Colby Meadow 9680 ft - Muir Pass 11955 ft ...8.5 miles
day 12 : 11 July 2003
  
  hermit  
  enjoying a hearty breakfast before setting off for the day  
  
  
   
  evolution lake  
  Evolution Lake is the lowest of a number of large lakes in the beautiful alpine Evolution Basin  
  
  
   
  crossing evolution inlet  
  the JMT traverses high above the east shore of Evolution Lake before descending to ford its wide inlet made possible by the many stepping stones  
  
  
   
  alpine landscape  
  the trail rises through a landscape of alpine plants and huge boulders, past numerous alpine pond  
  
  
   
  meditation  
  Alan taking a break to dry out his feet and to take in the view  
  
  
   
  sapphire lake  
  a lake true to its name with deep blue sapphire-like waters  
  
  
   
  wanda lake  
  named after one of John Muir's daughters, huge but barren Wanda Lake is clasped by the rugged peaks of Mt Goddard, the Goddard Divide, and Mt Warlow  
  
  
   
  a fish called wanda  
  I caught this beautiful California Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with my walking sticks while crossing the shallow inlet of Lake McDermand at 11600 ft elevation  
  
  
   
  muir hut  
  the famous stone hut at Muir Pass is intended to provide emergency shelter from storms that even in midsummer may dump snow on this pass  
  
  
   
  inside  
  the hut was built in 1930 by the Sierra Club and dedicated to the memory of John Muir  
  
  
   
  man vs mountain  
  while waiting for the rest to arrive, Steve and myself decided to climb to the saddle on Mt Solomons (13034 ft) for a better viewpoint  
  
  
   
  upper evolution basin  
  from this high vantage point, the Upper Evolution Basin was most magnificient, with Lake McDermand and Wanda Lake taking dominance  
  
  
   
  relax  
  relaxing amongst the high rugged peaks of the Black and Goddard Divides  
  
  
   
  tam & octavia  
  two young ladies travelling together on the JMT that we frequently crossed path and leapfrogged during our journey  
  
  
   
  cool guys  
  the winners to the Mr. Universe contest 2003...  
  
  
   
  meltwater  
  melt water from snow on the pass provided us with fresh water for our subsistence  
  
  
   
  the butcher  
  butcher Alan degutting the trout, to be cooked by chef Leon  
  
  
   
  gourmet cooking  
  fresh golden trout stir fried in sesame oil... illegal game in the high mountains does taste much better  
  
  
   
  chilling out  
  soaking in the sun was not enough to keep warm... Mike had to pull out his sleeping bag for more warmth on this high pass  
  
  
   
  moonrise  
  this is the life... an almost full moon rising from behind the Black Giant (13330 ft) as we sipped tea from our canteens  
  
  
   
  outstanding  
  Steve standing tall amongst the highest peaks of the Sierra Crest  
  
  
   
  fellowship  
  in the dying light of the day, as the tempetures drop dramatically, we still stood our ground for a great fellowship amongst the stars and mountains  
  
  
   
  colours  
  the solitary peaks and treeless lake basins are painted in the many subtle hues as the light changes and fades away