High Sierra Topix

My girlfriend and I have been traveling together in Colombia and Mexico for the past 2 months and I decided to cap off these travels with a quick introduction to backpacking (what I think of as real backpacking as opposed to hostel/bus backpacking around cities in foreign countries which is what we have been up to).

Lisa is Dutch and while very adventurous and well traveled has only been to the US once before and has never really been to mountains. As the local I felt experiencing the sierras was a must for her and really one of the best things we have to offer.


The original plan I was hoping for was an out-and-back to Iva Bell via Duck Pass (hot springs just become even more appealing to me when chilly late-season temps are part of the picture). However, we decided that that plan was just too long and physically intensive for a first-timer (especially one from one of the world's flattest countries) and so made a last-minute adjustment and headed for Kaiser Pass. We started with a lovely 2 nights near Mono Hot Springs (not quite as wonderful fresh out of a car as compared to soaking one's soar legs after a brutal 15 mile day but still nice). I couldn’t find any promising short loops in the area so we opted for the short out and back to Devil’s Bathtub. Not the greatest trail—the forest is burned at the beginning, not much view anywhere along the route and none of the artistry of construction that I have found elsewhere in the sierras). Still, a very nice large lake that we both thought was extremely beautiful, and almost 0 other people around.

In 1982 my dad was 18 years old and saved every penny he could to buy what was one of the very best but also most expensive sleeping bags on the market. 41 years later it's still keeping people warm though chilly nights in the high Sierra!
Ready to go! Thankfully the Santa Cruz Patagonia outlet was having a deep sale and Lisa scored a nice fleece to help stay warm since all her other clothes were for the tropical Caribbean.
Her first backpacking mile (kilometer). Visually both brutal and interesting. Some of the more massive mushrooms I have ever seen and they were everywhere!!! Boletus rex-veris? Finally a bit of a view down towards Edison. The last mile was a brutal slog straight up the grade on mostly sandy footing but she did great! Showing Lisa how your cooking skills and recipes are mostly unimportant because anything hot tastes darn near amazing out there I didn't know if the fish would still be biting in October but each evening around 5:45 all of a sudden the lake became very active and every 2nd cast was landing a fish although all in the 7" range. But I really need to study up or ask more questions from the fishing gurus on this sight because I have easily caught dozens of tiny trout but never anything over 9" and Devil's Bathtub was no different :/

Nice first backpack! Looks like she really enjoyed it.

I like that standing shot with the western mountaineering bag. I have a minus 20 WM bag from 2000. The zipper had to be replaced due
to a weird snag I could not undo without damage. Sent it to WM, they repaired it, and all was well.

Her expression is how I feel about the bag

As someone who fishes the Sierra, I can suggest that if you are only catching small fish, then there a few possiblities.

1. You may be fishing at high altitude lakes with limited food resources for the fish---they'll stay small, and often skinny in that case, just like the one in your hand. Note the large head to body ratio...a sign of limited nutrition.

2. Larger fish tend to live deeper in lakes most of the time, and if you are fishing the top of the water in the middle of the day, you'll see fewer large fish.

3. Larger fish tend to chase larger lures or flies, because they like bigger meals. You might try adjusting your rig for that.

4. Later in the season, where fishing pressure is heavy, many of the large fish will have been caught, leaving only the smaller fish.

Loved your report--and the obvious joy you both brought to the Sierra!

A Sierra Sardine! Great trip report and congratulations to your girlfriend.

John

Glad you enjoyed the hike. Thanks for sharing your adventure.

Hey Aidan,
It's great to hear that you've been out roaming the world. That's cool to share the Sierra with a new backpacker, and Devil's Bathtub looks pretty nice. I somehow missed this report of yours, perhaps partly becasue we were out at the same time. We went in the Emigrant, where I think your last trip may have been, and we experienced some of the same beautiful hiking over pure granite land that you and your friends had done to a much greater degree. We went with professor Lars, whom you may have met, and our two dogs, whom you know for sure. Here are some photos from that trip:
https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... rs#p181042

Anyhow, I need to remember to search "Unread posts" under the "quick links," so not to miss nice reports such as this one and many others. You have a passion for hot springs it seems-- I wonder if you explored the many hotsprings found high in the northern Andes, in Ecuador for instance?
We would love to see some photos of your travels; have you posted anything here in "Beyond the Sierra"? Congratulations on all of your trips, hope to see you soon, Ian and Lizzie.

What a perfect first backpack for your girlfriend. It looks like that will be the first of many.

That is awesome you're using a 41 yr old sleeping bag, bravo.