Mule Pack to the High Sierra by Dave Wyman
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Mule Pack to the High Sierra
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  1. Dave Wyman's Gallery
  2. Mule Pack to the High SierraMule Pack to the High Sierra
The Central Coast of California - 2010
The Central Coast of California - 2010
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Point Reyes, Tomales Bay, Petaluma - 2010
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Sierra Nevada Eastside
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Homage Galleries
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Indian Country Galleries
Holiday Festivals of Los Angeles
The Mother Road - The Route 66 Galleries
California Galleries
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The Oregon Galleries
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Zion, Bryce and Las Vegas - A Photography Tour
Death Valley Haikus - Winter, 2007
Yosemite in Winter - 2007
Emigrant Highways - San Joaquin Valley, California
The Glory of Yosemite - Spring, 2007
Winter in Yosemite - 2008
Death Valley 2008
Yellowstone Country - Autumn, 2008
Mono Lake, Bodie Ghost Town and Autumn Colors - Si
Autumn in Yosemite, 2008
Route 66, California - Barstow to Amboy - 2008
Route 66 - Barstow to Amboy, California - 2009
San Diego Natural History Museum - Death Valley -
Land of Fire and Ice - The Cascades and Northern C
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Point Reyes National Seashore, California - Previe
Rapha Continental -The Navajo Nation Ride
Beyond the Snapshot: The Point Reyes Peninsula
Yellowstone Country 2009
Yosemite in Autumn - October, 2009
Sierra Nevada East Side - 2009
Indian Country and the Southwestern United States
The Southwest - Canyon Lands and Indian Country, 2
The Mother Road - Route 66, 2010
Family Camping Trip Galleries
The Fargo Street Hill Climb, Version 2010
California's Gold Rush Country
Yosemite's Waterworks, Spring, 2010
The Central Coast of California - 2010
Mule Pack to the High Sierra
Point Reyes, Tomales Bay, Petaluma - 2010
Sierra Nevada East Side - 2010
Winter in Yosemite - 2011
IPhonic Imagery
Death Valley - Spring, 2011
En Plein Air: The Central Coast of California
Steinbeck Country 2011
City of Angels - Photojournalism
Oregon Photo Tour/Ken Rockwell Homage - 2012


My wife, Kathy, and I joined a group from the Sierra Club, on a mule pack. We hiked, with just day packs, to Big McGee Lake, in the High Sierra, south of Mammoth Mountain and east of Crowley Lake. After eight miles and more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain, we reached our beautiful campsite.


The mule packers, from the McGee Creek Pack Station, had arrived ahead of us. It didn't take long to break out several containers of ice cream, which had stayed cold sitting on dry ice.


Beautiful day hikes, optional climbs up two mountains and two passes, spending plenty of down-time in camp to read, talk or meditate, and some terrific shared meals were all on the itinerary.


I made ten new friends on my first mule pack - this was Kathy's sixth - and I want to do it again next year, especially if there will be ice cream.

McGee Creek Lodge, where Kathy and I stayed the night before the trip.
Morning light over the canyon we would ascend, with the pack station in the shade..
Wranger at McGee Creek Lodge.
The pack station dog, part Great Pyrenees, was quite friendly.
Our mules wait for our gear.
We begin our trek.
We enter a forest, taking us out of the dry terrain at the bottom of the canyon.
Kathy deals with some water flowing over the trail.
We made our first stream crossing.
There was an early autumn show of color.
Aspen leaves.
Beaver lodge.
Aspen trunk chewed by a beaver.
Second stream crossing.
Narrow bridge.
Mountain Asters along the trail.
Flowers along the creek.
Flowers along McGee Creek.
Kathy
A Columbine and an aphid.
The view from our lunch stop.
Checking the map at lunch.
Packers pass by us as we have lunch.
The lead packer.
There goes the ice cream.
Mules on the dusty trail.
A Yosemite Tree Toad isnt happy with my cameras lens.
We are close to our camp.
Our gear was unloaded before we arrived.
Ron looks for a good campsite.
Kathy relaxes before we set up our tent.
Ranger Mike Rodman paid us a visit.
The mules packed in ice cream on dry ice.
Ice cream with toppings were a fitting reward for our long hike.
Afternoon light from our tent.
Kathy, our kitchen and tent, which we set up on a rock pedestal, the next morning.
My breakfast: a pork chop with dried cranberries and raisins.
The next day, some of us hike for a view above the lake.
Big McGee Lake.
Pano view of Big McGee Lake.
Kathy at the lake, a giant rock fall beyond.
A close look at Mountain Gentian.
Sunlight shines through black glass – obsidian.
Obsidian flake left by Native Americans a long time ago.
Grasshopper in camo mode.
Karen with a Kindle.
A chipmunk surveys its kingdom.
Flowers near camp.
Tarn near camp.
The lake early in the morning.
McGee Creek Lodge, where Kathy and I stayed the night before the trip.

