After following the High Sierra Trail for a couple of days we left it at Nine Lakes Basin for a few days of cross country travel. We worked our way up and over Lion Rock pass to outstanding Lion Lake and then over Lion Lake Pass to the Head of Cloud Canyon, a beautiful U-shaped valley carved out by the Roaring River.

We descended Cloud Canyon in its entirety, a real treat. The up reaches were still snowbound which made for some awesome glissading and boot skiing between tedious sections of talus.