Lost Wedding Ring -- FOUND!

[Hikin_Jim]

Good idea. I will have to find out what the closest station is on the east side near Kearsarge Pass.

[neverwashasbeen]

HJ, try both Lone Pine and Bishop, people can be headed either direction from Onion Valley.

[Hikin_Jim]

Hmm. Good points. Worth a few calls.

Thanks!

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

If anyone is headed out in the vicinity of Charlotte Lake this weekend, please keep an eye out for my ring.


Thanks,

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

A PCT Through Hiker that I know just looked for my ring earlier today, but he didn't find the two large jobsite type tool chests. It occurs to me that maybe I just got lucky with spotting them in the trees, so I wrote up a hopefully better, more detailed description below. I hope this is clearer. Feedback welcomed.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
If one were walking west on the trail along Charlotte Lake, one would first come to the ranger station, then to the NPS bear locker, and then to the west end of the lake. As the trail draws even with the west end of Charlotte Lake, it is some distance away from the outlet stream. As the trail proceeds further west, it turns a bit to the left (~SW) and comes closer to the outlet stream. If one looks to the right (~NW), there is a bit of a rise with a pretty faint use trail going toward it. If one were to follow this faint use trail, there is a flat area, suitable for a large group to camp in on a sort of bench type area that is just above and slightly to the north of the Charlotte Lake trail. West of this flat area there is a bit of a rise, the crest of an indistinct ridge. In an cluster of trees more or less on the crest of the indistinct ridge are two large jobsite type tool chests. The brand name "Knaack" can be seen on at least one of the tool chests. These tool chests are similar in size to a NPS bear locker but are a bit lighter in color. The eastern most of these two tool chests can be seen from the above described flat area but most definitely cannot be seen from the Charlotte Lake Trail. I lost my ring in the flat area just east of the two tool boxes, perhaps 30 yards east, perhaps a bit less. As I recall, I set my ring on a rock that might have been about 18 to 24 inches in height while I washed up. I have revised slightly my topo map of the vicinity; I have now sketched in the faint use trail using yellow dots. Note also that the tool chests are on the crest of the indistinct ridge (placement approximate) and that the lost ring location is just east of the tool chests.

HJ

[Ken]

Jim,

Congrats on the ring making its way back to you.

Amazing.

Not only found, but found at a DIFFERENT LAKE! (Rae)

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

[Hikin_Jim]

UPDATE 7/6/2014: My ring was found by JMT through hiker Tim. Thank you to all who searched (especially Tim!).

And, yes, Ken, it was found at nearby Rae Lakes not Charlotte. I from senile dementia suffer do not. Er, what were we talking about?

HJ

P.S. Haven't seen the ring yet, but I'm pretty certain it's mine based on a photo and the location where it was found. Tim is going to complete his through hike on or about Wednesday. Hope to get it in the mail thereafter.

[Hikin_Jim]

I'm hoping Doug, the proprietor of the Whitney Portal Store, will let me open up a tab for the person who found my ring, Tim. That way when Tim gets off the trail, he can eat, shower (they have a shower available, right?), or whatever. It'd be a nice gesture I hope to Tim. I've got a note in to Doug. Hopefully it works out.

HJ

[zippetydude]

You are one lucky man Jim...

Ring finding directions from HJ: "Um, I think it's right by these dumpster thingies on a rock, or it might be a few miles from there somewhere else in the wilderness...anyway, it's round and silver and looks kinda ringy"

And with those ultra precise directions the ring was found right away!

Congrats my friend.

z

[Hikin_Jim]

I'm glad I didn't ask you to run in there, Zip. With my memory, we could have gone running in Yellowstone and had about as much luck.

HJ