John Muir Trail, Days 5-8, August 2013

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Day 5 began with us hiking through scattered pines near the Tyndall Ponds. A very pretty day.

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Here's the view to the west; the peaks are about 13,500 ft.

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Looking back to the North. The prominent notch is Forester Pass, which we had crossed yesterday.

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One of the many white pines exhibiting "strip barking" near timberline. As the tree ages, part of the bark dies back. In this part of the Sierras, it is mostly whitebark and foxtail pines; but the related bristlecone also demonstrate this.

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Eventually all the bark may die, leaving these picturesque snags at high elevation.

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Joan and Susan exiting a stand of pines.

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We paused just south of Tawny Point, next to the Bighorn Plateau.

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Tawny Point has one of the best views, apparently, along the trial. So we are going to climb it.

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More of the windblown pines at timberline.

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OK, we are starting up the south flank of Tawny Point. Will is already well on his way to the top.

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I've climbed quite a ways,and the talus is exhausting. Sue and Joan are considering a retreat; Betsy and Susan soon joined them.

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This is the view North from the summit of Tawny Point, 12,300 ft. On the left is Diamond Mesa, with Junction Peak behind it. To the right is a spur of Mount Tyndall, nearly 14,000 ft high. In between are a couple of the Wright Lakes.

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From Tawny Point; just left of center is the Mount Whitney area. There was quite a lot of haze from nearby forest fires, but I believe the actual Whitney summit is hidden by intervening mountains in any case.

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Descending from Tawny Point. Lots of valley smoke. Bet you can't see the rest of the group, almost 1000 feet below.

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I'm a little lower, so now you can see the gang patiently (?) waiting for me.

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Under pack again, we continue across the Bighorn Plateau, joining other hikers on there way south.

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A look back across the Bighorn Plateau to the west.

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Before dropping into the Wright Creek drainage, we stopped for lunch. Susan, Joan and Will, with Tawny Point in the background.

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The smoke that afternoon was quite thick. We heard the fire was well down the Kern River, so was never a threat to us.

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Joan and Susan are feeling pretty good about our progress!

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Will, Susan and Betsy rock hopping across Wallace Creek. This one was a little wider, but still pretty easy.

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Will is getting water. A certain amount of patience was required, there was just a trickle of water coming from the spring.

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Our tent; you can see the small meadow below, which had a trickle of water available for us.

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And here we are at Camp 5, near Sandy Meadows. This was a wooded site, apparently not heavily used.