Tom and I just spent four nights in Center Basin, taking three days worth of nutrient samples (morning and evening). On our way in, we were just about a mile from where we planned to camp and just finishing up a snack break, and we started up the hill but immediately stopped because there was a big furry animal, which some might know as a bear, loping across our path. He was a skinny guy, and clearly looking for something to grub on, but he minded his own business, and so did we, and we continued on our way. There was a Park Service fish removal crew set up in Center Basin, and Tom had worked with one of the supervisors, so we got to stay for the whole trip in their camp, which, being supplied by helicopter, has pretty much everything you could ever need in the backcountry. We would take water samples from different points at all four sites where we've placed the exclosures in the lake, and then we had a huge chunk of day to hang by the lakeside. We did some bouldering on some rocks in the area, read a lot, napped, worked on my headstands, did pushups, and perfected our Chaco sandal tans. We took the nutrient samples again in the afternoon and then did the short hike back to the camp. It's a really sweet deal, I must admit.
After reading a Sierra guidebook about another pass (University Pass) in the Center Basin area and after looking at the topo map for a bit, we decided we should try this new pass to get back to the car, because it could potentially shave off 7 miles from the route we had taken to get in. One of the girls working on the fish removal crew, who had planned to hike out the same morning, decided she would come along with us on our new route. We headed up the talus slope to the pass, which wasn't too difficult, ate our lunch at the top, and then checked out what we were about to have to descend. It was a fairly narrow chute, with a snow field running down its entire length, and if you're familiar with ski slope ratings, it was probably a double black diamond slope. We didn't have ice axes, making the snow slope a no go, so our only option was to hug the sides of the chute where it was a mixture of slushy snow and the loosest talus ever been on. One out of every ten steps was relatively solid, and the rest of the time we were sliding everywhere. We had to break it up into sections to go one at a time so that the person below could get around a bend or behind a big boulder to not get hit by the rocks the person above was sending flying down with every step. It was definitely one of the scarier things I've ever done in my life, but once we all finally made it down safely to more level ground, it felt like a real adventure. I did my best to keep the mood light during this sketchy scramble, hence the smile in the picture of me with my pack taking shelter behind a big boulder, but in this picture you can also sorta see how steep and scary the slope really was.
All in all, it was another great trip. A bunch of us just got back from a trip to the hot springs that are just a few miles away from where I'm staying here at SNARL. It's a perfect way to relax and help my tired legs. I've got the whole weekend plus a couple more days off until our next trip, so I'm planning on doing some fly fishing, day hikes, climbing, slacklining and getting some quality reading time in. Life is great up here in the mountains!
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