Olympic NP: Upper Lena Lake 9/3/2020

A section of the “trail”

I am hanging (parking) with a few friends over on this side so decided to do a hike whilst here. I was in Brinnon for a couple of days and the Lena lake trailhead was a short distance on good road. I had been here back in 2012 with my daughter doing the marmot survey...we camped at Upper Lena Lake and staged everyday out of there. It was a pleasant time with pleasant weather. I kinda sorta remember the trail being a bit tough but it was driven home this time. The topography dictates the limited places a trail can go here, especially on the last mile or so. The trail to Lena Lake is on NFS land but as one climbs to Upper Lena, you pass a NPS boundary sign. Sometimes very steep, rocky, rooty, brushy, and wet...with blowdowns. Don't misunderstand, it was, after all, a trail and not cross country. Most of the time. But once on the quest, there was no turning back, so I endured to the lake, had a nice snack, refilled my bottle and beat feet. I ran into 4 backpackers who were surprised at the condition and ruggedness of the trail, especially carrying large packs. On the way down I came upon a solitary day hiker who told me she had to turn around due to heart arrhythmia. Since we were near the regular Lena Lake trail I stuck with her to the parking lot, just in case she needed assistance (I had my InReach). Although having to stop just a couple of times, all was OK and she had a relatively short drive to her home in Olympia (she was a semi retired nurse). Now I'll just chill with the rear doors open to the water this weekend, as the influx of cars to the peninsula was astounding on Friday. I'll save further hiking for next week and beyond. Stats: 16 miles/4200'

Dewdrops on Fungi

Mt. Rainier: Crystal Mountain 2 Loops 8/29-30/2020

Ah, back in the PNW! Stopped by to say goodbye to the house, visited with the neighbor, registered the van in WA state (ouch!), other chores. Then it was, what to do for the weekend? I'll try to go snag a spot at White River at Rainier and do some training hikes. Ha Ha! I passed a few trailheads on the way, packed to the gills (Saturday morning)....even Poo Poo Point had no parking as I left Issaquah. And then I turned into the White River entrance and soon came to the backup with a glaring sign that said "Sunrise Parking Full." There goes my backup, just park at Sunrise and hike out of there. So I quickly did a U-ee and headed back down 410 to the Crystal Mountain turnoff. I know they have 40 spots in the B lot with electrical hookups ($40/night) and when I got there, I was surprised to see just 9 RVs. I snagged a good spot, plugged in and had lunch. Back in 2018 when I was doing the "Mt Rainier All Trails Project" I had planned on a nice loop to include the Crystal Mountain Trail and Northway Trail, as a portion dips into park boundaries. However, the weather was iffy and a buddy and I actually took the gondola up to check it out. While we were eating it started to snow (Sep 14). So we headed out on Northway and I did just enough to cover the portion that was inside the park boundaries.

Now the weather was fine, so I decided on a short loop before dinner as a pacing trainer. Yes, there were plenty of people on the trails, especially as the Silver Creek trail (along with the Crystal Mountain Trail) is how people descend from taking the Gondola up. However, it was getting later in the afternoon and the crowds noticeably thinned by the time I was back at the van 3 hours later. I felt good on the hike and looked forward to a longer loop on the morrow. Stats: 9.5 miles/2500'.

