First off, I’d like to thank this group and community for providing such a great service to anyone that loves this area of California and beyond. Whether you know it or not, you’ve probably provided me some good info in regards to gear, trip reports, weather planning, and so many other areas. I’ve really learned A LOT by lurking around these boards. I wanted to post this much earlier, but a ton of things have happened in “real” life that have prevented me from sitting down and trying to collect my thoughts about this trip.
This was my first ‘real” trip of more than 3 days and to areas that are more than a day away from a TH. I was deciding on this loop or the Rae Lakes loop, and decided on this one for a few reasons. I think I made the right choice as this trip provided more scenery and lessons than I could have anticipated. This was exactly what I was looking for. I knew I would be trying out a few pieces of gear on this trip, and I can safely say that with a few changes that were made as a result of this trip, this newbie has my gear dialed in. I apologize in advance if my fingers take over and this thing gets too lengthy!
Day 1- September 16, 2017- The drive up and hike in: The plan was to drive in, park the car at South Lake and hitchhike to N. Lake. All went according to plan besides taking much longer to get a ride to N. Lake than expected. After almost giving up and almost deciding to drive to N. Lake myself and just explore Humphreys basin for a few days, a van pulled up and offered a ride to wherever I needed to go. Perfect! The plan was to get to the basin that day, but because of the longer than normal to drive from orange county, get permit, lunch, park car, get situated and hitch a ride, I didn’t get on the trail until about 2:30 PM. I made my way through gorgeous aspen forests and admired the Piute Crags on my way to Piute Lake, where I made my first camp. I was a little discouraged about not getting to Humphreys Basin that night since I would have a longer than planned day 2. All in all, it was a great day and I was just glad to be in the backcountry. I had Piute Lake all to myself as far as I could tell, had a quiet dinner and a cold evening, just the way I like it.
Day 2- September 17, 2017- Piute Lake to Piute Trail/ JMT junction: After a decent night of sleep, I awoke at dawn and made my normal breakfast and then hurried to pack up and hit the trail. I knew I had a small climb to Piute pass and then a mostly downhill day from there. My first night in my new WM bag kept me very toasty, almost too warm. The temps were probably in the mid 30’s, but I was perfectly warm with my kindle to end the previous night. Hiking up to Piute pass was great, crossing a small snowfield, I was eager to get there to see the vast basin I knew would be before me. It was absolutely gorgeous. I remember being so eager to get some great photos of this area, but also slightly intimidated about walking into such a vast and unforgiving area. I had been checking the weather religiously before the trip to ensure it would be on my side, but I know weather in this area can change in a matter of hours. I would later experience that first hand. The hike through Humphreys Basin was incredible. The scenery is off the charts, and I remember thinking to myself, “this place is so scenic, even the most skilled and imaginative Disney animator couldn’t re-create this if they tried”. The meadows, the small streams, the rock formations, all against a backdrop of grey peaks. I was so blown away I forgot to take any photos. Ugh, looks like I’ll have to return soon to try and capture some of the scenery. The rest of the hike for the day was a slog. Mostly covered by forest and an occasional small meadow, I was looking forward to the downhill portion to be over. The hike to the JMT junction seems to take forever. I think Humphreys Basin spoiled me. I finally made it to the junction and continued about 0.5 miles past the bridge in order to find a decent spot to camp. Most of the flat areas were already taken, so I settled on a rocky, slanted and not-so-scenic spot perched above the river. Ugh, I would pay for that all night having to brace myself from sliding down my sleeping pad. After a quick dip and dinner, I decided to pour some scotch, break out the kindle and retire to the tent early, around 7:00.
Day 3- September 18, 2017- Piute Trail/ JMT junction to Sapphire Lake: After a fitful night of sleep and uneventful morning, I got on the trail around 7:00AM. Something funny happened that I wouldn’t realize made sense until I got home- The previous night of sleep was rough to say the least, and I was in a really bad mood when I got to camp the previous night, but I realized I had a more positive outlook as I began hiking the next morning. The weather was perfect, my pack felt great and I just had a different amount of energy and different outlook than the previous day. I just suspected I was getting my legs used to hiking with a pack and that I was extra excited to hike through evolution valley, Evolution Meadow, McClure meadows and Evolution lake, all places I had read and watched so many videos about. Just like Humphreys Basin, I was blown away by the scenery. Places like this that make you feel so small are really what I come out here for. The ascent was great, and I finally came to the conclusion that I like climbing A LOT more than I like descending. I ran into a couple of guys doing a similar loop that were headed to Sapphire Lake for the night. I figured that would be my stopping point for the day if I made it to Evolution Lake at a decent hour. Cresting the climb into Evolution Lake at about 2:00, I continued on to Sapphire Lake. I got a spot that required about a 100’ off trail scramble, onto a perch overlooking the lake. Such a perfect place to make camp. More Scotch, more stargazing and a perfect night.
