I slept fairly well but it was a cold night (40 degrees) at Middle Rae Lake and I needed to have all my layers on in my sleeping bag. It was a very beautiful morning. Such a magnificent place in God’s creation. I took my time and enjoyed the beauty but I was on the trail by 8AM. I had to get over that pass and it was going to be a doozy.
My legs felt good this morning. The previous afternoon of rest at Rae Lakes was exactly what I needed. It was still a very difficult hike.
Glen Pass is at 11,926 ft. It is the highest I have ever been on foot so far. Top of the world. Top gun. I know you Mt. Whitney hikers are thinking, that is so lame! Yeah I know, but there are no waterfalls on the top of Mt. Whitney so why would I ever go up there? Seriously though, I am sure I will climb Whitney some day and there are a couple waterfalls on the way to the top of it so give me this small victory. It was a victory. Everyone else I saw today felt the same. Glen Pass is a tough climb! And what a view! The scenery was absolutely magnificent.
It so happened that my French friend came up to the top just a few minutes behind me. He should have been a full day ahead of me but he spent an extra day exploring the Rae Lakes basin. We took photos of each other and rested and enjoyed the views. He went down on ahead but I saw him a couple times later in the day yet again.
In the evening I went up to see Upper Bubbs Creek Falls. Yet again, even though it is not difficult to see, no one goes to see this waterfall and I have never seen any photos of it before. Yet this was the highlight of the trip for me. By far this is the prettiest waterfall on the Rae Lakes loop. It is an absolutely stunning 61 ft. cascade. What makes it so special is not the waterfall itself but East Vidette Peak (12,356 ft.) looming over it. The setting is just out of this world.
My campsite was in upper Vidette Meadow along Bubbs Creek. This time I had a perfect campsite with no one else around. It was perfectly quiet all night long.
