8/27
Back on the trail with my girl. We started backpacking together when she was just 6 months old and walked hundreds of miles between then and her 13th year. She’s took a 3 year break but came back stronger than ever with 2500 feet of elevation gain and 3 nights in the wilderness.
Day #1
3 miles
We took off from Sacramento at about 1:00pm for the 5 hour drive to the North Lake trailhead. Made good time with lots of good music selections from a very musical 16 year old. We pulled into the parking lot at about 5:30 and hit the trail just before 6:00 pm.
The trail started in a heavily forested area with a mix of pine and aspen. At about a mile we had a couple creek crossings over downed logs. Isabela did great. We continued on the continuous uphill over the next couple hours. In all today, we climbed about 1500 feet from the parking lot as the sun sank lower in the sky all the while. The trail followed the creek the entire 3 miles up to Loch Leven Lake where we arrived in the dark at 8:00 pm. We set up camp by headlight in the dark and fixed dinner in the dark. Had a bit of conversation while doing chores and went to bed at about 10:45. Long day. Good Day. Good to be back in the wilderness with my girl.
Day #2
3 miles
Woke up to a growling stomach. I don’t like store bought freeze dried meals. I never eat them and thought I’d try again. No more. Bee slept in and I listened to “Endurance”, the story of Ernest Shackleton's 1915 adventure. So inspiring in every way imaginable. After a light breakfast, we broke camp and hit the trail at 10 am. We walked 30 minutes up about 250 feet to Piute Lake and took a “pack off” break. I looked around a bit and was amazed at how many terrific campsites there were. A good place to come back. Climbed another 300 feet to Piute Pass at 11,400 feet. We took another “pack off” snack break before working past Summit Lake and then off trail for a bit to get to the top of Trout Lake. Here we set up camp, had lunch and went for a swim. Isabela washed up and read while I listened to a bit more of Endurance. Very relaxing afternoon. Tomorrow we plan to hike up the ridge next to us and hike up to Muriel and Gothe lakes. I’ve never been to either and am very excited. We plan to do a bit of a loop moving from the ones mentioned above to Wahoo Lakes before circling back to our campsite. Beautiful sunset tonight enhanced by some California wildfire smoke and a yummy dinner.
Day #3
3 miles
Woke up a couple times in the night smelling some smoke from all the CA fires. Woke up in the morning stuffy and sneezing AND to an allergy pill.
After breakfast and packing up for our day hike we set off across the creek we are camped at and up. We rose up about 250 feet to Miriam Lake, an amazing alpine body of water directly under “The Great Western Divide", a 16 mile long Sierra Nevada mountain range that forms part of the border between the Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Some of the summits of the Great Western Divide reach well over 13,000 feet (3,962 m). We sat for a bit at Muriel’s crystal blue shore, before deciding to climb another 300 feet to our southwest to Gothe Lake, also at the foot of the Great Western Divide and directly under Gothe Glacier. We ate, we chatted and I swam in the icy cold waters. I’d never been to either of these lakes before and both were spectacular.
Instead of looping over to Wahoo Lakes, Isabela chose a different descent and we hit Miriam Lake much farther down than on the way up which allowed us to explore the shoreline for a long way back. The water was amazing. Varying shades of blue depending on the depth of the water. Other times, when the wind picked up and the waves would roll towards the shore, the colors mixed into one which was a deep royal blue. We moved around about 1/3 of the lake to a point out of the wind and spread out on the flat rocks. We snacked, hydrated, and I swam once more in waters just barely warmer than earlier.
After a bit, we headed back down to our camp. Isabela had wisely washed all of her clothes before leaving for the day and set them out to dry. And dry they were. A perfect natural laundry “machine.” After unpacking we relaxed in our chairs before having dinner and watching the sunset. What a perfect day in every way. Planning on a 6 am wake up so we can get packed up to hit the trail. We’ve got to climb back to Piute Pass before our long 2000 foot drop back to the trail head.
Day #4
6.5 Miles
Up at 6 am and on the trail at 6:58 am. Brrrr it was cold today with ice on the tent that we packed up. Up and out of Hutchinson Meadow we climbed towards the top of Piute Pass knowing that everything would be down from there. About half way up we approached an older man moving slowly down the pass towards us. As we neared him, he looked vaguely familiar to me. We stopped and chatted with him a bit and in the conversation it hit me, I had met this man in Yosemite Valley two weeks before the world changed forever with Covid. We sat on a log and talked about life and the backcountry for over an hour. When we parted that day last February, he said, ”I’m sure I'll see you in the Sierras one day soon.” And just a mere 6 months later here we were crossing paths once again. Such a small world.
The hike back to the parking lot and down almost 2000 feet went quickly. The area was starting to fill with smoke and by the time we arrived at the car about 11:30 we were virtually smoked in and out just in time. This would be the start of the terrible fires in CA and Oregon that would virtually shutter the backcountry and all travel. We had timed it perfectly.
A stop at “The Barn” for some greasy food in Bridgeport and home before dinner. Another amazing trip. A trip that I’m so very grateful to have fit in. Not only did we thread the needle in terms of the smoke and fires, but I was able to spend time in the wilderness once again with my favorite hiking partner. I’m sure glad she’s back and I really look forward to hiking with her for years to come.