Day 4- September 19, 2017- Sapphire Lake to below Dusy Basin: The previous night was perfect, even though I was constantly interrupted by wind. I guessed gusts got into the 25-30 MPH range, but it was really hard to tell. It was one of those nights where you could hear the wind howling down the canyon about 5-10 seconds before it hit your tent. After packing up and hitting the trail, I hiked along the stretch of trail that I consider to be the most scenic. Past Wanda Lake and up to Muir pass- this is the area I had really been looking forward to. I realized I’ll take tree-less, alpine valleys and lakes over forested trail any day. I absolutely loved the climb to Muir pass and felt such a sense of accomplishment. After hanging out in the hut eating and taking photos for about an hour, I decided it was time to head out. I was sad to leave such an amazing place, chatting with folks who all share a common love of the outdoors. Another lesson for me was realized here: I don’t necessarily need (or even want) to have complete solitude while backpacking. I enjoy the brief conversations I have with other people along the trail. This might be because I’m such an introvert at home, or because I’m hiking solo and look forward to any interaction, but I enjoy hearing about other people’s journeys and stories. While continuing down into LeConte Canyon, I chatted with a guy on trail that mentioned there was an incoming storm approaching and that it was cold and was expected to drop 6-12” of snow on the area. This immediately freaked me out, as I have no experience with being in the backcountry in a snow storm, especially a late fall storm that reminded me of the one that I had read about that trapped a hiker on Bishop Pass the previous October. With that new bit of info in my mind, I picked up the pace to make it to the Leconte ranger station to get more info about the storm and what they were expecting. I was initially planning on camping somewhere near the ranger station and then making my way to Dusy Basing for the night. After talking to the ranger, I decided to keep going to Dusy Basin that night and make my exit the following day before the storm hit, cutting my trip short by an entire day. After ascending Muir Pass and descending into LeConte Canyon the same day, the climb into Dusy basin proved to be brutal, so I made camp about halfway up at an established site next to a stream. More Scotch, a peaceful dinner with a family of deer and my day was done. Sapphire lake almost to Dusy Basin. My body and mind were tired, but I knew I would be rising EXTRA early to beat out the storm before it rolled in.
Day 5- September 20, 2017- The hike out and lessons learned: My alarm went off at 2:30 AM and I was on the trail by 3 am. This was really disappointing since I really wanted to see Dusy Basin, but I went through the entire basin in the dark, only my headlamp and nervous thoughts to guide the way. I had never hiked alone in the dark alone, and it was freezing cold and quiet. I was definitely far outside of my previous experience and slightly outside of my comfort zone. I had to keep reminding myself of my options: stay in Dusy basin and risk being snowed in for a few days, wake up at a regular hour and risk being at the top of the pass while a major snowstorm made its way through, or wake up early and hike in the dark to make it back to S. Lake. I chose the last option. I can see how the thought of hiking alone in the dark, in the freezing cold, seeing the reflection of eyes that turn out to be deer can be nerve wracking. But this experience is something that I will never forget. All 5 of my senses were in overdrive and I felt more alive than I ever have in my entire life. Watching the sun rise atop Bishop Pass with clear skies was truly life changing. I know it sounds corny, but that was a moment I’ll never forget. Most importantly, my fear of being trapped in a snowstorm was over, but I couldn’t help but think of the fellow from last year who didn’t make it. The hike from Bishop Pass to the TH was gorgeous, though it seemed endless. I could not wait to be back at the car, and then I remembered I had to tack on an additional mile since I had to park just past Parchers resort due to the TH parking being full. I finally made it, had a quick rinse in the river next to the road, changed clothes and headed home. A very successful trip with unbelievable scenery and lots of lessons learned. I can finally say that I’ve completed one of the classic hikes in the Sierra Nevada.
Regarding my 3rd day on trail and why I feel I had such a change of energy- as soon as I got home, my wife informed me that the night of the 17th or early in the morning the 18th, my grandmother had passed away at her home. I normally wouldn’t mention this as it seems to have nothing to do with my trip, but I really felt something different that morning. It was weird and unexplainable until I got home. Looking back on it, I felt such an immense and obvious positive outlook that can only be explained by something like this. It is something I’ve never felt before and haven’t felt since. It almost as though my grandmother was pushing me along, even though I didn’t know it at the time. This trip was filled with ups and downs, but it definitely taught me lessons and offered experiences I will never forget.
Lessons learned:
***Always pick a completely flat spot to camp. Waking up repeatedly pinned against the wall of your tent several times per night is really annoying. Lesson learned here for sure
***In regards to gear, I was using quite a bit for the first time- sleeping bag, super feet insoles, and shoulder clip for DSLR. All of that worked great. The piece of gear that let me down was one that I have used before but disappointed me this time around- my pack. I had an osprey atmos 65 AG. For whatever the reason, it would not stay around my waist, kept on slipping and rubbing my backside. No matter how tight I had the hip belt, it would slide down, forcing me to do the “jump-adjust” shuffle about once every 5 minutes or so. After doing some more hikes fully loaded once I got home, I decided to grab a new pack.
***Solitude and privacy aren’t my main concerns when on trail. I obviously don’t want to be camped right next to people and can’t stop and talk to everyone, but I hear a lot of people complain about the “traffic” on the JMT or the frustration with not having a lake all to themselves. Not me- I actually enjoy the camaraderie and conversation. People on trail are an interesting bunch and have a lot of advice and knowledge to offer.
***Times when things don’t go according to plan/ Getting outside of your comfort zone is when the most memorable and beneficial things happen. I’ve learned this on personal vacations before, but this point for me is intensified more when you literally have everything you need on your back
***Cramming miles is not my thing. After getting home and realizing I had taken barely any photos, I want to focus more on talking it slow and stopping often to take in the views and try to photograph them more. 9-11 miles is my sweet spot I think. That will allow me to stop often, take photos, take a dip when I feel like it and not kill my feet.
***Always stop at the ranger station and ask about the weather- I could have easily passed the guy on trail who gave me the heads up about the approaching weather. That conversation proved to be extremely useful and changed the course of my entire trip.
Hopefully I didn’t drone on too much just wanted to make sure I captured as much of this trip as I could. I could go on and on about more details, but I have more trips to plan!
Thanks for reading (if you’ve made it this far)
