the sun dips lower on the horizon, but the eastern shore where the trail is, remains sunny. The path has been well worn by people fishing, and it is not difficult until you reach the far end of lake, where you must climb a considerable boulder field and dome. Anticipating that we have enough time to get that done, we sit in a dry meadow, and enjoy some last snacks and water. The snow patches we walked through in the early morning are now completely gone. There is no wind, but as night comes on, you can feel the chill in the air. We all add a few layers to our wardrobe, and linger in the fading evening, pondering the amazing hike we have now been on for the last ten hours. It is incredible we have had such a day this late in the season. The Gods have been kind to those that dare.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, August 10, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #223
DFCFC, #223:
By the time Gordon, Polly, Vicki, Belle Star, and I crest the granite slab staircase, all of the upper lakes in the basin have slipped into the shadow of late afternoon. The sun is now well behind the massif of Haystack Mountain, and is only breaking through on the low part of the saddle between Haystack and East Temple spire. We all know the day is fading, and we are a LONG way from our camp, so we keep moving, arriving at the lowest, and largest of the lakes, just as the last rays of illumination wash over the rocky shore. We ponder the light until it fades, and then start our decent down the side of Black Joe Creek, headed for Black Joe Lake, still well below us. The trail down is mostly dry grasses, it is not difficult to navigate, and we down-climb quickly, with little effort. When it finally levels off, we are within 1/2-mile of the lake shoreline, where we will stop briefly, have some water, and snack-up for the final push.

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 Monday, August 3, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #222
DFCFC, #222:
Our band of late season hikers is now very close to the lake basin beneath the backside of East Temple Peak and spire. My partner, Vicki Golden, is facing me, and Gordon Williams is in the distance, surveying the last part of our route. Just above his head in the granite wall there is a raking angle of light that flows from the upper left, to the lower right. That is a navigable series of descending slabs which we are about to use as our staircase into the upper lake section of the Aurora (Vicki’s name) basin. This shortcut will save us about 1hr. of time, and bring us into the basin at the top of the lake chain, instead of the bottom. The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get.

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 Monday, July 27, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #221
DFCFC, #221:
On our trek to the small group of lakes that lie on the backside of East Temple Peak and spire, our group of happy campers begins the final ascent into the lake basin, and the grassy patches diminish, as more rocks emerge. The boulders are not obstacles, however, and it is easy to thread our way through, and around, them. My partner, Vicki Golden, and my black lab doggo, Belle Star, have found a good pace, and presently stride into the lead. We are headed to the dark mass of rock in the upper right corner of this image. The terrain past that will flatten out, and a granite wall will rise along our right flank. If we can find a route up through that wall, it will bring us to the first of the lakes in what Vicki has named, the Aurora Lakes basin. Going up through the wall will save us an hour of time, at least, and bring us to the top of the basin, rather than the lower end.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RobertGKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, July 20, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #220
DFCFC, #220:
By the middle of the day, Gordon Williams, his partner, Polly, Vicki Golden, my lab, Belle Star, and I, have finally picked our way through the jumbo boulder maze to emerge in the meadows on the other side of the slide. More and more snow is melting away, the ice has gone completely, and the day is still warm. We intend to get to the small lake group at the backside of East Temple Peak and spire, and we still have a good way to go, but there are no more serious obstacles to surmount. As you see here, it is, at the moment, an ascending boulder strewn meadow, that will shortly give way to more gravel and rock, but all of it will be manageable. The real question is time. When Vicki and I did this last summer, the days were longer, and we still were not back at camp until dusk. Today, being VERY late fall, it will be dark much earlier, so we have to keep moving at a good pace. From left to right, my lab, Belle Star, Gordon’s partner, Polly, Gordon, and my partner, Vicki, putting one foot in front of the other.

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 Monday, July 13, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #219: 
DFCFC, #219: The huge avalanche of granite slabs that have come of the side of Haystack Mountain, extending out into Black Joe Lake, is the greatest impediment to our day hike, now that we have gone off-trail. Vicki Golden, Belle Star, and I, have navigated it before, but choice of route is everything, especially where doggo is concerned, because there are some places she cannot get around, or holes she could fall into. Gordon, on the other hand, never met a bunch of big rocks he didn’t like, so while the rest of us are being cautious, he is crawling, and climbing, over, under, around, and through. That is him (above) preferring to slip through a “tunnel” beneath this huge piece. There are many “boulders” like this one, in the maze through which we are treading. When this exfoliation occurred, it must have been an extraordinary sight and sound, and you definitely wanted to be on the other side of the lake when it happened.

