Laboring on Mt. Langley, 14,026 ft.

Mt. Langley viewed from the Cottonwood Lakes

With summer coming to an end it was time to try to squeeze in the last backpacking trip of the season. A friend who had done Mt. Whitney with me the summer prior had been wanting do Mt. Langley at 14,026 ft. ever since. A few of us at the office chatted about it and figured the Labor Day weekend would be a nice chance for us to sneak away for a 3 day backpacking trip to another of California’s fourteeners.

Getting our permit proved a little difficult. We had planned on taking the Cottonwood Lakes trail and doing an out and back in either two or three days. When we called for a permit they could not accommodate our group on our selected weekend. It just so happened I was heading by the ranger station in Lone Pine the following weekend so I stopped in to talk with them. They confirmed that we could not reserve permits for the Cottonwood Lakes trail that weekend. I then asked the magic question, “If I wanted to climb Mt. Langley on Labor Day weekend what other route might I take to do it that does have available permits.” Funny how a “no” becomes a “yes” so quickly as I was advised I could head out on the Cottonwood Pass trail and approach Langley from the western side, cross over and exit by way of the Cottonwood Lakes trail. It would be less populated, more scenic, and most importantly, we would be descending the eastern side of the Army Pass rather than going up it which would be much easier. Needless to say, I reserved the permits immediately!

Our group ultimately consisted of coworkers Mike and Clark as well as Clark’s wife Michelle and another friend of mine, Kevin. We had all done Mt. Whitney together the year prior as a day trip and were looking forward to a 3 day backpack trip up another of the easier fourteeners.

Clark and Michelle headed out on the Friday afternoon prior to our start date to pick up the permits in Lone Pine before the ranger station closed at 6PM. They got the permits with no problem and headed up to Horseshoe Meadows to get a couple campsites for the night. I headed up with Mike and Kevin later that night and arrived about 1AM. We all wanted to spend a night at the trailhead to acclimatize as it is at 10,000 ft.

Leaving the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead.

Morning came and we all packed up our stuff. We decided what we had duplicates of and  left some things behind. One water filter was all we needed (more on that later) and we trimmed down on a few other small items. By 9:30 we were ready to go and hit the trail.

The first issue on our hike happened less than a mile in. I always bring my big Canon digital SLR camera on trips up fourteeners as the views are so incredible that I hate sacrificing the picture quality with a lightweight point and shoot. Unfortunately my camera began misbehaving and electronically locking up. I debated running back to the truck and dropping off the 2.2 pound millstone hanging from my yoke strap. Fortunately we made a stop and I removed the battery and memory card and reseated them and all was well.

A little foot surgery for Michelle.

Not too much farther along as we were climbing the Cottonwood Pass, Michelle needed to stop for a foot issue. She had gotten a blister on her foot two weeks prior walking around the Del Mar race track while playing the ponies. It had acted up a week before on a conditioning hike as well. Fortunately we had the technique down and out came some blister bandaids as well as some duct tape to keep them in place. Patched up, we moved on.

Wildflowers at Chicken Spring Lake.

We crossed through the Cottonwood Pass and the huge valley between the Western Sierra ridge and Eastern ridge was before us. Big Whitney Meadow was due west, down in the bottom of the valley and it looked wonderful. We stayed high on the ridge and travelled north to Chicken Spring Lake, our lunch and water stop.

Kevin's pizza masterpiece!

The lake was beautiful and we were all ready for lunch. We dropped our packs and prepared our feasts. Kevin had the most interesting lunch consisting of a fresh made bagel pizza topped with some fresh tomato he sliced up right there. We all agreed that if we had an extra day, spending the night here would be great.

Our first view of Mt. Langley.

We proceeded on, traversing along northward toward Rock Creek and the Soldier Lakes. Our official destination was lower Soldier Lake but from the map it looked a little past our trail we would be taking in the morning up Rock Creek so we decided if Rock Creek had water, we would camp there instead. Having passed on filling up with water at Chicken Spring Lake to keep our pack weight down, we were all running low. Before we had made it to Rock Creek we all went dry. The last 45 minutes or so to Rock Creek were tough as we were all tired due to the 11 mile long hike and we were thirsty!

Michelle cools her feet in Rock Creek.