Climbing away from the lodge area at Crystal Mountain on the Silver Creek trail

Ah, van life. I woke up to no alarm, cranked the heat (36 in Enumclaw), made eggs and avocado garlic toast, watched a movie on NetFlix (good coverage here), then finally got out the door at 10 AM. Today I planned on the long loop, essentially starting the same as the day before but proceeding past Henskin Lake to the Crystal Mountain Trail, eventually taking me past the Gondola UMJ crowd to solitude on the Northway trail. I always thought a spot right before Grand Park had one of the best views, with the White River visible 2000' below streaming from the mountain. But this day there was a new contender; the mountain wasn't as near, but I could see a huge swath of the White River drainage 2000' below me. Awesome. I continued on solitary trail until it started the switchbacking descent all the way down to Sand Flats (3900'). Here I stopped for a break, then continued across the road to start another long ascent up to Norse Peak. Eventually one comes to the remainders of the Norse Peak fire in 2017, and the white spindly sticks still standing against the intense blue sky was pleasing to my eyes. I wasn't sure how much altitude I had done to that point, but I did not plan on doing the offshoot Norse Peak. The maps (and gps) showed that I would have to backtrack to get to the connector trail to the PCT, but I went past this point a bit anyway. Interestingly enough, on Strava it shows a trail connecting from Norse Peak over the other side, so perhaps I backtracked for no reason? As they say in Maine, WHATEVER, so my poor old legs went a striding to the PCT and I started southward. I finally ran into two northbound hikers, but otherwise, the trail was greeting only my feet at the moment. The day before I had climbed on the short loop to the PCT heading north, then taking the Boullion Basin trail back to the parking lot. Same heading south, but there was a short, steep connector trail to the Boullion Basin trail, saving me a little time. When I finally arrived at the van, there were less RVs (the following morning I was just one of 6). Some of the trails were gullied dust bowls so I had to whack the shoes and socks until the clouds of dust subsided before I could go inside to the waiting hot shower. It was only when I uploaded the Strava info that I knew how much I had done, and it felt like it.....24 miles and 6200'.

It was opportune that I stayed at Crystal vice White River as, especially on the long loop, there were new and far reaching vistas on basically lonely trail (once past the Gondola), making it a real pleasure for my first hikes back in this area since March.

Norse Peak fire remnants (2017)

Clouds A’gathering towards the end of the long loop from Crystal Mountain

Henskin Lake, which I passed on both loops out of Crystal Mountain

Sisters, OR: 3 Creeks Lake out n' back 8/26/20

I wasn’t sure what to expect on this one. I knew I was supposed to be back in the Seattle area on Aug 27th but my reservation for the 3 Creeks Lake campground showed through the 28th. No facilities, no water…I wondered what the road would be like going to this 6500’ campground? Turns out the road was paved most of the way, with a short unpaved but not too bad section leading past the popular lake to the end of the road, the campground. Most of these limited sites are reserved, and it was cozy enough, nestled in the woods. I arrived in time to make dinner and relax and walk the road checking out the lake as the sun was setting. I had a map of the area and decided on an out and back, heading towards the west to hopefully catch views of the 3 Sisters. Much of this area was burned about 10 years ago; with anticipation of climbing South Sister early the next day with a 1 and a half hour drive to the trailhead, I didn’t want to expend too much energy.

I woke to no alarm, made breakfast, and started out at 8:45 AM with clear skies and cool temps. There is another campground (tents only) further down the lake and it looked to be full, with lots of vehicles parked along the road. The night before there was an airplane circling about the lake for quite some time. I ran into the crew that came in that prior evening and contained the small fire, as they were already packing up and egressing. Hard work indeed, and much appreciated. The remainder of my day was transiting the burn area, pretty in its own right. If not for the burn, the views to the mountains beyond would have been obscured. I crossed some bubbling creeks and took note of the regrowth started in the small firs that had started up in various stages of height. Not quite sure when to turn around, I came across a small tarn with a grassy knoll and decided to have a snack there. 7 miles in, it seemed appropriate to turn back so as not to trash out the bod too much for the next day. On the return I ran into a fair number of hikers, learning that these trails are quite popular and a number of loops are available. Although not shown on the map, there is a loop around Broken Top….a local told me about it. Still, at 28 miles, it would have been a long day. I settled on my 14er and got back to my inviting van early in the afternoon, but as I was talking to my neighbors and drinking a beer, an InReach message came in from my wife telling me I had to sign closing papers at 6 PM the next day in Seattle. So much for doing South Sister before heading that way. However, with the whole permit system here (3 Sisters, OR area) on hold this year and postponed until 2021, I may just come back in September and spend a few days more, including the climb of South Sister and whatever else pops up. Seems every new area I am hitting is as splendid as the last, and the 3 Sisters Wilderness surely rates a return.

