Santosh and Bud had a little bit of unfinished business in the Palisade basin. So we put together a trip for late August 2005. Sam, against his better judgment, opted to go along with us to get away from his busy work schedule for a week or so. Sandy and Cynthia, having much more sense, offered to join us for just the first couple of miles.

We started out as a single party of five on Friday afternoon. We set out from the South Lake trailhead about 15 miles West of Bishop California; hiked in to the picturesque, though mosquito infested, Long Lake and set up camp. It's only about three miles from the trailhead, but we were just looking for a quiet, pretty place to start the trip, we weren't looking for any serious hiking. The next morning we split up into XX and XY groups. The XX group stayed on to enjoy Long Lake, and hiked out on Saturday afternoon to warm showers, sushi, and comfortable beds. The XY group headed over Bishop pass and, eventually, Thunderbolt pass for a week of climbing and relaxation in Palisade Basin. We were intending to climb:

• North Palisade 14,242 ft. (4,341 m)
• Starlight Peak 14,200 ft. (4,328 m)
• Polemonium Peak 14,080 ft. (4,291 m)
• Thunderbolt Peak 14,003 ft. (4,268 m)

The forth, fifth, ninth, and fifteenth tallest peaks in California respectively.

Click on any image for a larger view and a more detailed description.