Back on the trail with my girl. We started backpacking together when she was just 6 months old and walked hundreds of miles between then and her 13th year. She’s took a 3 year break but came back stronger than ever with 2500 feet of elevation gain and 3 nights in the wilderness.
Day #1
3 miles
We took off from Sacramento at about 1:00pm for the 5 hour drive to the North Lake trailhead. Made good time with lots of good music selections from a very musical 16 year old. We pulled into the parking lot at about 5:30 and hit the trail just before 6:00 pm.
The trail started in a heavily forested area with a mix of pine and aspen. At about a mile we had a couple creek crossings over downed logs. Isabela did great. We continued on the continuous uphill over the next couple hours. In all today, we climbed about 1500 feet from the parking lot as the sun sank lower in the sky all the while. The trail followed the creek the entire 3 miles up to Loch Leven Lake where we arrived in the dark at 8:00 pm. We set up camp by headlight in the dark and fixed dinner in the dark. Had a bit of conversation while doing chores and went to bed at about 10:45. Long day. Good Day. Good to be back in the wilderness with my girl.
Day #2
3 miles
Woke up to a growling stomach. I don’t like store bought freeze dried meals. I never eat them and thought I’d try again. No more. Bee slept in and I listened to “Endurance”, the story of Ernest Shackleton's 1915 adventure. So inspiring in every way imaginable. After a light breakfast, we broke camp and hit the trail at 10 am. We walked 30 minutes up about 250 feet to Piute Lake and took a “pack off” break. I looked around a bit and was amazed at how many terrific campsites there were. A good place to come back. Climbed another 300 feet to Piute Pass at 11,400 feet. We took another “pack off” snack break before working past Summit Lake and then off trail for a bit to get to the top of Trout Lake. Here we set up camp, had lunch and went for a swim. Isabela washed up and read while I listened to a bit more of Endurance. Very relaxing afternoon. Tomorrow we plan to hike up the ridge next to us and hike up to Muriel and Gothe lakes. I’ve never been to either and am very excited. We plan to do a bit of a loop moving from the ones mentioned above to Wahoo Lakes before circling back to our campsite. Beautiful sunset tonight enhanced by some California wildfire smoke and a yummy dinner.
Day #3
3 miles
Woke up a couple times in the night smelling some smoke from all the CA fires. Woke up in the morning stuffy and sneezing AND to an allergy pill.
After breakfast and packing up for our day hike we set off across the creek we are camped at and up. We rose up about 250 feet to Miriam Lake, an amazing alpine body of water directly under “The Great Western Divide", a 16 mile long Sierra Nevada mountain range that forms part of the border between the Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Some of the summits of the Great Western Divide reach well over 13,000 feet (3,962 m). We sat for a bit at Muriel’s crystal blue shore, before deciding to climb another 300 feet to our southwest to Gothe Lake, also at the foot of the Great Western Divide and directly under Gothe Glacier. We ate, we chatted and I swam in the icy cold waters. I’d never been to either of these lakes before and both were spectacular.
Instead of looping over to Wahoo Lakes, Isabela chose a different descent and we hit Miriam Lake much farther down than on the way up which allowed us to explore the shoreline for a long way back. The water was amazing. Varying shades of blue depending on the depth of the water. Other times, when the wind picked up and the waves would roll towards the shore, the colors mixed into one which was a deep royal blue. We moved around about 1/3 of the lake to a point out of the wind and spread out on the flat rocks. We snacked, hydrated, and I swam once more in waters just barely warmer than earlier.
After a bit, we headed back down to our camp. Isabela had wisely washed all of her clothes before leaving for the day and set them out to dry. And dry they were. A perfect natural laundry “machine.” After unpacking we relaxed in our chairs before having dinner and watching the sunset. What a perfect day in every way. Planning on a 6 am wake up so we can get packed up to hit the trail. We’ve got to climb back to Piute Pass before our long 2000 foot drop back to the trail head.
Day #4
6.5 Miles
Up at 6 am and on the trail at 6:58 am. Brrrr it was cold today with ice on the tent that we packed up. Up and out of Hutchinson Meadow we climbed towards the top of Piute Pass knowing that everything would be down from there. About half way up we approached an older man moving slowly down the pass towards us. As we neared him, he looked vaguely familiar to me. We stopped and chatted with him a bit and in the conversation it hit me, I had met this man in Yosemite Valley two weeks before the world changed forever with Covid. We sat on a log and talked about life and the backcountry for over an hour. When we parted that day last February, he said, ”I’m sure I'll see you in the Sierras one day soon.” And just a mere 6 months later here we were crossing paths once again. Such a small world.
The hike back to the parking lot and down almost 2000 feet went quickly. The area was starting to fill with smoke and by the time we arrived at the car about 11:30 we were virtually smoked in and out just in time. This would be the start of the terrible fires in CA and Oregon that would virtually shutter the backcountry and all travel. We had timed it perfectly.
A stop at “The Barn” for some greasy food in Bridgeport and home before dinner. Another amazing trip. A trip that I’m so very grateful to have fit in. Not only did we thread the needle in terms of the smoke and fires, but I was able to spend time in the wilderness once again with my favorite hiking partner. I’m sure glad she’s back and I really look forward to hiking with her for years to come.