John Muir Wilderness
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South Fork Big Pine Creek John Muir Wilderness |
September 18, 2018
For the premier event of this belated Eastern Sierra four-day cruise, friends Gary and Sharon have selected a venue that has been on my bucket list for quite a while.
Déjà vu. We were here just last year
Last summer, the three of us headed up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek (Hike #355). This time, we'll try the other fork.
That's where we're headed
Crossing the North Fork at the base of First Falls
Somebody lost a shirt
A portion of the Middle Palisade Glacier is barely in view
The late-season colors almost make up for the paucity of flowers
Paintbrush
Bastardage
Soon we must cross the South Fork. Gary had forewarned me about this challenge, so I watch with interest as the others tackle it.
Great minds think alike
Today I actually manage without putting my hands down on that boulder. My "long legs" are credited for that.
The objective is way up there, but where is the trail?
The real climbing starts here
Along with my usual long-sleeved shirt, I have packed a windbreaker; but I don't know whether it will be needed today. I briefly consider stashing it behind a bush, then think better of the idea.
A rare shady spot
An affectionate pair
Switchbacking our way to glory
Snack time
The windbreakers are back on now
Creambush
It's not as difficult as it might appear, for there is
a trail ⇔
The jackets are off again
Approaching The Notch. When will it end?
This looks like a Great Basin Bristlecone
It's always a pleasure for this old man to greet the oldest tree on the mountain
Success seem imminent
Sharon leaves the trail and scrambles up a boulder to a high-point. Following suit, this is what I see.
Wow!
Middle Palisade Glacier
A closer view
On the other side of the Sierra Crest is Kings Canyon National Park
The Norman Clyde Glacier lies just of sight behind the big rock.
Note the nifty doodad on the left
Sharon is searching for another vantage point
She finds it by scaling the boulder to the right. Joining her there, I find a view to die for. Oh, my!
This is why I go hiking
Willow Lake is amazing
It's a combination of ponds, stream, and meadow. I assume that at times, the entire area is covered by water.
Mount Sill, 14154'
On the other side of that mountain is the Palisade Glacier, the biggest one in California.
On the right is Middle Palisade, 14019'
A close-up of the unique Willow Lake
After a bit of deliberation, the three of us opt to decline a continuation to
Brainerd Lake, which would involve three-plus additional miles and another
900 feet of climbing.
Finding the way out of here
Up there is Mount Alice, 13310'
Sharon always tends to be in the lead
Back through the talus
The cliff-side going is so interesting
A young buck is interested in us
Back at the dreaded creek crossing
Skyrocket
Cow Parsnip
Back on the North Fork footbridge. Gary points out a strange growth in the creek:
What is it?
Silvery Brynum Moss is the most colorful thing I have seen on a trail
Near the trailhead, a couple dozen mule deer are hanging out around the creek beside the road.
It's fall-migration time
§: Well, today was déjà vu for me in a different
way — that is, another perfect hiking day in the Eastern Sierra
with nobody else enjoying our wonderfully scenic trail. I find that
somehow sad.
Although one actually can view the Middle Palisade Glacier from the highway some
nine-thousand feet below, it is much more fun to venture closer. For me,
however, the star of today's show was Willow Lake; I have seen nothing like it.
This being a stock trail, the gradient never is more than ten-percent;
so the climbing is not particularly strenuous. Make the effort.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality | |
| Flowers |  |
On the way home from Big Pine to Bishop, a short detour is most welcome.
The runoff from Keough Hot Springs is perfectly warm
After dinner, some visitors join us in the back yard.
Enjoying the host-provided salt lick