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 Monday, July 6, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #218: 
DFCFC, #218: As Gordon Williams, Polly, Vicki Golden, doggo Belle Star, and I, wend our way up from our camp at Clear Lake and over the sloping ridge of Haystack Mountain, the nearly melted-out walls of Haystack provide great visual entertainment for the morning. There is no breeze, and LOTS of sun, so our merry troupe is full-go. The ascent is brief, and the descent, even briefer, so we reach the shoreline of Black Joe Lake in very good time. Having done so, I explain to all that the actual trail crosses to the other side of the lake, and the side we are on is traversable, but with some considerable bouldering obstacles to overcome, which confronted Vicki and I in the previous summer. We made it through, but there were some sketchy places, and they might be worse today if snow or ice have lingered. All want to circumnavigate the lake, however, so we plunge off trail and begin to rock dance. For 80% of this route, it is relatively easy, and we do not encounter any dangerous situations, continuing to make good time, but eventually we come to the massive granite slab avalanche that even extends out into the lake. The trick here is finding a route through that we can all accomplish, Belle Star included. Choice is everything now!

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 Monday, June 29, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #217: 
DFCFC, #217: The night is cold with an occasional burst of wind rattling the tentfly, but when we awake in the morning, we can immediately feel the day warming up, because the sky is clear and VERY sunny. We had hoped to do a long, 16-mile hike around Black Joe Lake in the basin on the other side of Haystack Mountain, and it would seem we are getting a great break in which to do that. As a result, everybody works in a frenzy to cook breakfast, pack the daypacks, and get out of camp as early as possible. What snow is left from the storm two nights ago, is melting quickly, and icy spots are as well. From our Clear Lake camp, we will ascend the northern ridge of Haystack, where there is an established trail, following it over the ridge, and down the opposite side to the shoreline of Black Joe. By the time we hoist our gear, and begin the walk-about, it is downright balmy. As you can see here, Gordon Williams is not wearing a hat or gloves, and he only has on one layer of an undershirt with the sleeves rolled up. East Temple Peak and spire loom behind him, but they will soon be lost from view, and if we are lucky, we will stand beneath them on their other side in about 6hrs.

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 Monday, June 22, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #216: 
DFCFC, #216: Although the cold and fading light is soon to chase us back to our camp at Clear Lake, at a much lower elevation, Gordon Williams, Polly, Vicki Golden, myself, and my black lab, Belle Star, agree, before retreating, to approach the southern shore of Temple Lake, and follow it down to Miller Lake, and beyond, to Rapid Lake, below that. From there, we can traverse around a granite dome, and back to Clear Lake. On a previous summer backpack, Vicki, and I, have fished Temple Lake, and were struck by the vibrant turquoise color of the water. Not so today, however. It is a deep, and steely, sapphire blue, with sparkling diamonds of the late sunlight shining off of it. It looks VERY cold, but it is also quite beautiful. Now though, we must press on. Miller, and Rapid are completely in the shadow of Schiestler Peak, and because the descending valley grows more narrow, the rising breeze, is freezing, causing us all to suffer “stiff-face." Once we traverse the granite dome, however, and descend to Clear Lake, it remains cold, but the wind abates, and the more vigorous hiking has warmed us to some degree. In camp we start a fire, and begin a welcome dinner meal. Belle Star is exhausted, so I feed her first, and then wrap her in my sleeping bag inside the tent, where she immediately falls asleep. By the time Vicki and I crawl in for bed, she is warm, our bags are warm, and we have a snuggly three-way into the dark night.

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 Monday, June 15, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #215: 
DFCFC, #215: For all intents and purposes, we are above 10,500ft. on a soon to be, short-light, nearly-winter day, and the Temple Peak basin is slipping into complete shade, while the wind is rising. Nonetheless, we all choose to linger, and take in the stark, rugged environment in which we have dared to hike. There are virtually no trees to be seen, just some scrub, rock, snow, and avalanche shoots streaming off the surrounding summits. Gordon, and I, have been on colder camping trips, which if you follow this blog you have already read about (posts #142-180), but on those we had maximum winter gear and preparation, and we believed that if things got really s%&##y, Danny Danielson would come fetch us with his helicopter. Here in the Wind Rivers, our party of four is alone, having hiked in with backpacks and tents. The only notation of where we might be is on the trailhead log, 17 miles away, and it is unlikely anyone will read that until next spring. We have willingly believed in ourselves, and put ourselves in an extreme place, which gives us all a sense of how it feels to be truly high and wild in the Winds. We will need to head down to our Clear Lake camp shortly, but for the moment, we are silent, drinking in our surroundings, and listening to the whistle of the air moving past us.

