Sierra Mountain Adventures!

[Deepwater]

Thanks for sharing and documenting the trip. I love to live vicariously through your pics. I don't think that I will ever be making that trip, all those rocks just exhaust me, relentless. Kurt, nice solo trip and very Zenny. I especially liked the 4 am launch.

Mike

[sarah]

Awesome photos!!!!! Especially love those group shots. Miss you guys!

[RAT]

Atop Mt. Givens
20140806_111622 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

20140806_111555 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The end of the Dusy. Always sad, but now on to the next part of the trip!
Dusy expidition crew 2014 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

I'll post some more later. Gotta go fishin...

[RAT]

It was very cold on the mountain top so at around 4 am I decided to take off for Ershim Lake. A little night run in the morning for breakfast
Ershim Lake in the morning. Cold, but refreshing!
Dusy run 2014a0004 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014a0003 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014a0002 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The feeder stream to Ershim Lake
Dusy run 2014a0001 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The drought has yet to hit the high country and Spring is in full swing at 9000 feet
Dusy flora by MJR RAT, on Flickr

More Zen
Zen Garden by MJR RAT, on Flickr


Next morning we headed out to the North end of the Dusy.
Dusy run 20140008 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

This is pretty much the entire trail from Ershim Lake to the Gatekeeper. There are some sandy wash areas, but rocks at the soup du jur...
Dusy run 20140007 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Someone was peeing on Jeep tires. Wonder who THAT could be...
Dusy run 20140005 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Lake Camp Lake. Or as Sharon calls it, Cow poo pond... It's pretty, but it stinks.
Dusy run 20140002 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 20140001 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

[RAT]

One of many lgo road sections. My favorites
Log road by MJR RAT, on Flickr

We wound up camping on the trail Sunday where Kevin's Taco broke. This was Monday morning.
Dusy run 2014bb0001 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

I followed Kevin, Chris and Scotty out to pavement just in case something else went wrong with the Taco. We had to do a lot of tugging and winching but kevin did a Hell of a driving job with just front wheel drive. I didn't get any pics or video of that though... Bad me. I did however take a few landscapes on the way, as the smoke cleared for a while. Old man in the mountain redux
Dusy run 2014bb0002 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Zen
Dusy run 2014bb0004 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

It took us right at five hours to get Kevin back to pavement, about as long as it took to drive in. We said our goodbyes and I hauled butt to Shaver Lake to stock up on ice and beer. It rained on the trip to Shaver Lake, then again on the way to Huntington Lake, and again when I got to the Gatekeeper on the North end of Dusy. It was extra special doing the gatekeeper in the rain. Again, no pics. I couldn't get out of the Jeep cause by ass was sucked onto the seat from a few close calls...

I spent the night on the side of Mnt. Givens because I was running out of light and was hungry and ready for a cold beer. Mike and the rest of the crew were at East lake that night. Ozz and I had a nice, quiet night on the mountain in the rain.
Dusy run 2014bb0005 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

20140804_194143 by MJR RAT, on Flickr
About 9 or so the ISS flew over. It was so close I could touch it. I shot some video.

[RAT]

More Dusy Meadows
Dusy run 2014b0011 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The FUN part of the Dusy. ROCKS!
Dusy run 2014b0012 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0013 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Big trees everywhere.
Dusy run 2014b0014 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

More rocks. Oh yeah, it's the Dusy
Dusy run 2014b0015 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0016 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Old Man in the Mountain. Smoke and all
Dusy run 2014b0017 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0018 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The first casualty.
Dusy run 2014b0019 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The trail is very tight, and gets tighter as you head North
Dusy run 2014b0020 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

[RAT]

Mike heading up Chicken Rock
Dusy run 2014b0001 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0002 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0003 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0004 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Apparently, going up Chicken Rock bores him...
Dusy run 2014b0005 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0006 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

The Taco made it through the tight squeezes with ease
Dusy run 2014b0007 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0008 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy Meadows. The smoke really did it's best to ruin photo ops but we had a few.
Dusy run 2014b0009 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014b0010 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

[RAT]

So we get to Courtright reservoir? 'sept thar ain't no water! Actually there is still a lot of water here, but this is a huge reservoir. I never realized how large until we drove down to the water. It was a long way. Hard to believe but there are three boats and a Jeep down by the water in this pic.
Courtright mudhole by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Mike, Ryan and I went playing on Saturday. We drove out along the waters edge, did some fishing (catching) and wound up on the Dusy a half mile North of Chicken Rock. So we ran down chicken rock just so we can say we did. these huge boulders are normally under 100 feet of water.
Dusy run 2014aaaa0003 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Dusy run 2014aaaa0002 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Top O chicken rock by MJR RAT, on Flickr

This was Saturday Night. The French fire was really smoking up the joint, but it made for some gorgeous sunsets
Sunset at Courtright by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Sunday morning we headed in to the trail. Up chicken rock...

[RAT]

Another awesome Sierra Trek. This mountain range never disappoints!
This is where my trip started and ended. I could swear I saw some people looking at my Jeep with longing eyes, wishing they could go with me
20140801_053855 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

But it got better by the mile... Following Ryan up the 5
20140801_104441 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Headin East to Shaver Lake out of Fresno
20140801_111721 by MJR RAT, on Flickr

Oooops. Technical difficulties at Flikr...

[dirtman13]

Wish we could have made it. Looks like yet another awesome trip.

[aw12345]

Art, you are dead on about the run from Ershim to the Pass. I am willing to go run that part again in both directions and just skip the rest of the trail. It would make a great weekend run.

Well that or take another day to enjoy bald mountain and maybe brewer lake

[Mike]

Art, you are dead on about the run from Ershim to the Pass. I am willing to go run that part again in both directions and just skip the rest of the trail. It would make a great weekend run.

[aw12345]

Love the Dusy, Kurt had the most fun running to Ershim lake from Kaiserpass and back, is the best part of the trip. Did that last summer.
Would have been nice to join Y'all, but my vacation started a week later and to make matters worst gonna have to spend my vacation sitting on the couch with a hurt foot.

[TipsE-Z]

Wow! Looks like a blast! Thank you guys for posting and letting me do a little web wheeling.

[sarah]

I've been waiting patiently for this post! What an adventure, and incredible photos! Sorry to bear about the carnage and hopefully everything gets fixed soon. Thanks for sharing!