We arrived at Rock Creek not only to find a wonderful little meadow and the creek flowing but also to discover a great place to make camp just off the trail. We dropped our packs and headed down to the creek to drink plenty of water to replenish our depleted bodies. We all took the opportunity to cool off and put our feet in the water as well.

Big Dipper setting over Joe Devel Peak.

We had a fun evening cooking up different meals, playing a little Uno and finally heading off to bed. We were not looking forward to the elevation gain in the morning but we all were excited to summit. The weather had been great so far and the forecast called for clear skies, little wind with nights around 30 and days just under 50 degrees. The clear skies meant excellent night skies and the stars were plentiful. I set up my tent hoping to get a picture of the Big Dipper setting over Joe Devel Peak later that evening which I was able to get just before falling asleep.

The morning was cold as expected but we were all up by 6:30. It took us awhile to get going and we rolled out of camp at 9AM. Surprisingly the trail up Rock Creek to the Army Pass was not as bad as any of us had anticipated. Bt 10:30AM we had made it to the top of the pass where we would stash our full packs and transition to lightweight summit packs as there was no need to carry stoves, tents and sleeping bags up and back down.

Kevin on a class 3 section.

I had estimated that morning that it would take about 4 hours from camp to the summit of Mt. Langley. We headed out along the ridge leading to the steeper climb up Mt. Langley. The route was easy to follow although no official trail exists. As we approached the steep section, Kevin and I had pulled away from the others. We have all found it best to just hike our own pace at these high elevations and regroup at the summit. We were all faced with a decision, what route to take. Faint use trails were everywhere and you could see people both ascending and descending on numerous different paths. Kevin and I picked one and went for it. We did need to pack our poles away as at times we needed our hands for some easy class 3 work. Before long we were through the hardest part and looking for the highest point ahead of us.

The crew on the summit.

Unlike Mt. Whitney, you do not see 50 or more people hanging out on the summit. Kevin and I headed for what looked like the high point but we only saw a couple people there. We figured it must be it as they had their packs off. We finally arrived, 5 minutes ahead of my SWAG (Scientific Wild A** Guess) figure of 4 hours to the summit. Here we were at 14, 026 ft., my fifth California fourteener and third this season. The altitude has certainly slowed us down but we both felt good and had an appetite. We ate lunch and celebrated and kept an eye out for the rest of crew who were out of sight.

About an hour later the rest of the crew arrived. They too were very hungry and quite tired, just as Kevin and I were an hour ago. They ate, signed the log book, got pictures taken and were ready to head down by 2:30PM. The wind had picked up considerably from when we had first arrived and lots of smoke was blowing in from the Central Valley from a fire over there. Kevin made a SWAG on our return time to our packs at the top of the pass. When everyone arrived at the packs, his prediction was dead on!

Army Pass. Glad we came down it rather than up it!

We had met some very nice folks on Langley that day. A really nice guy by the name of Dave asked us where we were headed to. We told him we were going to overnight at the Cottonwood Lakes at the bottom of the Army Pass. He laughed and said, “Well the good news is that you only have to go about 20 ft.” We walked the 20 ft. to the top of the Army Pass and understood exactly what he meant. The pass is a darn near vertical wall with one of the lakes at its base. It was hard to envision there was a trail that would take us down this but there was. It was very steep and blocked by some rock falls in a few places but we managed to make our way down.

We had spotted the lakes below earlier in the day and had a good idea where we were headed to camp. We finally found a prime spot near the largest of the Cottonwood Lakes and made camp. We were all hoping for a swim but the sun dropped over the pass about 10 minutes after we arrived at the lake and I did not want to be wet and in the shade. Clark however went for it and fully submerged himself in the frigid lake. His speech was temporarily impaired as the cold water played tricks with his facial muscles.

Back at camp we set up a perfect little kitchen complete with granite counter top and comfy granite chairs. As this was our last night and we did not want to pack out any extra food, we really had a feast. Clark got things going with some freshly made chicken quesadillas that he shared with everyone. We all made our individual meals and did some sharing of those as well. I had brought a raspberry crumble dessert that was a favorite on a recent Cub Scout backpacking trip and all agreed it was great. The coup de grace was when Clark cooked up some fresh popcorn on his backpacking stove. We ate for over two hours that night and capped the evening with another game of Uno.

