Mount Reinstein

4-Sep-91

By: Campy Camphausen

Mount Reinstein from the east is another long reach. The shortest crossing from the east is at "Gilbert Pass". Late afternoon buildup and scattered rain with thunder encouraged me to camp at Big Pete Meadow. The next day it rained even earlier in the day and I camped at 3 pm at Davis Lake. My route to Martha Lake was along the north side of Mt Goddard. I reached the lake at noon of the next day and camped by a big boulder near its outlet. Rain and thunder came earlier yet but was followed by a beautiful red sunset.

Mount Reinstein (12,604') is merely a one-hour boulder scramble up the side facing the lake. Its summit overlooks two major rivers: the San Joaquin flowing north and the forks of the Kings flowing west and south. Thunder was now heard before noon and a dark cloud formed over Mt Goddard. I decided to break camp and get to Ionian Basin and halfway home rather than hang around to climb nearby Finger Pk in the rain.

Two hours later I was pelted by snow and hail at the 12,000-foot lake east of Ionian Basin. I quickly hopped inside the bivy. It was no fun lying in the bivy for 17 hours with lightning landing all around. This was not just a localized storm. Reward came the next morning when the basin was fully white and the rocky terrain was filled with crusty snow which made walking easier. I exited the basin via the notch east of Mt Solomons and had one more wet camp before dodging lightning at Bishop Pass.