Sunday, August 7 (12:15 PM). The view south from Forester Pass. This is not white-granite landscape. If anything, it's even more orange than shown here.

Time to head down those switchbacks on the south side of Forester Pass. While wide and solid, they sure feel exposed. Ivesia on the rocks.

A look back at the top switchbacks. Lots of rockwork up there.

The section ahead, blasted into the cliff, is plenty exposed too, but is wider, doesn't switchback, and feels more comfortable.

Epilobium obcordatum (rock fringe) was doing real well up here (better than on the north-side approach to Forester).

The pass is in the notch above. Just a very little snow left in the chute.

I stopped at Pond 12,500 at the bottom of the pass. That's Caltech Peak at the left. I'll see it from the other side tomorrow.

Big Lake 12,250 below the pass.

At a small stream crossing about two miles south of the pass, in what can be a boggy spot, I'm reminded this is the ever-so-overly-well-constructed John Muir Trail.

Mt. Tyndall comes into view (but still no trees).

Treeline is ahead. Tyndall Creek is off to the left. The tarn that I'll camp at tonight is just in front (and a little right) of that rounded rise in the middle.

The turnoff. The Kern Cutoff is a perfectly fine trail, but it's not the freeway the JMT (shown here) is.

That's one fat marmot.

The tarn at 10,400'. Rather barren up here, but there are a few trees on the other side.

It looked like those trees might house a campsite.

They do. Here's a view to the far side shortly after I arrived. A big panorama of the area is at the end of the gallery.

Sunset on Mt Tyndall.

And a post-sunset pink glow.

Monday, August 8. Morning at the 10,400 tarn. Find the squirrel.

Camp from behind.

Pinus balfouriana ssp. austrina. Trees here are mostly foxtail pines, with their distinctive cones. There were one or two lodgepoles.

My route today began with the open hillside beyond camp. Below: my campsite. Above: Mt. Tyndall and Shepherd Pass. I originally planned to take the Upper Kern Connector directly west. But I opted today for the Upper Kern Loop to Lake South America. If I don't see it now, I may never get there. I'll connect with that trail just over the hill behind me.

Rocks and trees above Pond 10,400.

Once over the little hill, I met the Upper Kern Loop Trail. It initially follows a long valley north. It's clipped off by that 400' headwall, which the trail ascends. The peak at the right, a mere 13,000' summit, is not high enough to have its own name.