Cartago Peak from Horseshoe Meadows 6/3/16-6/5/16

Day 1: A short 7.5 mile afternoon backpack starting about 2 pm. I went over Mulkey Pass and then on to the Ash Meadow area and camped by a couple of lingering snow patches because there was no water between Diaz Creek and Death Canyon and I needed to be able to melt the snow for water. Day 2 was a long 18 mile trek to Cartago Peak. On the way to the peak, I dropped off the PCT sooner and tried to stay higher on the traverse to Death Canyon, but it wasn't easier that way and only saved a few hundred feet elevation loss/gain. Once in Death Canyon it is an easy trek to the summit. On the way out, I stayed in Death Canyon until about 9,400 and found a nice gentle route back to the PCT - worth the exta miles/gain. There was water in Death Canyon; so it was nice to be able to fill my water bottles before going back to camp - that way I only had to melt snow to use for cleaning up and my tea at camp. Day 3 was an easy backpack out. The total for 3 days was 33 miles/6,000' gain - lots of ups and downs. Cartago Peak does have a Class 3 summitblock; so wear your sticky shoes. Also make sure you bring a gps with a waypoint for the summit becuase there are a lot of potential summits once you get up to the plateau.