14 August 2022
Tyndall Creek to tarns above Guitar Lake
(12 miles, +2,800/-1,900 feet).
I have to apologize: today was very scenic and we took too many photos! I should probably have culled this set a little better, but I couldn’t kill my darlings.
Anyhoo, our campsite last night was super comfy and this morning we are all eager to set up for our climb of Mount Whitney tomorrow.
We passed a hiker heading north who raved about the Bighorn Plateau. She told us that she loved it so much, that she even uses it as the password for all her accounts!
The key feature on the plateau is a spectacular tarn surrounded by sandy meadows.
Half Cookie and UltraShuffle took a break while I explored around the tarn
I found a lone rock I could hop to in the water.
On my way back I found some lovely alpine blooms.
From the Bighorn Plateau the trail descends to Wright Creek and then Wallace Creek.
We took a break by the creek, where I inspected what I thought might be a blister. But it was just a cut, probably caused by a sharp pebble in my shoe.
The climb out of Wallace Creek yielded views back towards Tawny Point and the Bighorn Plateau
At Sandy Meadow we stopped for lunch.
You can see the Kaweah Mountains from here, including the drainage where UltraShuffle and I crossed over Pants Pass several years ago.
We took a nice long break by Whitney Creek.
We begrudgingly packed up and returned to climbing.
We stopped at Guitar Lake to get water. It’s been so dry, we are not sure if there will be water in the tarns above where we plan to camp.
We were so happy we decided to climb to the higher tarns. They had water in them, and we were the only people there!
The JimmyJam Hiking Club 
That’s awesome. We camped at the second tarn, on the left, above Guitar Lake and had it to ourselves. It was one of the most scenic afternoons I’ve ever spent in the Sierra, what with the location and the amazing light. I don’t think the tarn you camped by had much water last year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also may definitely be mistaken, but I believe this was wag bag territory, so a cathole wouldn’t have been appropriate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We did use plastic bags once we hit the Whitney Zone, which extends from Trail Crest to the summit and down to the Portal. My understanding of the rules is that they are not required west of the Whitney Zone. The west side of the Sierra Crest is in Sequoia National Park, and the regulations for human waste disposal are here. But I could be wrong!
LikeLike