Contrasts in the Deschutes National Forest

Still standing

Old signs being engulfed by tree growth

Crater Lake NP: Mt. Scott/Garfield Peak/The Watchman/PCT/Rim Trail 8/23-24/2020

I departed my RV park at 7 AM with the intention of hitting Mt. Scott (8929’), the highest peak in the park, sometime in the morning before checking in to Mazama campground. The drive was relatively short, about 2 and a half hours, and I was able to hit the trail at 9:30. The smoke was thick, making any vistas hazy and indistinct. I really enjoyed this climb, however, as it was relatively mild (5 miles RT/1300’) and I was able to tool along at a good pace. I like being in shape and maybe 15 pounds lighter than my usual winter weight. I’m assuming this comes from the combination of hiking for two weeks with my daughter and the fact that I have to feed myself in the van. Soon enough I was on the broad summit, with hazy indistinct views in all directions….I couldn’t even make out the lake, it was all a white slurry vision. No sense hanging around, though the breezes were cool and stiff, so I descended into mouth juice hell at Rim Village. Packed on a Sunday, as to be expected, so I spent little time here and shot pics of the Crater Lake Lodge, open but only guests could enter the grounds. Nonetheless, this looks like a magnificent stay if the inside is anything like the outside. Luckily, parking was no issue and I left the zoo for Mazama Village and campground. I had booked the campground for two nights but my name was highlighted so I had to go inside and check in. While there I picked up some canned wine, beer and, in anticipation for a longer hike the next day, a very large Crater Lake Ale. Move over cheese, these things are taking priority in the fridge space.

I spent the afternoon doing chores. Van life is not all relaxing, it takes constant upkeep. I did two loads of laundry in the Scrubba and hung everything out to dry at the back of the van, swept and cleaned the floor, which is under constant bombardment from dust and dirt. Then I spent considerable time cleaning off the thousands of tiny insects from the windshield and front end; on the trip over there were swarms of them. Luckily, they had toasted enough in the afternoon sun to make fairly easy removal with some wipes. Then I orbited the inside, cleaning off my dusty handprints from the seats and generally wiping everything down. All told, I spent about 2 to 3 hours working on housekeeping. But of course, I was also partaking of a few of the beers I had bought, so no bother, I was feeling good. Finally it was time to make dinner. After doing the dishes, I took a nice hot shower and changed into sweats. I set one of my chairs up outside, read some of my book, and sipped some wine as the evening wore into eventual darkness. I experienced a profound sense of peace, thankful for good health and, after a lifetime of hard work, the ability to enjoy retirement without anything to worry about. .

Mt. Scott (8054’) Lookout, Crater Lake NP

No views today from Crater Lake Lodge

Day 2. I got up to my alarm at 6:10 AM….why set even numbers? I was anticipating a minimum 20 mile day and maybe 9 or 10 hours of hiking, so I cooked up a 3 egg omelet with all the fixins’. I had done most of my packing the night before so I merely had to change and head out the door. It’s a 5 mile trek to Rim Village via the Annie Springs Trail and connecting to the PCT. The crowds were noticeably thinner, with fairly empty parking lots, and I made a beeline past the Lodge to the start of the Garfield Peak (8054’) climb. Once again I found a mild trail and tooled up without stopping until the summit. The smoke was still around, although I was catching glimpses of blue skies, and I could actually make out some of the features of the lake. I ran down the trail, as it was very conducive to trotting, and passed through the Village and onto the Discovery trail, which after one mile becomes the Rim Trail. I ran into people near the vehicle turnoffs, but the sections in between were devoid of people. The Rim Trail reminded me of the Wonderland as it proceeds next to Mowich Lake, but the opening views were of course much more dramatic here. There were a lot of steepish ups and downs on this trail, but it generally climbs as it approaches the turnoff for The Watchman (8013’). This too was a gentle trail and I blasted up in short order, still feeling good. The lookout is an interesting stone and timber building, not the original based on the historic photos. These were probably the best views I had seen so far, as the afternoon winds seemed to help with dissipating the smoke. The blue skies were becoming clearer and the blue water was distinguishing itself from the white veil from the day before. Details of Wizard Island started to pop and, on my return leg, I could see the far side of the rim. The Rim Trail is very dramatic, with stone jutting, trees a treeing and steep drop-offs at every turn. Very enjoyable. Keeping track of my mileage, I anticipated a 23 mile day and this was about spot on. As for altitude, I have no idea as I write this….there is no cell service in Mazama campground, so Strava is a big zilch. Seems like I should have more than 3000’ on this trip at least….tomorrow will reveal….4600’ of climb.

