High Mountain Diving at Hester Lake

[aquaregia]

I actually logged in today to ask if Huntington Lake was diveable. I'm going to be up there for a week for a sailing regatta and was wondering if I should take some tanks.

 

[Guy Alcala]

Just curious if anybody actually ended up making this trip? I read an article about the B-24 crash there and found this thread but doesn't look like the trip ever happened.

Me too. I did a lot of backpacking in that area from the late '70s -mid-'80s. Never been to Hester Lake, although I think I remember being able to see the stream that comes out of it into Le Conte Canyon, coming down the trail from Muir Pass or maybe from the trail up to Dusy Basin, and I've come out of Ionian basin over Black Giant pass NW of it. I'd have to say that Ionian basin is probably the most desolate area with some of the worst cross-country I've seen in the Sierra, so coming into the lake over Black Giant Divide from the west isn't an option.

Getting into Le Conte Canyon wouldn't be a problem with pack stock from Bishop or the west side, but getting scuba gear up the slope to the lake would be, if my memory of what that slope looks like is accurate. Actually, I wouldn't think it would be possible to get stock up there, but won't rely on a vague 25+ year-old memory of a view I had no reason to notice especially. I guess I'll have to dig up my old slides and see if I've got a shot; I'm fairly sure I've got one or more of Langille Peak just north of it.

Guy

 

[formula1mb@aol.com]

If you had the pictures, I'd love to see them----could be fun to do something like this during the summer.

 

[Guy Alcala]

If you had the pictures, I'd love to see them----could be fun to do something like this during the summer.

I won't be able to get to them anytime soon, as I'll have to go get them from my dad's house. But you can use google earth to get sort of a view from across the canyon (on the way up the trail into Dusy basin), although the stream isn't that obvious with all the snow.

Guy

 

[3993]

I hiked to Hester Lake to survey the B24 wreak with my son and a friend in 2004. We did the round trip in three long days from South Lake. (Up and over Bishop pass (12K+), camp in Dusy basin (11K), long day trip down into LeConte Canyon (7K) up to Hester (11K) then back down into LeConte and back up to Dusy. Out and drive home the next day). Due to the length of the hike we had a 3PM turn back time and didn't get to the lake until about 2:15. My son had a mask, snorkel and wet suit and dove to 15 feet where one unrecognizable aluminum part about the size of a VW rests. His underwater pictures didn't show much. We also noticed scattered aluminum scraps exploring the slope above the lake and a decayed parachute at the lakes edge. As I understand it, the Hester B24 was on a training mission (a triangle from Hammer field, Fresno, to Bakersfield then to a point east of the Sierras (Reno?) and return. It struck the ridge above the lake at 12.5K heading NE, roughly 180 from the direction it was suppose to be flying. It then hit the steep rock face on other NE side of the lake, and slide into the lake. Coincidently, we were overtaken on the hike over Bishop pass on the first day by a group on horses planning to do a real dive for the wreak in Hester. We caught up to them again the next evening at the bottom of LeConte Canyon on our way back. They agreed to send info on their dive but never did. I am wondering whether they actually made it up there with their gear. Most of the way is a steep hike but there is a short 100 foot pitch that is a real climb (pretty easy, class 3) that might discourage those with heavy gear or that were not used to exposed climbs. Fun trip but strenuous.
John

 

[aquaregia]

Thanks for the update. I'd be interested in doing this dive, if there were other people interested.

 

[Guy Alcala]

If you had the pictures, I'd love to see them----could be fun to do something like this during the summer.

I won't be able to get to them anytime soon, as I'll have to go get them from my dad's house. But you can use google earth to get sort of a view from across the canyon (on the way up the trail into Dusy basin), although the stream isn't that obvious with all the snow.

Guy

Well, I've been too lazy to go dig out my own pictures, but just found some on the web that are similar:

Backpacking Trip: Bishop Pass, Dusy Basin, Le Conte Canyon

Go down to the one labelled "Towards Le Conte Canyon. Citadel on the left.", and Hester lake is in the bowl just above the steep forested slope in the center. It also appears in the shot of "Langille Peak to the North", left of the peak and just above the level the picture was taken from, which gives you a better idea of the steepness of the slope.

Guy

 

[Hester Lake]

I am a non-diver who is writing a book about the Hester Lake and Huntington Lake B-24 Liberator crashes from December 6, 1943.

I would like to speak with any divers who have an interest in this subject. Did you ever dive in either lake?

What is your interest in the two B-24s? Is it historical? Curiosity? The challenge of high elevation diving? Do you have any information about the crew? Have you hiked to either lake to survey what a dive might be like?

Please respond to me via email with your name and phone number and the best time to contact you so I can give you a call.

Many thanks for your help and cooperation.

Peter
peter[at]FinalFlightTheBook.com