This photo of me was taken by my wife as I carried a pack for Shaktisha over this log/bridge across the outlet of Lake Ediza in August 1999. It is located west of Mammoth Lakes in the eastern Sierras. The peaks in the upper right hand corner of the photo are two mountains named Banner and Ritter. My wife and I went backpacking with another couple, Dale and Shaktisha. All of us had been to the lake except for my wife. My son and I packed in for a week about 5 years before this trip. We've all traveled a lot and we all agreed that this was the most beautiful place in the world.. After spending 5 days there with my wife, she agrees. The trip from Mammoth Lakes trailhead to Ediza is only about 9 miles. Unfortunately it is mostly up. The beginning is in a meadow and goes down to a stream, then up and up. The first up portion is out in the open so we were exposed to the heat of the sun. After arriving at Shadow Lake, we decided we'd stay there for the night. We weren't like we used to be. The next day we went on to Ediza, camped there and explored the area. We all went to Iceberg Lake and I climbed over boulders up to Cecile Lake at the base of the Minarets which are a very striking series of peaks that are among the best known images of the Sierras. I was accompanied by some guy we met there who was a novice backpacker. He and I got caught in a very heavy rain storm when we were at the top. Coming down was very slippery and dangerous. My wife waited for me in the rain.She really is a trooper.
Here she is practicing her tai chi. Mount Ritter is in the background.
Look at that big backpack. The whole trip was a great adventure and it kicked our butts. We haven't attempted something like that since.
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