Big Pine Valley, north fork trail head

Mountain to the south of the trail head

Starting our 6 mile hike to Temple Crag at 6pm

Glacier Lodge and South Fork of Big Pine Creek

Chasing the setting sun up the north fork

IMG_1125

2nd falls on the north fork

Our first glimpse of the 13k' crag from about 9k'

IMG_1128

Getting dark (this is a flash photo) but still pretty in the meadows

IMG_1131

IMG_1132

8:30pm and still a long way to the base. We had to negotiate the 2nd lake crossing in the darkness of a new moon.

Ferocious locals

IMG_1136

Hiking up the scree field from lake two, I spotted a wild cat or black beer moving across the lower slope (lower left)

Our camp at lake 2 with lake 1 below it

Todd spotted two climbers on the Dark Star route

Climber in white, mid frame as we approach our route

Getting up through the ice was a PITA but we're now on the exposure below the Moon Goddess buttress

Gotta love that he is taking the tags off his new harness just as we change in to our climbing shoes at 11,200' (10AM)

IMG_1145

IMG_1146

Check out how much the flake on the route has peeled back!

Toady practicing rapping off

IMG_1148

IMG_1149

main

Venutian and Moon Goddess

IMG_1151

Almost back to camp

Strange place to put a dam

IMG_1154

IMG_1155

IMG_1156

From left to right, Venutian Blind, Moon Goddess, Sun Ribbon, Dark Star routes

No seriously, who the heck build a grated dam so high in the sierras?

IMG_1159

IMG_1161

The grated spill-way outlet

I wanted to wade in there if we weren't in such a hurry to hike out

Lake 2 drainage in to lake 1, finding this route was a lot easier when it was light out

dork (with a 60+lb pack)

One of the more beautiful trails I've seen in the Sierras