The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

North: Lake Genevieve 1

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Desolation Wilderness

Meeks Bay to Lake Genevieve

Lake Genevieve

Elevation: 7400 feet, +1161' above Meeks Bay trail head elevation

Mileage: 4.39 miles from Meeks Bay trail head, 4.49 to Phipps Pass

Camping Notes: Departing Lake Genevieve

Sunrise: 6:42 am or so, September

Temp before Sunrise: 43°

No weather, no mosquitoes, so no tent.

Clouds in morning, cleared nicely.

"or so" note: I record the Sunrise/Sunset times, the time of the transit of the Sun, and the Moon Phases for the day each trip begins as the header of my journal.

This allows me to use the Sun as a compass and a clock. I know what time it is at sunrise, sunset, and when the Sun crosses the North-South line. I measure time from the E horizon in the morning, from the North-South line during mid-day, and from the Western range that produces local sunset in the late afternoon.

The times mentioned above reflect the time of these events during late September, at the start day of this particular trip. In fact, each day the Sunset and Sunrise change, so my accuracy diminishes. The rate of change is up to a minute a day for both Sunrise and Sunset, depending on the time of the year.

Trips longer than a week require a correction factor, which should be noted in your journal prior to departure.

Astronomical Information

Morning One, Granola is Fun, and the Zipper Dance

The temp was 43 degrees at Lake Genevieve when I woke and rose well before dawn.

Granola, powdered milk, and dried fruit were rapidly brought to life with a little heat, and I was shortly fed, packed, and ready to go. Time to take off the insulation and freeze a bit before the pack and the trail warm me up.

I tried to unzip my REI fleece jacket, and everything went to shit. The zipper is a fancy clasping zipper. The pull broke off the zipper, locking the clasping zipper in place. With no way to unzip the fleece jacket, claustrophobia set in, and I was soon bouncing about in circles trying to get the damn thing unzipped from high around my neck.

Finally, I used the can-opener on my Swiss Army Knife to pry up the edge of the locking clasp on the back of the zipper assembly, and was finally able to unzip my fleece jacket in fits and starts. I was tempted to use the knife's blade to cut the coat off.

I promptly removed the locking mechanism from the zipper, (a zipper-ectomy) and everything was all cool again. The jacket still zipped-up, but I had to grasp the zipper on both sides to make it work, as the pull tab had broken off. But my gear was falling apart.

This was not unexpected. I had already put 750 long-distance backpacking miles on my gear this Spring and Summer (2009), and my gear was showing it. My boots, pants, and socks were all starting to wear thin. The harness of my pack was worn, and all grommets were distorting. I was monitoring the degradation of all key gear components.

I am facing a maintenance cycle with my clothing, pack, boots, and most of the gear elements that wear out. I'm going to re harness my pack frame, replace or repair my worn-out clothing, and new boots have been necessary for awhile.

Keep tabs on how your gear is wearing, and check your harnesses, stitching, clasps, and eyelets often during your long trips, and before every trip. Pack the replacement parts you may need, or replace the parts prior to departure.

Check out the Gear Section

Wilderness gear Repair at Kennedy Meadows Pack Station, earlier in the 2009 backpacking season..

I love Kennedy Meadows Pack Station.

They loaned me the needle, and gave me the thread to keep my ass in my pants, and my straps on my shoulders.

The cowboys offered me the use of their saddle shop, but I didn't need to go nuclear!

Gear Repair Forum

Topo Map North: Meeks to Lake Genevieve                   Topo Map South: Genevieve to Susie Lake

Miles and Elevations

South: Crag Lake

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Section: Tahoe to Echo Summit

Segment: Lake Genevieve