The first thing I did when I got back to the van was take off my shoes and open that big Crater Lake Ale. My feet were so dusty I had to wash off outside before even thinking of taking a shower. But 80 percent of that big beer later, I did. I don’t need to get up early tomorrow so I’ll do the laundry in the morning, as my next camp spot near Bend has no facilities, including water. I’m not sure what I’m going to do there, but I did want to climb South Sister, which is 1 and a half hours from where I’m staying. I’ll figure it out. I’m basically on my last stop before arriving at my son’s place in Seattle. Lot’s to do there, but I think I’ll have some time to recreate in my old stomping ground, Mt. Rainier.

Blue is starting to appear from the summit of Garfield Peak (8054’), Crater Lake NP

The Watchman (8013’) Overlook, Crater Lake NP

Finally views across the lake, late afternoon on day 2, Crater Lake NP

Annie Falls, near Mazama campground, Crater Lake NP

Lava Beds National Monument/Klamath Wildlife Refuge 8/22/20

Sometime during the night while camped at Bunny Flat on Mt. Shasta, I could smell smoke. When I got up the skies were hazy and the smell of smoke hung in the air, even at 7000’. I made breakfast and packed up, and while on the down hill there was a distinct layer….the smoke was confined to about 6000’ and above. The tides had turned, my lofty respite from the haze these past two days was now invaded. I gassed up and headed north with an open night; I was thinking the Fremont-Winema National Forest for dispersed camping, then continuing on to my two nights already reserved at Crater Lake. I quite enjoyed Highway 97 with its long straight expanses and, although hovering at elevations around 5000’, not high enough to get into the smoke layer. With no time commitments I was just tooling along and saw a sign for the Lava Beds National Monument and made a spur of the moment decision to go there. The bonus of the day, however, was passing the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. So much fowl! This looked like a huge expanse of marsh and open water with thousands of birds. I stopped and broke out my telephoto, trying to capture some aerial follies. After a bit I continued on to Lava Beds and checked into the visitor center to get my cave pass. I made sure I only entered caves that were empty at the time….no sense being underground in a confined space with other people during Covid. Turns out there are more caves here than anywhere in the US, so I sampled a few then continued out of the park, stopping to take in the vast expanse of the lava fields. What a remarkable place! Sure glad I stopped, but I figure I can go where I please at the moment….Freedom!

One of the caves in Lava Bed National Monument

Heron on the downstroke

The vast expanse of the lava beds

That’s a whole lotta fowl!

Water Giraffe

Totally Tubular!

Mt. Shasta: Avalanche Gulch to 10,300' 8/21/2020

I fled the unhealthy air of Redding after prepping the van and decided not to return, saving myself almost 3 hours of driving after this day and reveling in clean air and cool breezes. I drove up the Everitt Memorial Highway to Bunny Flat (6950’) with the intention of saying there for the night. After lunch I departed around noon and made my way to Horse Camp, which has the iconic Sierra Club hut. There were a few people about but they soon left and I had a nice chat with the caretaker, socially distanced of course. The Avalanche Gulch climbing route has the quite interesting “Oberman’s Causeway”, a lengthy series of rocks put in place to prevent erosion. I had fun skipping along this path which went quite a distance, and it appears I missed the height of lupine bloom by a week or two. Nonetheless, the flowered meadows still had a bit of charm. Eventually these charms faded and I reacquainted myself with the joys of volcano climbing; scree and rocks. My intention was to reach 10,000’ and this milestone was reached in an opportune place, the last hummock at the snowfield before the climb just continues up to the pinkish top part in view. There are numerous wind break bivy spots here; makes a lot of sense for a two day climb. I enjoyed the cool breezes and expansive views in all directions, looking down on civilization and south to the smoky layers of hills. I also had a nice view of Green Butte, which I had climbed the day before, notable for its light brown shading in contrast to the surroundings. After a snack and some water, I started the descent at 3:30 PM with plenty of time to enjoy the afternoon sun on the way back to Bunny Flat.

The lookout of Oberman’s Causeway

Once again I was able to take a hot shower, change into clean clothes and cook a nice dinner, all the while with the van opened up with cool breezes keeping me company. Not many vehicles in the lot, and those thinned considerably as darkness fell….it is legal to overnight at Bunny Flat, but it seems with the onset of school (in one form or another), the crowds of July have dissipated, leaving me to my solitude on the trails once again. I’m enjoying the cellphone service here and had a nice chat with my wife and daughter, processed a few photos and am able to post this blog before I hit the hay. 9 PM is getting to be my bedtime on this trip, slowly eroding my night owl tendencies. This is not a bad thing. Todays stats: 8.7 miles/3400’

