John Muir Trail Thru Hike: Day Two

Virginia Lake to Quail Meadows: 13.4 miles.

Sept. 13th, 2011.

I slept in late after tossing and turning most of the night. The bear scare didn't do much for a restful night and my first night at altitude is usually restless anyway. Fortunately the ominous clouds didn't bring much rain during the night. It was around 9:00 am before I finally made it out of the warmth of my quilt to check on the condition of my bear canister and stove. When I went over to check I couldn't believe what I saw. They were both exactly where I had left them the night before. Was my mind playing tricks on me? Was I losing it? Maybe it was the altitude. . .

I made breakfast and stretched/rolled sore muscles while taking in the view of Virginia Lake. The storm had passed and I inhaled a breakfast of dehydrated eggs & ham.

I was still working out the best way to sleep comfortably with my pad and quilt. I woke up with a cold spot right in the middle of my quilt and my legs were getting cold from the ground. It would be awhile till I dialed everything in. Eventually I learned how to move the down around from inside the quilt to where it was needed to stay warm. Within the next few days I found the perfect combination of a Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad, Kookabay Taperlite inflatable pad, Kookabay inflatable pillow, my backpack and various clothing items and rain gear to sleep warm and comfortable.

On the way to the trail I stopped by the lake to fill up on some water. It was then that I realized I had left the small 'mix bottle' for my AquaMira back at the bridge over Duck Creek. I washed out a small bottle that I was using for Camp Suds to use for mixed AquaMira, but my water tasted like soap for a while. It felt like I was moving in slow motion, and I didn't get back on the trail until 10:50 am.

Virginia Lake with the Silver Divide in the background.

Once back on the trail I fell into my usual groove and moved along taking in the amazing scenery. I ran into a group of 6 - 8 people doing a loop trip in the area. They saw me pass and one of the guys called out, "hey, what does your pack weigh?". We hung out for a while talking about lightweight gear and sore knees.

Virginia Lake from the trail.

The trip down the switchbacks to Tully Hole was pleasant, the trail was well graded and the view of the Silver Divide was amazing. Pictures don't do this area justice. I stopped and made coffee about half way down. After about 800 feet of downhill I was in Tully Hole and the south end of the Cascade Valley. The trail follows Fish Creek for a few miles and the terrain is beautiful. A mix of light forest and the flowing creek made for a pleasant walk. I passed a group of older retired guys hanging out by the creek. I thought it would be cool to be spending retirement out here.

Soon I was heading back up switchbacks toward Silver Pass. I passed Warrior Lake and Chief Lake while following a series of carefully constructed granite stairs. This sub-alpine area would be a great place to camp, especially in better weather, but the clouds were gathering again and it was time to keep moving.

The view of the Silver Divide from the top of the switchbacks to Tully Hole.

I noticed that while going up these early passes that I couldn't get a full breath of air. It was like trying to get a full breath in a city with really bad air quality (like L.A. in the 70's) except the air was crystal clear. I could still move along fine, but it would be another day before I got my trail legs/lungs.

Granite stairs on the way up to Silver Pass. 

Warrior Lake on the way up Silver Pass.

Chief Lake on the way up to Silver Pass.

The view from the top of Silver Pass included a panorama of the Cascade Valley, the lakes below and Mt. Banner & Ritter in the distance. This would have been the last view of these dark volcanic peaks, but they were hidden in the clouds.

I hadn't paid much attention to the amount of downhill when studying the maps, but I was in for a big day. From Silver Pass (10,895) to Quail Meadows (7,870) I would be dropping over 3,000 feet. Some of the granite stairs on the way down to Pocket Meadow were brutal. There were plenty of nice camp sites along the North Fork Mono Creek, but I still had plenty of time and energy to keep going.

The view from the top of Silver Pass. Cascade Valley is in the distance. Mt. Banner & Ritter are in the clouds. 