McGee Creek Lodge, where Kathy and I stayed the night before the trip.  312 views

Morning light over the canyon we would ascend, with the pack station in the shade..

Morning light over the canyon we would ascend, with the pack station in the shade..  308 views

Wranger at McGee Creek Lodge.

Wranger at McGee Creek Lodge.  306 views

The pack station dog, part Great Pyrenees, was quite friendly.

The pack station dog, part Great Pyrenees, was quite friendly.  305 views

Our mules wait for our gear.

Our mules wait for our gear.  309 views

We begin our trek.

We begin our trek.  307 views

We enter a forest, taking us out of the dry terrain at the bottom of the canyon.

We enter a forest, taking us out of the dry terrain at the bottom of the canyon.  309 views

Kathy deals with some water flowing over the trail.

Kathy deals with some water flowing over the trail.  305 views

We made our first stream crossing.

We made our first stream crossing.  307 views

There was an early autumn show of color.

There was an early autumn show of color.  311 views

Aspen leaves.

Aspen leaves.  307 views

Beaver lodge.

Beaver lodge.  306 views

Aspen trunk chewed by a beaver.

Aspen trunk chewed by a beaver.  307 views

Second stream crossing.

Second stream crossing.  308 views

Narrow bridge.

Narrow bridge.  307 views

Mountain Asters along the trail.

Mountain Asters along the trail.  117 views

Flowers along the creek.

Flowers along the creek.  120 views

Flowers along McGee Creek.

Flowers along McGee Creek.  118 views

Kathy

Kathy  115 views

A Columbine and an aphid.

A Columbine and an aphid.  118 views

The view from our lunch stop.

The view from our lunch stop.  119 views

Checking the map at lunch.

Checking the map at lunch.  120 views

Packers pass by us as we have lunch.

Packers pass by us as we have lunch.  119 views

The lead packer.

The lead packer.  120 views

There goes the ice cream.

There goes the ice cream.  122 views

Mules on the dusty trail.

Mules on the dusty trail.  117 views

A Yosemite Tree Toad isnt happy with my cameras lens.

A Yosemite Tree Toad isnt happy with my cameras lens.  117 views

We are close to our camp.

We are close to our camp.  117 views

Our gear was unloaded before we arrived.

Our gear was unloaded before we arrived.  119 views

Ron looks for a good campsite.

Ron looks for a good campsite.  114 views

Kathy relaxes before we set up our tent.

Kathy relaxes before we set up our tent.  106 views

Ranger Mike Rodman paid us a visit.

Ranger Mike Rodman paid us a visit.  112 views

The mules packed in ice cream on dry ice.

The mules packed in ice cream on dry ice.  108 views

Ice cream with toppings were a fitting reward for our long hike.

Ice cream with toppings were a fitting reward for our long hike.  111 views

Afternoon light from our tent.

Afternoon light from our tent.  106 views

Kathy, our kitchen and tent, which we set up on a rock pedestal, the next morning.

Kathy, our kitchen and tent, which we set up on a rock pedestal, the next morning.  106 views

My breakfast: a pork chop with dried cranberries and raisins.

My breakfast: a pork chop with dried cranberries and raisins.  109 views

The next day, some of us hike for a view above the lake.

The next day, some of us hike for a view above the lake.  106 views

Big McGee Lake.

Big McGee Lake.  105 views

Pano view of Big McGee Lake.

Pano view of Big McGee Lake.  111 views

Kathy at the lake, a giant rock fall beyond.

Kathy at the lake, a giant rock fall beyond.  113 views

A close look at Mountain Gentian.

A close look at Mountain Gentian.  106 views

Sunlight shines through black glass – obsidian.

Sunlight shines through black glass – obsidian.  106 views

Obsidian flake left by Native Americans a long time ago.

Obsidian flake left by Native Americans a long time ago.  108 views

Grasshopper in camo mode.

Grasshopper in camo mode.  119 views

Karen with a Kindle.

Karen with a Kindle.  111 views

A chipmunk surveys its kingdom.

A chipmunk surveys its kingdom.  118 views

Flowers near camp.

Flowers near camp.  110 views

Tarn near camp.

Tarn near camp.  109 views

The lake early in the morning.

The lake early in the morning.  112 views

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