Mt. Shasta from 10,300’

Interesting features on the upper mountain

Shasta: Green Butte 8.20/2020

I’m on my way back north towards the Pacific Northwest, sadly leaving my daughter in LA and feeling a little lonely. I stayed in a hotel in Sacramento due to extreme heat and ash falling from the skies. On this day I had already booked an RV campground north of Redding but was looking at 100 degree days; indeed, when I arrived and checked in, it was 97. Thankfully I had plenty of time to head further north to Mt. Shasta and higher climes, where the temperatures were much cooler. I drove up to the parking lot at 7800’ where the old ski area used to be and found a very pleasant 73 degree temperature. My plan was to get in this short hike/scramble of Green Butte (9193’), make dinner in the van in the parking lot, set the van up for sleeping and depart as the sun was going down for the RV park, 1 hour and 15 minutes away. I figured by the time I returned the temperatures would be in the 70’s.

Green Butte (9193’) is not so green

Well, all went according to plan. I had a very pleasant ascent, with no one else on the trail this time of evening….I started the hike at 4:20 PM. Not sure where to depart the trail and start the scramble, I circled around a bit high but eventually made my way to the base of the butte. I have this propensity for going straight up summit scrambles, and I hugged the wall on steep slippery scree and choss. Not the best line but it got the job done, and soon enough I was on the ridge leading to the easy summit. With the late afternoon sun I enjoyed 360 degree views and chilly winds, quite a change from the over baked environs of California of late. I was also surprised to see I had good cell reception, so I took a chance that my daughter was home from work at 5:30 and FaceTimed her. To my delight she answered and got to share the summit views with me; aint technology grand! After a bit I reluctantly said goodbye and headed back down on a gentler arc, arriving at the van shortly thereafter at about 6:20 PM. Plenty of time to prepare the murphy bed and cook dinner; pasta with spinach, Market herbs (from Pike Place Market in Seattle, great stuff), grated cheese, olive oil and pepper. The sun was going down and there were a few people in the lot taking it all in. I cleaned up and drove away, passing the long boarders in the process. I stopped lower down hoping to get some pics as they passed by, but I didn’t have the camera set quite right and most of the promising shots were blurry. One of them saw me and cut between me and the van whilst hauling ass, these guys were skilled and really enjoying themselves. I descended the winding but very nice road and arrived back at my site at 9 PM, plenty of time to take a hot shower and relax on my bed with the rear doors open, looking at the photos and posting this blog while sipping a nice glass of Pinot Grigio. Welcome to retirement.

Some skilled long boarders doing the upper section of the ski lift road

Late afternoon light highlights the flower fields on the trail for the old ski area

Lassen National Park 8.12-8.14, 2020

After spending two days in a full service RV park, we headed further north to Lassen National Park. On the way we did a food pickup in Sacramento that my wife had previously ordered, restocking the van for the next week. After almost 20 years of camping in my Chevy Avalanche, the luxury of a fridge, standup room, shower and furnace is still sinking in. The Solis has a pop top with a 77" long bed, which is where my daughter slept every night. I would get up and pass up hot tea to her while the van was heating up from the morning cold....I find setting the thermostat to 65 keeps it from getting too chilly. We were staying in a NP campground so no services except running water; I made a few trips schlepping a 5 gallon container to keep us topped up over 4 days. The Butte Lake campground is plenty roomy, with lots of space between sites and nestled in the woods.

Day 1   We got up, not too early, and headed out on our loop right out of the campground. First up and close was a climb up Cinder Cone, very interesting with nice views, and we managed to be the first up....this is THE hike out of Butte Lake, so everyone in the campground plus day hikers were right behind us. However, once we exited the cone, we spent the rest of the day, in August in a National Park, with the trails essentially to ourselves. We headed for Rainbow Lake, then Snag Lake, and finally the east side of Butte Lake for about 17 miles, depositing us back at our campsite late afternoon. To be fair, we did run into two horseback riders and 3 backpackers when we were towards the end of our hike....so crowded! The day was warmish but we were unburdened with small day packs, so very manageable. Back at the campsite we were making pasta in the van and partaking of a big bottle of wine.

