High Sierra Topix

Every two years our dear friends from Vermont, first met in Alaska 30 years ago, come out west to enjoy the Sierra Nevada mountains. They are super solid hikers, and passionate naturalists, so we love the opportunity to put together a nice wild trip for them. This was the biggest group of friends we have ever hiked with, since we all share a wonderful friendship with our long time backpacking buddy Carleton, whose partner Diana was also able to join us. So, 6 people and 3 dogs went in via the tough old Pine Creek trail, staggering up the 2,860 feet and 6 miles to upper Pine Lake on our first day. One amazing thing about the Pine Creek area is the fascinating geology one finds there. We never tire of seeing those crazy looking dark mountains, shot through with thick white dikes and veins of light granite. I only got a couple decent photos of that wild formation:



The same formation appears on the south side of the valley.


The itinerary was to head over Pine Creek Pass on the second day, and camp by one of the lower lakes on the south side of French Canyon, either L Lake, or Moon, or Elba. We narrowed the many options for entering Bear Basin to the route over Feather Pass from the Mirriam - LaSalle Lakes Basin. We would spend a couple days there fishing and exploring in Bear Basin, and then exit via Dancing Bear and Italy Pass, and return down through Granite Park. That's a sketch of our route; we needed to limit the length since two of our party had to leave and be back home on the 7th day. So the remote area of West Pinnacles Creek was cut out, and so was White Bear Pass, and the nice long walk around Italy Lake. Dancing Bear-Italy Pass is a very straightforward path that I knew we could all make. This is one of the easiest routes in and out of Bear Basin, though cgunderson will make a case for his West Feather, or "Feather Light Pass" in lieu of Feather Pass, and he's right. I considered taking that easier pass, but then decided that the view directly up at the jagged ridge of Feather Peak was worth the trouble. From a camp down by Vee Lake, one gazes up at Feather Peak in the golden afternoon light. It is a beautiful sight, like a Cheyenne Chief's headdress, and so I wanted my friends to see it up close so that later on, the sunset views of it would be more intimate. We all got to see that fine mountain in wonderful light as we passed under it. Here's what it looked like on Feather pass:

Feather Peak.

The "feathers" on the northern ridge of the peak.


Our goal was to take this first trip easy, and instead of the ever more popular, "farther and faster" MO, we would aspire to just go slow. With three avid ornithologists, and 3 simple bird-lovers, nearly every feathery creature was stopped for. Amazing to Lizzie and me, that the slightest note was immediately identified by species, and then whether it was a song, or call, or distress signal, or whether the bird wanted a beer. Lizzie is a fast study on bird calls and songs, but I need to work on it. Certain favorites stick in my mind, and ones with catchy mnemonics, like the Olive-sided flycatcher's: "Quick three beers!" Lizzie and I at least do our part in locating the feathery friends, and by adding our own small expertise in the green and rocky things. Our friends are equally interested in all animals, insects, plant life, and the rocks too, so all we could manage was a bit over 5 miles per day, though we spent 8-9 hours on or off the trail. There was also a lot of swimming-- both people and dogs. It was a very pleasant trip for a bunch of aging naturalists.

Let's return to the beginning of our trip, from the Pine Creek TH.


The forest belt of lower Pine Creek.

Part of the crew, raring to go!


The first few miles of this trail are by far the hardest. You walk a steep old converted mining road, and much of the surface is composed of maddeningly unstable, egg to fist-sized loose rock. Going up slow is okay, but racing back down toward pizza and beer proved disastrous for me. Upon our return, I developed bursitis in one hip and am currently reduced to curses, crutches and drugs.


Soon you reach brilliant lake country, the first is Lower Pine Lake.

A nice rock bridge. This is the last of Bearzy's packing, as he developed a limp. 7 more lbs for me!



Right out of the gate we saw amazing birds: Green-tailed towhees and Western tanagers, and later we also met Mountain bluebirds in the lovely lower canyon of Pine Creek. Also, some of our favorite flowers were in full bloom-- Mariposa lily, Columbine, Larkspur, Leopard Lily, Pink paintbrush, and even Opuntia cactus was blooming:

Mariposa lily.