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 Monday, June 8, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #214: 
DFCFC, #214: Having crested the dome between the Deep Lake basin and that of Temple Peak, as we expected, it is colder up here, and the wind has picked up. This late in the season, and being this high in the Wind Rivers, we are toying with the gods,..but apparently they appreciate our daring. We have been hiking most of the shortening, late fall day, so Temple Peak basin is slipping into the shadows of the late afternoon, as the peak looms dramatically over us, and Temple Lake shimmers at its foot. The terrain here is relatively flat, and safe to navigate about, so Gordon, Polly, Vicki, doggo Belle Star, and I, feel we have enough time to descend to the lakeshore and peruse it. Temple is a large lake that sits at 10,600+ft. and there is NO treeline up here - nor is there a single tree to be seen. The steady wind is penetrating, but we are warm enough if we keep moving, and we are all drawn to the spectacle of our surroundings. This is a rugged, wild world, and we all recognize that we are fortunate to be here.

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 Monday, June 1, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #213: 
DFCFC, #213: As our party of five reaches the top of the dome we have been traversing, bringing us into the Temple Lake/Peak basin, we get this one last look back at Deep Lake, where we spent the morning. The “warming” of the day has now melted most of the snow that fell the night before, leaving small traces to decorate the sheer faces. Our party is camped at Clear Lake, out of sight to the left, but you can clearly see the slabs of granite we carefully ascended to Deep Lake when we started our hike. The waterfall “staircase” flowing out of Deep Lake is now clearly visible, and the icy coating we feared during the morning’s climb up, is completely gone. The basin we are about to enter is much higher, and colder, so there is still a good deal of snow on the ground, but the terrain is relatively flat and poses no threat to moving around, so now we are going to take a stroll beneath Temple Peak, and peruse the shoreline of the lake. Just another fun day of being VERY high and wild in the Wind Rivers.

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 Monday, May 25, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #212: 
DFCFC, #212: Our ascent out of the Deep Lake basin is almost complete, and in a few hundred feet we WILL crest the dome bringing us beneath Temple Peak and the shore of Temple Lake. Our gradual line of upward traverse, however, has brought us to a garden of trees that Vicki and I visited during a 10-day summer camp in the previous year. It is an amazing series of benches festooned with gnarly, wind sculpted, ancient pines, interspersed with grassy patches abloom with wildflowers in the summer. One of our favorite places, and this tree, in particular, one of our favorite trees, post #121. Even in this more austere season, Gordon and Polly are suitably impressed. From our years of adventuring together in the mountains surrounding Sun Valley, ID, where Gordon and Polly live, he, and I, have become a mutual admiration society for the color and sculpture of high alpine limber pine, and this stunted trunk has been tortured by the ruthless winds that sweep this ridge, into a fantastic display of twisted arms. What a will-to-live, in spite of the relentless, hostile weather.

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 Monday, May 18, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #211: 
DFCFC, #211: As Gordon Williams, his partner, Polly, Vicki Golden, doggo Belle Star, and I, continue our cautious ascent from the Deep Lake basin to the Temple Peak basin above us, no one is in a hurry, and the longer we linger, the more the “melt out” occurs, de-icing the granite. Polly (left), and Vicki have stopped for the moment to ponder some freeze-dried alpine flower from an open patch of meadow. If I am guessing correctly, Polly is explaining how it might be used to make tea, or some sort of herb remedy. She is full of surprising information about useful native plants. As gray as it is, and still cold, you can tell that the day is warming, and our hike is making us warmer, as well, because we have all taken off our wool hats and mittens. It is unlikely, however, we are going to do any nude sunbathing - LOL!