Lone tree on top of Cinder Cone, Lassen NP

A little color along the Rainbow Lake/Snag Lake loop out of Butte Lake Campground, Lassen NP

Day 2   We decided to day hike again out of the campground and save the 1.5 hour drive to do Lassen Peak for day 3. East Prospect Peak was on the agenda, pretty lonely but we did cross paths with a group of 4 close to the top. Strava had us hiking 8 miles and climbing 2300' over 3.5 hours on this one, just right for a leg toner but back early enough to beat the heat.

Shasta to the north from East Prospect Peak, Lassen NP

Day 3   The alarm was set for 5:30, as we had a long drive and some construction delays to contend with to do Lassen Peak, plus we wanted to start fairly early. When we finally arrived at the parking lot (8500') there were a fair number of cars and hikers, but the lot wasn't even half full. We found this popular hike rather enjoyable, as the trail is graded well with plenty of switchbacks to make the going fairly easy....it climbs 2000' in 2.5 miles to 10,500'. There is some easy scrambling to get over the snowfield to the summit proper, and we were early enough to have a little time on the summit to ourselves. To this point the majority of hikers were wearing masks, but as we descended the later crowd was a majority of UMJs (Unmasked Mouth Juicers). Is it so hard? Our descent was fast and we were glad to get this done earlier rather than later, but indeed it was a very enjoyable climb with fantastic views, well worth the trip over. From here we proceeded further into the park to enjoy amazing views of the old Caldera, stretching from Lassen Peak to Broken Top Mountain. We proceeded towards the southwest entrance and stopped for a foot soak at Emerald Lake and witnessed the bubbling gray fountain of Sulphur Works. A few times we pulled over to enjoy the very interesting and varied views on this side of the park. We wanted to hike the Bumpass Hell trail (who wouldn't?) but the parking lot here was overflowing with...you guessed it.....UMJs. Maybe next time. This time it was back to Butte Lake and the bumpy 6.4 mile final stretch to the campsite, where we once again relaxed. I cleaned up while Cassie swam in the lake, I cooked dinner, finished off the wine, and generally relaxed and talked about the sights we had seen that day, and how surprisingly beautiful Lassen NP was. As I write this I am back at Cassie's apartment, after driving 2 days taking the scenic Route 1 through Big Sur (gas, $6.59/gal!). Soon I will depart and head north again, during the worst heat wave in CA in 10 years, to hopefully the cooler climes of the Seattle area. Happy Hiking!

A section of the Lassen Peak trail, Lassen NP

Daughter on the Lassen Peak summit (10,500’)

Part of the old Lassen caldera, Lassen NP

Yosemite National Park 8.5-8.9, 2020

Day 0    After a day of recovery from our Sequoia trip, my daughter and I drove up to Yosemite with permits in hand for day use and backpacking. Once acquiring the proper tag for the van, our plan was to drive into Yosemite Valley this first day just to see it...our backpack was for the southern part of the park starting out of Chilnualna Falls trailhead. Although we thought the valley was rather crowded, apparently it was much less so because of the Covid restrictions that were in place. We always had a place to park if we wanted to stop and take in the views, and some of the trails were actually kinda empty. Unfortunately, there were still plenty of UMJs (Unmasked Mouth Juicers) but we managed to keep appropriate distance most of the time. We went up the Mist trail to Vernal Falls, and although crowded by our standards we had plenty of alone time on this trail late afternoon, as there seemed to be a mass exodus starting about 4 PM. Once back on the trail paralleling the river there were far less people. As we drove back out of the valley we stopped a few times to take photos in the late afternoon light. We exited the park and stayed at a campground right outside the south entrance.

Yosemite Valley view

The Mist Trail, Yosemite NP

Day 1   This required careful planning food wise, as it is not legal to leave any food in your vehicle, or any scented items like toothpaste. We had planned our food, both dry and refrigerated, to be mostly gone by then and stored everything (including coffee pods) in the bear lockers at the trailhead. Bears have been known to cleverly break into vehicles, walking atop RVs and trying to get in the MaxxAir vents, etc, hence the restrictions....only in California! All buttoned up tight, we started our backpack on the Chilnualna Falls trail.

