The idea of going to Sequoia National Park in the central Sierra had been on our minds for over a year. Mary Jane Coombs wanted to go back there and climb Mt. Silliman again; that was her first-ever summit and she hasn't been back in eleven years. She was planning on leading this hike but had to work in her lab at U.C. Santa Barbara instead. This peak also had a benefit by being lower in elevation than where Stephane Marazzi got his altitude headache a couple years ago on the Mt. Williamson climb so we thought it would be a good trip for him. But he and his wife (my niece) Anna had just returned from Barby and Harold's in France and had to get back to earning a living. Wayne Penn has been looking forward to retirement from Univ. Illinois and getting to go on "one of Mikie's backpacks" for some time now. Back when Rose Kiehn was feeding us wine and cheese in Mendocino at Thom and Tina's wedding, a bunch of us cousins were talking about the trip and Justin wanted to join us (Nate did also, but he had to throw discuses or something .

None of this timing stuff bothered us; there were still three of us left. On September 7, 2002, I went to Walnut Creek to Susan and Wayne Penn's house and we began packing for this hike. Justin Rolfe drove down from Washington and Sheafe Ewing brought him over to join the chaos. Wayne, Justin, and I were packed, had bought out REI, and were on our way to the Sierra by mid afternoon.

We camped the first night in the car-campground at Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park, did more packing the next morning, and hiked into the back country. We were gone five days and four nights and were on top of Silliman on September Eleventh to write prayers in the summit register.

We spent a day after the hike being tourists in the Grant Grove of Giant Sequoias before we parted ways. Wayne and Justin drove back to Walnut Creek and I headed for Yosemite.

The Yosemite Association meeting is in Wawona in southern Yosemite National Park every other September (and Toulumne Meadows the other years). Friday night, before the weekend meeting, Mary Jane met me and we joined about a dozen YA members for dinner at the grand Wawona Hotel; her friend Alan drove in just in time to join us also. The meeting featured author James D. Houston who gave a presentation and book signing on his Snow Mountain Passage. Sunday, Mary Jane and I went to Yosemite Valley for a couple walks but Alan was already on his way up El Capitan (for the third time this year) so we missed him. Mary Jane headed back to her lab and I stayed back until the sun was lower in the sky and got some sunset shots.

It was a grand week and here are some (oh... OK: a zillion) photos that show it. --Mikie

Available slideshow

Silliman slideshow (21 MB).
Wawona slideshow (18 MB).

Scroll-down photos

The trail signs got more rustic later (020907-2030).

First camp at Silliman-Creek trail crossing (0209A-01).

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My friend Emily taught this trick on a Sierra-Club hike last June (0209A-19).

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Justin took a "short cut" under this chalk stone (0209A-33).

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(0209B-01).

Dried moss (0209B-03).

The moss about a minute after we dribbled a little water on it (0209B-02).

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Silliman Lake (0209B-09).

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Justin on the summit ridge (0209B-18).

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The summit

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Justin on the summit (0209B-26).

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I can't seem to get away from this agency (0209B-29).

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Mt. Brewer (0209B-32).

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The Kings/Kaweah Divide (0209B-34).

My GPS (0209B-35).

Trio on top (0209B-36).

(0209B-37).

Panorama from the summit

Panorama using QuickTime VR
This is a compilation of the fifteen shots below "stitched" into a panorama. The first and last shots are about the same and are facing north. This file is 2.8 MB (0209C-01-15).

Panorama shots circling right (0209C-01).

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Yes folks; that's a rock in Mikie's backpack (0209C-33).

These eighth-graders just finished a loop hike. Their school has been doing these trips for some twenty years. The student in front in the middle took the next shot for us (0209C-36).

(0209C-35).

Back at the car. The ice had melted but the beer was still cold five days later (0209C-37).

The Giant Sequoias

(0209D-02).

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I promised my little friend Maurie I would build this stacked-set for her. It took four photographs to cover this tree; I let my 'puter "stitch" 'em together (0209D-12-16).

(0209D-17).

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Wawona in Yosemite with Mary Jane

Bridge near North Fork as a result of the flood of January 2, 1997... (020913-2057).

... and the new bridge built since the flood (020913-2059).

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Sequoia (020914-2074).

Cedar (020914-2075).

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Kristin Henderson (020914-2078).

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This tiny Sequoia tap root must hit soil to survive. As it is only about an inch long, there cannot be more than an inch of duff in its way, hence the need for forest fires in a healthy Sequoia forest (020914-2083).

Hornets' nest (020914-2084).

"Griz," The Grizzly Giant (020914-2085).

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Mary Jane drives off from Camp 4 for home; I stuck around for some low-sun-angle photos (020915-2087).

Yosemite Valley

El Capitan (0209D-20).

Climbing hardware (0209D-21).

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Haul sack for a Big-Wall climb (0209D-27).

Attempting White Lightning (0209D-25).

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Flood-water sign (0209D-28).

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This couple didn't speak English, but they spoke Rock (0209D-32).

The Lost Arrow (0209D-33).

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This couple spoke both English and Rock (0209D-34).

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This couple spoke "I Do" (0209D-37).

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Glacier Point (0209E-04).

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Royal Arches (0209E-07).

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Washington Column (named after Martha) (0209E-13).

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Half Dome (0209E-17).

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Sunset shots from the overlook at Wawona Tunnel

Bridalvale Falls; just a thin mist this time of year (0209E-28).

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Date created: 9/26/2002
Last modified: March 5, 2017

The URL of this Web site is http://www.diggles.com/silliman/index.html