Second Glances at Silver Lake

Ugly

Life really is better Here
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I thank everyone who posts reports.
I do love the one-off shots and seeing the different places where everyone goes, but I love the trip reports most.
If you hate mine... :tongue: Then good news! This one is the first in two, but let me start at the ending.

Red Baldy Pan 20180593-PROC-sm.jpg

To be standing on those red rocks early on a Saturday morning was fantastic. My stomach still turned at the thought of the descent- I think I could climb about anything so long as I did not have to go back down. However, recently the focus has been on enjoying the moment.

"There were ups and downs on those alpine peaks
There was higher grounds, there were canyons steep
But we made our way with our voices proud..."

For sure I enjoyed the moment.
Honestly, I still am.

Summer aka late Spring was in full swing this past weekend. Luckily flowers outnumbered people on the lower trail by just enough as my friend and I pushed on in the afternoon sun.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180001.jpgRed Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180004.jpgRed Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180008.jpgRed Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180032.jpg

Serviceberry was in full swing. Amelanchier or Shadberry... White blossoms literally covered the mountainside.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180052.jpg

This lake is where most of the action takes place in the soon to be released prologue trip report, so we will show off some of its emerald loveliness and move on.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180071.jpg

Areas covered in snow two weeks earlier were mostly clear, muddy, sprouting, greening, blooming, all in full swing and vibrant in the hot afternoon sun.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180075.jpg

Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180106.jpg

The rest of the route literally lay straight ahead and overhead.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180118.jpg

Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180151.jpg

This tree, surrounded by a temporary snowmelt pond was intriguing.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180154.jpg

The granite also was mesmerizing.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180177-bw1.jpg

We wandered for a while in the dwindling sun after dropping our light overnight packs near some impressive elder pines. These others were also beautiful.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180183-bw.jpg

The next day still soared overhead in the evening light.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180207-proc.jpg

Dinner was noodles in peanut sauce and a chicken curry. Handmade or self-dehydrated by my buddy's friend. They tasted great.
It was nice and chilly in the shade.
After sunset we lingered at the almost repetitive sights that were still amazing in all of the various dressings of light.

Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180301-sn.jpg

Awake just after 5... well as normal, technically awake once at 1am, then again at 445...
"I'm too young to feel this dang old..." (you can insert Garth's tune here, or more appropriately Kings of Leon)
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180317.jpg

No clouds, so only a few moments of subtle color.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180368.jpg

We did not really commit until we were halfway. Then it was up and at it.
The views on the way up were nice, very nice, on the steep grade.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180449.jpg

"Because in better light, everything changes... Just keep one foot in front of the other."
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180488-bw.jpg

They just got better and better...
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180522-bw.jpg

Here is where we expose the reader to the problem to why I could not name this trip report Silver Glance Lake to Red Baldy as planned.
This peak dead center is the true Red Baldy. We stood on the slightly lesser Southwest brother or maybe sister peak just to our stage left. (A difference of maybe 50' elevation).
But I am not a peak bagger so, screw the minor detail. My ankle held up enough to get here.

Given that I had begrudgingly left some of my comfort zone to scramble up this lesser one, I was not going to ridge hop along to that one. Maybe next time we will go up to the true summit from White Pine instead.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180556.jpg

This view south was worth sitting down and enjoying. Sure, I have shown you a half dozen similar shots as we climbed, but Really?!
Really!
We can also call this a view of camp. A few large pines down there provided cover for the night and for a nice little siesta after we made our way down.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180575-proc.jpg

Some of the way down, once the snow softened.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180631.jpg

Beauty in minutia. Tiny blooms in the moss, or tundra. Delicate and a juxtaposition to the grand views above.
Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180644.jpg

Red Baldy and Silver Glance 6-20180647.jpg

"If we don't try to go, we may never know...
If we find our way, we may never be the same..."
Humming House
 
I love it. Thank you.

This shot is particularly nice.

red-baldy-and-silver-glance-6-20180301-sn-jpg.65327
 
Spectacular!

I've been there enough to recognize the sights but never above the
lake to have experienced those views personally.

Thanks!
 
Ive been to Silver Lake but not Glance. It was too snowy to get up there the last time I was up AF canyon. I need to go back. Its a lovely area. Thanks for the report!
 
Thanks @Nick , @McKee80 , @Outdoors24 , @Noun Sequitur and of course both Docs.... @DrNed and @Dr Nebz

Ive been to Silver Lake but not Glance. It was too snowy to get up there the last time I was up AF canyon. I need to go back. Its a lovely area. Thanks for the report!

It's terrible up there... not recommended.
Really the only problem is the number of people at Silver lake until you get past them. Only a few people were up at Glance on Saturday morning after we had napped and packed up.
 
For future reference, the scramble between the two summits of Red Baldy isn't bad, I remember just a couple spots where you have to be a bit careful.

When climbing Red Baldy from White Pine I recommend this route directly to the (higher) summit:
https://blog.regehr.org/extra_files/red_baldy_2011/redbaldy.jpg
The obvious alternative, hitting the low point between Red Baldy and the AF quads and then walking the ridge, sticks you with a scramble that was too scary for me.
 
I never get tired of seeing these views! Thank you for sharing. I especially love that first purple, dangling flower, so delicate and lovely!
 
@Ugly you need to write more TR’s. You’re a great wordsmith and equally great photographer. I really enjoyed this. Thanks!
 
Ummm...where are the camp food pics?? Come on you can't post what you ate if you don't add a picture to go along with it.

Loved the report and rest of the photos.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
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