We scaled back our ambitious original loop due to my daughter's sketchy swollen ankle from the previous trip, capping our days to less than 15 miles. As we climbed ever higher we came across a wonderful granite pool, where we stopped to soak our feet and take in the views. From this point on, over the course of 4 days, we would run into a total of 4 people. My daughter had purposefully avoided planning anything out of the valley (no permits were available anyway) thinking that the less visited southern part of the park would be better. This first day we would spend walking through the Sierra woods, thinking some high alpine lakes (over 8000') on the trail would be like hiking in the Enchantments (or Sequoia). We were surprised to find marshy and wooded lakes at this altitude and became worried that our stopping point might not be so great in this environment. However, after an entire day of forest hiking, we popped up a little higher to the wondrous Royal Arch Lake in time for the evening light show. There were a couple of campers on the other side of the lake (we found out two days later they were there for 4 days fishing). Otherwise, no backpackers, and we essentially had the lake to ourselves, with plenty of time for Cassie to set up her hammock, make dinner and simply relax.

The pool below Chilnualna Falls, Yosemite NP

The marshy Crescent Lake, Yosemite NP

Royal Arch Lake, Yosemite NP

Day 2    This day we weren't sure where to stay or how far to go, as the ankle was always suspicious. We headed towards Merced Pass and decided later on for Lower Ottoway Lake. Again, all day was spent in the forest, but as we climbed towards the lake we could see it would be open with views of surrounding peaks. I forged ahead of my daughter on the climb to make sure I didn't miss the evening light on the lake, and arrived with perfect timing. I dropped the pack and scurried to and fro, capturing different angles of this magnificent lake. Unbeknownst to me, my daughter had a sudden food crash after I was out of earshot, and of course I was carrying all the food. She was not happy, to say the least. I know, I've been there, where I've had to stop on trail and "EAT NOW!" She survived the rest of the climb, and when she arrived I had taken my photos and proceeded to make dinner. And yes, this magnificent lake, nestled in the surrounding peaks that reflected different colors in the slanted evening light, WAS DESERTED. We had the lake to ourselves with a perfect bivy spot once again...in the middle of August in Yosemite…..on a weekend.

Trail below Lower Ottoway Lake, Yosemite NP

Lower Ottoway Lake, Yosemite NP

Day 3   Another glorious night with the waning moonlight had us awaken with no alarm. We lounged until 9 and finally started our journey back the way we came, as our scaled back plans excluded the loop previously planned. Once again we hiked all day in the forest, taking appropriate breaks and enjoying the mostly cool air above 8000'. And once again we stayed at Royal Arch Lake with no other backpackers. A gentleman from the other party did stop by to take photos and chat, so we learned he had been coming here since the 70's and was the same group we had seen two days prior. More photos of the lake, more lounging, more cheesecake.

Sunset from Royal Arch Lake, Yosemite NP

Day 4   Now it was mostly a downhill hike back to the van, and we stopped at the same places to soak our feet. As expected, as we passed the falls we started seeing some day hikers close to the trailhead, but still not so many. When we arrived at our van (thankfully showing no bear paw prints on the doors or windows), we collected our food from the locker and headed out a different entrance from the valley to spend two days at a quaint RV park, nestled in the trees with strung lights and full hook up service. We cleaned up, did laundry and generally relaxed before heading further north to Lassen NP.

A singular bloom across Royal Arch Lake, Yosemite NP

Sequoia National Park: Nine Lakes Loop 8.1-8.3, 2020

Day 0 My wife and I worked tirelessly for months finishing renovating our house to prep for sale. Just one week prior to my planned departure date for California, where my daughter and I planned on a two week trip through some national parks, I finally took delivery of a Winnebago Solis (class B), driving to Montana and back in the process. I was able to depart on time, and we started out in Sequoia National Park. Our first day upon arrival had us staying outside the park, but we were able to spend a few hours at the south entrance hiking the local trails and trying to grasp the splendor of these engorged towering trees. Even the burn survivors were gorgeous, with new bark slowly encasing the black remnants of a long ago fire. Simply magnificent. We also saw a bear as we approached our parking area but neither of us was able to get a good focus on the bruin through the undergrowth.

Big Tree Trail, Sequoia NP

The Foundation

Day 1 We finally arrived at Mineral King and found a place to park on the side of the road, thankfully fairly level as we stayed in the van returning at night on our last day. We had a planned itinerary (Cassie did all the planning for this and subsequent trips in CA), which was the usual; suffer on a long first day into the night and cover some mileage. After some elevation and time, we both came to the conclusion that a high mileage day with 8000 feet of climb wasn’t going to happen. Thankfully, once on the trail our permit was good for anywhere. With both of us suffering more than anticipated, we hiked the Timber Gap trail towards Redwood Meadow. By the time we reached Bear Paw and the start of the High Sierra Trail, it was already dark. We hiked into the evening and found a spectacular place to bivy on the trail cut into a sheer rock face, right before Hamilton Lakes.