Opuntia, aka "Prickly pear," or "Beaver tail."

Columbine.

Wyoming paintbrush, Castilleja linariifolia.

We tried to soak up the forest sights, which are very fine in lower Pine Creek.  This trip into the Merriam-LaSalle Lakes Basin, to Bear Basin, and on through Dancing Bear/Italy Pass, and Granite Park is a study in rocky starkness.  Our first and last days of this 8 day trip would be our greenest days.  French Canyon also is not too stark, with tree-line forest mixed with intense flower blooms, surrounding the many lakes.  Originally we thought to stay 2 days there to fish some of the upper lakes, and enjoy long day hikes or climbs, but the shorter number of days foiled that plan.  Upper French Canyon is a great place for a basecamp, as there are many destinations one can reach from there, and the place itself is beautiful.  The view west from the lakes is brilliant, as is the view up at the peaks of Royce Lakes Basin.  That might be my first choice of a French Canyon day hike-- up into Royce Lakes in the early morning, climb up something, or mill around fishing and swimming till the afternoon light shines up all of the mountains to the east, from the craggy ridge south of Four Gables, to great Mount Humphreys.  


Here we all are just south of Pine Cr. Pass, entering French Canyon.  If only you could see all of the lakes that are hidden in this view. (and if only I could find the fish hidden in those lakes!)


Look at the difference between a wet and dry year.  The snowy picture below was taken of the same area seen in the photo above, though slightly later-- in July of 2019. Note- the peak at the far right below, is the same peak seen in the center frame of the one above.



My wife Lizzie was stoked to be back in the Sierra after a long absence.  She happens to love lupines, and they were in peak bloom!



We chose to camp at Moon Lake.



Moonset and sunrise.



Our next camp by Lake Merriam is just 5 miles away, under the shaded peaks right of center.


Carleton with the Royce Lakes Basin waterfall across the canyon.


We were all grateful that Carleton was so quick to grab up this Horned lark chick before a dog or human stepped on it. Carleton handles chicks for a living, so this is safer than it may look.  Both he and Diana helped to keep us from disturbing nesting birds, usually White-crowned sparrows. They would note the bird's distress calls, and make sure we all camped well away from active nesting sites.
 
Lizzie with Mirriam Lake and Pass behind her. 

View back east from the Merriam Basin; with Mt. H. in the distance.

 

Bearzy walked right into this photo!


Wolfie resting.

Wolfie still resting.


Smoky.


One of the locals-- the Yosemite toad.


The consensus was that Merriam Lake is an exquisite place.



Again note the radical difference between late June 2021, and... 


Early July of 2019. I'm afraid our state will be sqeezing water from rocks this year...Eric?


What little snow there was to be found was well used by the dogs!

Above Bearzy, from left to right, are LaSalle Col, West Feather Pass, and F. Pass itself.

Coming upon LaSalle Lake.

The final climb.

On the Pass with Feather Peak above.

Feather Peak, with BeaRoyce Pass marked.


Our 4th camp was on the peninsula in the V of Vee Lake, and we really enjoyed our time fishing and hiking around there. We rose early to catch the dawn, and the moon, and hiked high above the lake to capture a few images of one of our favorite places:

Sunrise on Seven Gables.



Vee Lake with Seven Gables Mountain rising above.


Fishing was slow, but fun.

There might be a 10 incher if you squeezed hard.

Off to Black Bear Lake on a great trail!

Though it all looks stark and rocky, there are hidden green gems to be found.



Red Heather.


What's left of an obsidian tool.  Even seems to have the "channel" in the center. I wonder what they'd be hunting up there? Bighorn?



The swimming was beautiful!


We passed Little Bear and Big Bear Lakes, and happily chose a high camp above Black Bear Lake. 

 Dawn, Big Bear Lake below, Seven Gables above.

Here comes the Sun.


Lord of all he surveys.


Somehow we never tired of gazing at Seven Gables.

