Day 16: Rae Lakes to Center Basin Creek

In the four previous days, we had, in quick succession, crossed Muir, Mather and Pinchot Passes, and had a reprieve only during our short hike to Rae Lakes. Now we were back at it, with Glen Pass confronting us today, and the formidable Forester Pass the day after.

Glen Pass (11,978') was a relatively easy affair, being just 3.5 miles and a climb of 1,300 feet away. After a cold night, we got on the trail at 8:15 and were at the pass by 10:00. Being early in the day, it was still very calm, and we enjoyed a long rest at the dramatic knife-edged ridge that forms the pass. The back side of the pass is sheer torture - as we recalled from our last hike in the area, and we were happy to be going down the dusty switchbacks instead of up. We spent the next two hours walking downhill - finally bottoming out some 2,500 vertical feet and five miles later at Vidette Meadow, where we stopped for lunch. It was hot in the valley there, and we spent out rest stop soaking in a cold spring that ran through the meadow.

Our goal for the night was a low-grade campsite (so said the book) at the crossing of Upper Basin Creek, and we were going there only for the purpose of positioning ourselves to get a head start toward the 13,200' Forester Pass. The last time through, we had come over the pass from Vidette Meadow, and remembered having a difficult time of it. By getting to the creek crossing, we would knock 1,000 vertical feet and three miles off of our climb, leaving an ascent for the morning of just 2,700 feet.

To our surprise, when we got to the crossing, there was a very nice camp available, with a broad, living room window-type view down the valley. In addition, our friends Ken and Mike were there camping, and it was nice to catch up, as we had not seen them since Julian passed them on the way down the trail from Pinchot Pass.

It was cold again that night, and we were once again in bed (in our raingear and every other stitch of warm anything) by 7:30.

Photos: Painted Lady over Upper Rae Lake; View South from Glen Pass