Clark's Cranberry biscuit.

The morning came and it was time to pack up for the final hike out. Clark made some cranberry biscuits that morning that were quite good. The water pump had developed an issue the day prior and made water purification a little difficult. I had opted to go all natural on this trip and filter nothing while everyone else relied on the filter and later on the purification tablets we had brought as backup. We boiled water as well and topped off our water bladders for the trip out.

The hike out made us appreciate the location we were in that much more. It was so beautiful in the Cottonwood Lakes basin with numerous lakes and wonderful meadows. I would enjoy hiking back into this area just to spend time exploring and playing in the lakes and fishing. It was about 7 miles or so back the parking lot and our cars. In total the trip was around 27 miles. We all got to spend some great time on all new trails for us and are inspired to explore this area in the future.

Full album of pictures from this trip are available here.

Organizing our first Webelos Backpacking Adventure

The Den pointing the way.

While many of my adventures are on big mountain peaks, I also enjoy spending time in the backcountry with my kids. As a Webelos Den Leader for my son’s Cub Scout Pack I get to spend time with kids and help educate them on the outdoors and hopefully get them engaged in outdoor activities.

I asked my Den parents if they would be interested in an overnight backpacking trip. They knew I enjoyed this sort of thing and they were supportive of the idea. To help prepare the boys for future outings we had built alcohol stoves as a Den project early in the year so that they all at least had a good backpacking stove. We begged and borrowed enough gear to get the small group of Webelos Cub Scouts outfitted with the appropriate gear for the trip.

In preparation for the trip, we held a couple of Den meetings to discuss backpacking. We covered appropriate clothing for hiking, backpack fitting and packing, sleeping bags and pads as well as cooking and water purification. I did my best to emphasize that the lighter your pack, the more fun you will have.

As you may recall from prior posts like Taking Your Child on Their First Backpacking Trip, I want to make the trip fun to encourage future participation in hiking and backpacking. I have found that shorter, flatter hikes with some feature or cool destination seems to be the key to making a trip fun for kids. I also like to have water available when I get there to minimize the weight that must be carried and it makes for good playtime as well. Cooler temperatures found at higher elevations are also a must for a summer hike to avoid wearing out these youngsters.

Making our way to camp.

With these requirements for a location, I have to look long and hard for somewhere local that meets my expectations. I was fortunate enough to find what I was looking for in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. I have backpacked and day hiked there several times in the past but they have been trips to the high mountain peaks. Fortunately there are also some great hikes there that met our needs for this trip. We would start at the Forsee Creek trailhead at about 7,000 ft. The temps in the summer are mild at this elevation and our forecast was for days in the mid 70’s and evenings in the mid 50’s. Perfect hiking weather! Our destination was John’s Meadow, a 3.9 mile adventure along a very slight incline.

We gathered the group at the trailhead. We had three of our Webelos, our Boy Scout Den Chief and his older brother, a Boy Scout, plus three adults including myself, all leaders. We would have an additional Scout and his much older brother joining us later in the day. We headed out on the trail after emphasizing proper hydration and trail etiquette.

Looks heavy but he is carrying less than 20 lbs.

The hike starts out going uphill which fortunately did not generate too many complaints. We arrived rather quickly at our first trail junction and took the opportunity to go over the topo map I had distributed to all the boys. I made sure to point out where we started, where we were at currently as well as what features to look for along the trail to help identify exactly where we were on the map.

We made surprisingly great time getting to camp. We took a couple or rest stops and snack breaks and made it to John’s Meadow just a little after noon. The boy’s were very excited as they discovered a wood fort in camp which we decided to use as our kitchen area. We all ate lunch and set up our tents. Now it was time to goof off!

Adjacent to camp is Foresee Creek. The boys were heading there to get water and I tagged along as I wanted to get wet. What started as a quick trip to the creek turned into a 3 hour visit with splashing, soaking and for some of the boys, full on submersion in the frigid creek. We filtered water and drank plenty while we were there. It was great to see these boys having such a great time doing something as simple as playing in a creek. It was nice to see kids entertained without a Nintendo or any other electronic device. Our last Scout and his older brother hiked in and met us at the creek as we were about to pack up. We all headed back to camp together and our Den Chief broke out a couple Velcro paddles and a ball and the boys proceeded to play catch for at least another hour. It was so nice to see Scouting in action!