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 Monday, May 11, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #210: 
DFCFC, #210: Persistence pays off, and the warming morning helps our ascent aspirations by melting snow off of enough slabs and boulders that our party of five succeeds in surmounting the dome above Deep Lake ushering us into the Temple Lake basin. The basin sports a lot of snow, but also has ample flat ground and much room to wander safely. Belle Star, my labbie, is in romp-around heaven, and the rest of us take a break to snack, because the day is cold, and still wind gusty, so regular stops to hunker down, and munch, keeps our bodies generating good heat. This is Gordon Williams partner, Polly, and one of my favorite pictures of her. All of us are wearing wool hats, but not Polly, nor does she need to. LOOK AT that amazing ginger head of hair. I am sure she is warmer than all of us. In the flat light of the day, you also have a great view into the Cirque of the Towers, and many of the summits are now very distinguishable from one another. War Bonnet is the spiky peak directly above Polly, and just to the right of that, the flat-topped, conical shape of Pingora is beautifully defined. I hope everyone over there is having as much as we are over here.

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 Monday, May 4, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #209: 
DFCFC, #209: As our intrepid group attempts to ascend into the Temple Peak/Lake basin, there is a significant amount of up to climb, and there are many unthawed places where we clearly cannot go. Nonetheless, being little ants in a big world, we seem to be picking our way through and around the obstacles. We are using a group skill set to survey navigable routes, because none of us want to waste time and energy climbing into a dead-end position, and then having to retreat. As you can see (above), there are some challenging choices, so here, Gordon Williams (right), his partner, Polly, and mine, Vicki Golden (in front of Polly) ponder a big, slippery wall. My lab, Belle Star is chasing eeks, and having a great time - she loves the snow. At this moment we are actually very close to our goal, so we just need to get over this, and we will enter a whole new world.

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 Monday, April 27, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #208: 
DFCFC, #208: Gordon Williams, his partner, Polly, my partner, Vicki Golden, my wild dog, Belle Star, and I, have spent sometime in this slowly warming morning, surveying the frosted walls and summits around Deep Lake, and we feel adventurous enough that we all decide to attempt an ascent into the Temple Peak basin above us. The granite dome we must scale to get there is steep, and in most places, dangerously icy, but in a world of this scale, it seems we can pick our way around the obstacles safely enough to give it a try. As you can see from this image, the snow and ice do not coat everything, so we must just find a route that has thawed. Except for myself, all the players are in this shot, but in the expanse of this terrain you have to look carefully. Vicki is closest to me, and Belle Starr is just off to her left. Polly and Gordon are just about dead-middle of the image, but far enough away to be barely visible. The good news is that we ARE finding walkable terrain, allowing us to rise ever higher, and we might actually reach the Temple Lake/Peak basin.

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 Monday, April 20, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #207: DFCFC, #207: We finally depart our tree garden for a walk about to generate some heat, and the warming day has melted a great deal of snow on the granite slab shore of Deep Lake, so we walk along it to the far end, putting us directly below East Temple Peak, and looking across the water at Haystack Mountain. The taller summits are much colder and not melting out like the rocks around the lakeshore, so the frosted, sheer walls of Haystack (above) continue to illicit oohs and aahs from all of us. From our present position, Gordon and I believe we can see a navigable line across the dome to our west, above which is Temple Peak and lake, so we all agree we will begin a slow traverse in that direction, and perhaps we may work our way into that next, even higher, basin.

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 Monday, April 13, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #206: DFCFC, #206: Across Deep Lake from our tree garden perch, the walls of Haystack Mountain mountain have been glazed everywhere except the overhangs. Haystack is just a huge granite dome that periodically sluffs off massive granite slabs, so overhangs define the face of the rock walls, and being dark against the white snow frosting, they are now VERY pronounced. We sit, stare, and munch for about an hour, and several times we have substantial sunlight exposure that is well above freezing. Being a black lab, Belle Star, relishes these moments, and stretches herself out flat on the terrace to get the most sun exposure she can. As we near midday, the wind dies completely, the air continues to warm, we can see snow melting back of rock surfaces, and periodically, some glazed ice sheet releases on a wall, starting a small avalanche that turns into a cloud of crystals. Best to stay away from that fall zone.

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 Monday, April 6, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #205: DFCFC, #205: Being in the Deep Lake basin as this storm howls through is very dramatic, and since our mobility and access are limited by ice and snow, we are warm, and in no hurry to be anywhere, so we decide to hunker down for awhile, and just take it all in. We find a small tree garden that affords a view of the basin but shields us from the wind bursts, and we settle in with snacks, binoculars, and I break out my telephoto lenses. The snow that fell during the night was wet, then corn snow fell on top of that this morning, and now the wind is compressing it, and glazing the granite slabs. This is part of the dome that separates us from Temple Peak and Lake, and at this moment it is unnavigable, BUT the wind seems to be dying down, the clouds are opening more, we are getting substantial gaps of sunlight, and in that sunlight, it is notably warm.