Pairing with Gemini.


North Peak of the Gables.

On the way to Dancing Bear Pass a lush green ramp leads down to White Bear Lake.  We stopped to admire the view, saw all of the flowers, the stunning lake colors, and then rock wrens flew in, so we stayed awhile.

White Bear Lake.

I amused myself climbing up a nice chimney, trying not to come rattling back down like a pinball.

Heading for the slight crest of Dancing Bear Pass. See the little yellow mustard flower-- Draba was in bloom

Mount H. from Italy Pass.

Down through Granite Park;  the weather began to turn to storm on this day-- June 28.

The first big lake was being peppered by hail.

And so were we! We sat it out under a perfect rock overhang, mostly for the dog's sake.  We loved the addition of nice, Sierra storm weather.


Feather Pk. far left, and Granite-Bear Pass with the snow.


Royce Pk. upper right.

Feather Pk. from the east.


Brilliant, glowing storm light.


And during all of this brilliance, lightning and thunder were flashing and booming! It was almost too much.

Sunrise at Honeymoon Lake.  Stormy weather was still with us on 6- 29.

We four that remained, hiked up the Chalfant Valley.  We passed a great Columbine garden. [*Advanced composition note to photographers-- always try to get part of your boot into the picture.]

Note small boot detail, upper right.

There's a squirrel in that tree.         

Wolfie asked it to come down and play.

We swam and fished from lake to lake up the beautifully green and empty Chalfant Valley.

Mount Julius Caesar rises above the upper lake; Italy Pass is in the notch on the shoulder, above the tip of my pole.

After a second night at Honeymoon Lake, we hiked out.

Red penstemon.

I noted that here too, Western Labrador Tea shrubs cover a large area of understory, from ~ 8,500' to 10,000.' 

This pink form of the paintbrush-- Castilleja linariifolia, was more common in the lower Pine Creek Valley than anywhere else I've ever seen it.   

 


Trip Summary:  I've always been leery of backpacking with big groups, yet this trip was a joy throughout.  I think the reasons were several: first, we were all good friends to begin with; secondly, we all share very similar motivations, that is, to go slow and explore the place and its wildlife. 
There were no members of the group who were keen to burn up the miles, or climb all the peaks.  I still think we could have accommodated that sort of diversity of goals, because we all have the skills to navigate (*and I brought 3 maps); so some could have climbed, or raced ahead, to be met at the chosen camp later on.  Lastly, because of a few unknowns re. our comfort level under cliffy exposure conditions, Carleton and I chose to omit the potentially more challenging areas, such as the Gemini, or Ruskie Pass entries, and the BearRoyce, or Granite-Bear Pass exits. 

We did have to move camp each day, and we all agreed that having a couple more days would have made the trip even better by allowing for some light day-hiking, and just settling into a couple places.

A question: Re. the arcane rules for fish spot secrecy, is it okay to detail lakes where only small fish were caught?  This helps folks like us, who want to count on fish dinners along the way.  Correct me if I have sinned, but I'll add that on this trip we caught small, edible fish at L and Moon Lakes, and again at Merriam Lake.  Vee Lake provided the best fish, but still on the smallish side.  Chalfant Lakes seemed very full of very small fish. 
So we were able to add fish meals at 4 of our 6 camps.  The lake I had the highest hopes for-- Black Bear, is apparently fishless.  I circled it dawn and dusk, casting out spinners all around, and zilch!  Okay then, if anyone is left, I commend you for your patience.  Good luck, fare well.

@Harlen - great report and stunning photos. Thanks for posting (and the much needed Monday morning zen). We did the reverse last August and wish we had a few extra days to explore and do day hikes just like you mentioned. Hoping to make it back either for our long Sept trip or one of our longer trips next summer (or on skis in the spring).

What a great trip and report. It conveys such a wonderful range of pleasures to be enjoyed up there. All the photos are nice, but I really like the wildflower shots.

Fabulous report--and really wonderful photos. Thanks for taking us along! We were hit by some of those same T-storms farther north...happily without hail.