Cooling off our feet in Forsee Creek.

Den Cheif shows the boys how it is done!

Great view up Foresee Creek

Wood fort we used as our kitchen.

Pumping water with our filter.

Brothers on the trail.

Our late arrivers join us at the creek.

Around 6PM or so we decided to begin our dinners. I left meal planning up to each parent/child combo as I cannot predict who will like what. I also like to see the boys involved in choosing their meals based on some of the guidelines we had taught them in our preparation meetings. Most of the boys used their homemade alcohol stoves to heat their water and prepare their dinners. For a treat I had brought along a couple backpacking desserts I picked up at REI the day prior. We whipped up a dark chocolate cheesecake as well as a raspberry crumble and shared them. The raspberry crumble won the taste test unanimously.

Dinner time. Alcohol stove in center of picture.

As it was getting dark we all broke out our headlamps. There were a few more orders of business to attend to. We had all the boys brush their teeth and then put all their smellables in the bear canisters we had brought. We discussed why our kitchen area was away from our tents and the importance of rounding up all of our smellable items and keeping them in this area. The final order of the day was a few games of Uno played by headlamp using a bear canister as our card table. By about 8:30PM we called it a night and headed off to our tents.

Packed up and ready to head out.

We rose early the next morning. The boys were really getting the hang of camp life out on the trail. Again the alcohol stoves came out and breakfasts were made. We picked up camp quite quickly and were back on the trail heading out. We had our Boy Scouts lead and the Webelos followed. For a first backpacking trip for many involved it was wonderful to see them all doing so well. We made it back to the trailhead in about 2 hours and all headed nearby for a nice lunch. While there I was able to ask all the boys if they had a great time. I was very pleased when they all answered “yes!” I then asked the most important question, “would you like to go backpacking again?” Fortunately I got the same reply!

It would appear that I have created a few new backpackers along with the help of my fellow Scout Leaders. We would like to get more of our Den involved and are already thinking of where and when to go out again. If you know a youngster in need of a first backpacking experience, please get them out on the trail. It not only gives them a great experience but also will reward you in ways you can only discover for yourself.

My Quest on California's Fourteeners, Mt. Tyndall, 14,025 ft.

Mt. Tyndall, 14,025 ft.

While sitting at the office about a month ago an email came in from one of my hiking clubs, the So-Cal Hikers and Peakbaggers, for a weekend hike up Mt. Tyndall. I instantly recognized this as one of California’s fourteeners, peaks exceeding 14,000 ft., and proceeded to check it out. There was only one spot left so I quickly called my wife at home and had her check the calendar and she confirmed the weekend was free. I explained why I “needed” to do this hike and she gave me permission to go. I clicked the RSVP button online and I was in!

At this point I read a little more about the mountain and the hike. The route just to get to the base of the mountain would not be easy. We had to go up Shepherds Pass, a grueling adventure that takes you from 6,000 feet where the desert meets the Eastern Sierra outside Independence, up to 12,000 feet. The worst part is that the trail descends about 500 ft. along the way making it a 6,500 ft. climb in about 11 miles which was our goal for day one. On top of that, Mt. Tyndall has no trail to the top and is a class 2-3 rock scramble depending on your route. More on that later.

I left home on the morning of the climb at 2:30AM to make it to the trailhead by 7:00AM. I prefer a night in my own bed as well as avoiding the traffic if I was to head out the night before. I arrived at the trailhead, tucked back away on some dirt roads right on schedule and met four others that I would be joining. Another couple had headed up the day before and we would meet them at the top of Shepherds Pass.

Shepherds Pass on the low horizon on the right.

We got off to a good start. The morning was still cool and we were in the shade. The trail quickly began to climb out of the canyon we were in to a ridge. The uphill grind spread our group out a little. After several hours we had reached the first of three saddles we would cross that day. Unfortunately the trail now descended for over a mile taking us down about 500 ft. The sun was now also upon us having left the shelter of the North side of the ridge and crossed over to the Southern side. We could now see the top of the pass way off in the distance. We knew we still had plenty of work to do! Up and up we went on our way to our lunch destination, Anvil Camp, where trees and shade awaited us. At a little after noon we were almost at Anvil Camp but found a great patch of shade and opted to take lunch there and give ourselves a break.