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 Monday, March 30, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #204: DFCFC, #204: As we assemble our daypacks and clean up camp, the rising breeze continues to build, with howling gusts sweeping the stands of trees, and knocking the accumulated snow off of their branches. We remain committed to our planned hike, but before we head out, we all add more clothes, and wind shells to our dress-for-the-day. The forested part of the trail that passes around our lake, has snow, but it is easy to navigate, and relatively flat. When we get to where the granite slabs up to Deep Lake begin, things are a bit trickier. The light snowfall obscures seeing any sheer ice glazing the rock beneath it, so we need to tread carefully and stay well away from the courses of the many-fingered streams. Ultimately, we work to the western side of the trail, and try to stay on soil at the edge of tree gardens. As we rise in the basin, so does the force of the wind, but the hike up is steady, and not especially difficult, so after about an hour, we find ourselves on the shore of Deep Lake. The wind is not constant, instead blasting through in howling gusts, and standing on the shore looking down the valley to our camp, it is amazing to see, and hear, the oncoming gusts, as they rise from below us, into this high basin, and beyond. Deep Lake is surrounded by towering walls and summits, so the wind above is being compressed as it screams through the lowest passes. To welcome us to Deep Lake, East Temple Peak (above), puts on wild performance, shredding the clouds streaming by, and making strange echoing sounds as the wind bounces about the walls.

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 Monday, March 23, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #203: DFCFC, #203: By the time we finish our breakfast, the day has grown brighter as the sun rises behind the low clouds. We occasionally see a “blue hole,” but even with the increasing breeze, the clouds still cling to the high peaks around us. While cleaning up camp, we discuss our plan of attack for the day, and all agree that sitting around will only makes us cold, so we WILL go hiking. The trail most likely the safest to walk goes past our camp and continues up a rising granite slab “staircase,” into the Deep Lake basin. Because it hosts many rivulets, ponds, and waterfalls, we know it could be icy, but Vicki and I are certain we can work around it, and navigating the snow-covered slabs will be much easier than slippery, individual rocks. As we pack daybags and talk, we are sporadically sprinkled by perfect little pellets of corn snow, and the dusting of that snowfall across various expanses of dark, wet granite is very graphic, highlighting the unusual contusions, and glacial sculpting in their faces.

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 Monday, March 16, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #202: DFCFC, #202: Aside from the lightshow on Schiestler Peak (last post), at this hour of the morning, the basin still looks pretty stormy. On my way back to camp, I ponder whether we will be able to move about much, if it continues to snow. For the moment, we are just showered by light flurries. The clouds are very low, and Haystack (above), East Temple, and Temple are barely visible, their summits ghostly in the vapor-filled sky. From the western end of our lake, however, gusting through the valley we traversed to get here, a wind is rising, and the cloud movement is beginning to speed up. To me, this seems to be signs the weather is breaking off, so by the time I am back in camp, I remain hopeful that things may soon change. In the meantime, I have some sausage, eggs, and trout, to keep me busy and warm me up, while we all watch “the show” unfolding around us.

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 Monday, March 9, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #201: DFCFC, #201: Finally my morning struggles dissolve. I near the end of the lake and the shoreline flattens to dirt with fewer slippery rocks hidden beneath the blanket of fresh snow. I am now quite close to Shiestler Peak, which has been dancing in and out sunlight patches all morning. So, I catch my breath, set my tripod up, and stick my hands into my parka to warm them. Belle Star is still bounding around, and occasionally, pouncing, so I have come to believe there are meadow mice scurrying about beneath the snow cover, and she can smell them which is why she has spent the morning burying her nose in one drift after another. It is all pretty funny. My comrades are finally waking as well, and in the stillness of the lake basin, I can hear them talking softly, and clanging pots around back at camp. The thought of a warm meal is quite attractive, but just about the time I think I shall gather my gear and head back, this happens (above). A spotlight of sun turns Shiestler glowingly radiant against a dark sky, and I can hearing whoopings of approval from camp. It may be cold and slippery, but I think we are going to have a fun day anyway. Now for some food!

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