Our bivy spot below Hamilton Lakes, Sequoia NP

Day 2 We got up early and headed for Hamilton Lake, now able to fully appreciate the rocky faces we were traversing. Towering granite was to our left and right, the views were truly eye popping. We took a short break at Lower Hamilton Lake and eventually started our climb towards Kaweah Gap at 10,700 feet, passing a small tarn before the magnificent Precipice Lake. With a sheer rock face on the opposite side, the name was truly apt. Another break was in order in this astounding place, but still behind schedule we moved on to Kaweah Gap. We ran into Geof and Matt (both from CA) here for the second time and had a nice chat, just two of only a handful of people we had seen on the trail so far. It was funny trying to verbally coach them on the Willis Wall pose, but they got it after the picture and will now help spread this pose throughout CA…..bwahahaha!

Sometimes struggling with feeling quite puny, we both trudged on towards Little Five Lakes, where once again we found a place to bivy well after darkness fell. During the day, when we were feeling low, always our spirits were boosted by the never ending parade of Sierra spectacle, the views were simply sublime.

Geof and Matt (CA), attempting the Willis Wall Pose via verbal coaching at Kaweah Gap

High Sierra Trail below Hamilton Lakes

The aptly named Precipice Lake, Sequoia NP

Day 3 We wanted to be closer to our exit at Mineral King to finish this approximately 45 mile loop, but alas, our puniness hampered fast speeds. Sometime right after Big Five Lakes, I heard my daughter cry out and looked back to see one foot in front and a leg twisted under her….she had slipped on a rock and twisted her right ankle, landing on her left knee. A quick assessment determined she could continue, but the rest of the hike necessitated even slower pacing and careful footwork. The abuse seemed to keep coming, but then we ambled up the Lost Canyon Trail to ever more spectacle. I tried wide angle, panoramas, multiple overlapping shots and video, but the no camera could capture the grandness of the views both left and right. How could we not stop at the creek and sit on a grassy knoll, soaking our feet in the cold water? Impossible to just blow through here, lingering was a must. One of the most beautiful alpine places I have seen, rivaling anything experienced so far in my 40 years of hiking….my daughter was in complete agreement.

No camera can capture the splendor of Lost Canyon, Sequoia NP

Above Hamilton Lake, Sequoia NP

Eventually schedule beckoned and we departed for Columbine Lake and our highest point on this loop, Sawtooth Pass at 11,700 feet. It was a pull up to Columbine but the lake is a classic high alpine water bowl, surrounded only by rock and scattered grass and flower patches eking out an existence in improbable places. Oh, what a trudge up to the pass, always wondering where the pass was. When we finally reached it, my daughter said “a pass is supposed to be lower than the surrounding peaks!” And I probably don’t want to go into the navigation from Sawtooth Pass down to Monarch Lake. I’m sorry, but scouting ahead, below, left and right, I found no discernible trail; Cassie had to carefully make her way down with her bad ankle on scree, slanted rock, foliage hiding marmot holes and generally all manner of ankle twisting impedimenta. Even when we arrived at Monarch Lake and looking back, no trail was to be found visually, and despite showing us right on top of it with GPS, well, it just wasn’t happening. Akin to the Dune series, we experienced no-pass and no-trail in one day. We were quite thankful to have reached Monarch when it was still light and we refilled our water and ate dinner before departing in the dark for our waiting mobile man cave at Mineral King, happy to find that the car munching marmots (yes, that’s a thing….many vehicles had tarps protecting their undersides from hose and wire gnawing teeth… only in California!) had spared our vehicle.

Yes, we made it with no further injury, but the lateness necessitated sleeping at the trail head and departing early the next morning down that horror of a road, made even worse by constantly riding the brakes despite being in second gear the entire time.

Once the pain subsided and the serpentine road was behind us, we both agreed that the vistas in Sequoia on the Nine Lakes loop made every painful moment well worth it. What a splendid place!

Little 5 Lake in the morning, Sequoia NP

Sawtooth Pass (11,700’) with Columbine Lake below