It was along this section that I came across a man sitting alongside the trail with his head down. He had been heading up from Edison Lake with a heavy resupply and looked like he was in bad shape. I tried not to startle him when I asked if he was OK. He looked up and was covered in sweat, drowning in several layers of clothes, a huge gortex parka and a large fully loaded external frame backpack. I asked if he had water and if I could help, but he assured me would be ok. . . so I continued down the switchbacks to Quail Meadows. I still can't figure out why he would carry so much stuff just to 'get away from it all' in nature.

After crossing the bridge over Mono Creek I found several large campsites on the south side of the creek and picked out one of many large flat areas. It looked like this was probably a very popular spot during the middle of summer, but it was mid September and the place was a ghost town.

It started to rain just as I put up my tarp. When it stopped long enough I had dinner by the river and made it back to my tarp just in time for more rain throughout the night. The sound of rain was soothing after a day of so much downhill. I slept like a baby.

Camp at Quail Meadows. Ready for another rainy evening.

A map of day 2 progress (click for full size).

Virginia Lake to Quail Meadows elevation profile (click for full size).

Click here for John Muir Trail Thru Hike: Day Three

First Solo Ultralight Hike ~ Dinkey Lakes Wilderness ~ August 2010

For my first solo ultralight hike I went back to my usual favorite area in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness. This area features a popular loop hike of the Dinkey Lakes but I have always been into backpacking in the areas that are off the trails. Since the mid 1990's a group of close friends and I have gathered in a few 'secret' spots in the area. During these trips we have taken a few hikes into the wilderness and thanks in part to Google Earth it became easier to scout new spots. One of these trips was to Virginia Lake where there are good views looking up the vast granite valleys into the high country. I always wondered what was up there. . .

This time I would park at the end of one of the dirt OHV roads and bushwack down into the granite canyon and up the south fork of Dinkey Creek up into the high country. This trip was completely off-trail and I just used a map and compass to navigate.

This is the view from where I started climbing into the canyon: From here I climbed down into the canyon and the intersection of the north and south forks of Dinkey Creek, then followed the granite canyon up toward the high country in the background. The mountains at the top of the canyon in the distance are over 9,000 feet. My goal is to get to a lake in the next valley and up to Sportsman Lake at 9,250 feet before nightfall.

This is the view from the bottom of the canyon at about 7,500 feet looking back at the top of the mountain where I started.

                          The view looking up the granite canyon on the way up toward Virginia Lake.

Virginia Lake at 8,500 feet.

Betty Lake at 8,700 feet.

The climb up the talus out of the valley to 9,000 feet.

Sportsman Lake (9,250 feet) at the base of Mt. Nelson.

Waterfront UL campsite along Sportsman Lake at the base of Mt. Nelson. The SMD Gatewood Cape shed the little bit of rain that night and the Serenity Net Tent kept the bugs away. The mosquitos were voracious this time of year. I wasn't aware back then that I was supposed to camp at least 100 feet away from the lake. . .

The next morning I climbed Mt. Nelson (10,025 feet). This is a view of the talus slope along the east side of Mt. Nelson from a few miles away.

The talus slope on the way up to the top of Mt. Nelson was nearly vertical in some places. An afternoon summer storm was brewing as I neared the top.

                                                                  

            And finally, some views from the top. . .

Camping later that night along the South Fork of Dinkey Creek.

Waterfall along lower Dinkey Creek on the hike out.

The view of Dinkey Dome on the climb out.

The last view of Dinkey Dome on the climb home.

That was my first attempt at solo ultralight backpacking. The three day/two night trip was a lot of fun, and I finally walked through my fear of bears at night in the wilderness alone. The solitude was peaceful and it was a wonderful break from busy city life. I learned that I was still bringing way too much stuff that I thought was 'necessary'. By lowering my pack weight to about 15 pounds on day one I was able to climb anywhere and just camp wherever I ended up at the end of the day. The journey continues.