Shepherds Creek

Approaching Anvil Camp.

Back on the trail following lunch we rolled through Anvil Camp. The trail crossed Shepherds Creek here which we were able to see below as a lovely cascade fell just below this location. We filled up with water and moved on, enjoying the short respite from the sun as we travelled under cover of pine trees. It wasn’t long before we had left the cover the trees and found ourselves in the familiar lunar landscape so common to the Sierra’s over 11,000 ft. where vegetation is sparse. Back in the sun we soon came to the view of the pass once again. It looked ominous and the people we could see ahead of us looked like ants telling us we still had plenty of work ahead.

Shepherds Pass in view.

The final push up the pass was exhausting. The trail became less packed dirt and more loose rock and scree. At times it looked more like a goat trail on the side of a cliff than an official trail. Fortunately as we neared the top we got into some shade. As we were approaching 12,000 ft., the air was getting thin and our rest stops more frequent. We knew that a lake was just over the crest and we would be at camp soon. This motivation pushed us onward and over the pass.

At the top of the pass Mt. Tyndall is visible.

As we reached the top of the pass, Mt. Tyndall at 14,025 ft. was finally viewable. It was an awesome sight as it stood there looking alone and isolated. It was now obvious why this is known as the most remote of the California fourteeners. A short FLAT walk from the pass lead us to the sign indicating we were now in the Sequoia National Forest and the lake we planned on camping at was just a few hundred yards off the trail.

I don’t think I have ever been so relieved to drop my pack. I took it off at the first flat spot I found to pitch my tent and then just enjoyed the feeling of not having the weight on my back. It is not that my pack was that heavy, probably around 30 lbs., but after the exhausting 11 mile climb that started at 7:00AM and now just finished at about 4:45PM I was ready for a long rest. I scouted out a better tent spot complete with rock ledge to provide some shade and a wind break and set up my tent.

As soon as my camp chores were complete, I headed down to the lake not only to drink some much needed water but also to soak my feet in the cool water. The lake itself was gorgeous with a snow bank along one edge and Mt. Tyndall in the background. I must have spent at least an hour down there and before long our whole group had collected there. We also ran into the other faction from our club that chose to do this as a single day hike. I like a challenge but 18,000 ft. of elevation gain/loss over 25 miles including a fourteener is where I draw the line!

We had asked just about everyone we came across that day that climbed Mt. Tyndall what route they took. The popular books on the topic all suggest taking the Northwest Ridge and claim it is the easiest and all class 2. Everything we had read from people who had done it as well as every person we encountered on the trail said the North Rib was the best route and that the Northwest Ridge lead to some very exposed class 3 territory. While all agreed the North Rib was the way to go, everyone varied the route slightly. “Stay to the right of the rib on the slabs and go to the notch on the right”, “travel directly on top of the rib and veer left at the top”, “stay on the left of the rib and then cross right at the top”, and “take the rib up and it will be obvious where to go.” With great directions like this who could possibly get confused, right?

We made dinner a little after 6:00PM. My body was suffering from not only the exhaustion from the climb but also a little altitude sickness along with dehydration. I kept drinking lots of fluids and electrolytes and made my dinner. While I needed the calories my body just said no. Eating was a chore and I only managed to eat about a third of my meal. Going from near sea level to 12,000 ft. in a day along with the strenuous day was a bit much. A night at the trailhead would have helped but it was too late for that now. Most of us headed to bed shortly after dinner, around 7:30PM as we needed an early start in the morning to climb the 1 ½ miles and 2,000 ft. to the summit and return in time to pack up and head out.

My tent had never felt so good! My sister had gotten me an ultralight insulated air mattress for my 40^th birthday and I must say that currently it is my most bragged about piece of gear. It has transformed sleeping on the ground from a painful to a pleasurable experience. That combined with my slightly heavier 10 degree down sleeping bag made for a wonderful night in the 35 degree air. I fell asleep rather quickly and awoke around 3:00AM. All the hydrating I had done the evening before had caught up with me. The moon had set early so it was a black, star filled sky outside the tent. I played with my camera and managed a great 30 second exposure of Mt. Tyndall silhouetted by the stars.

I was up just before 6:00AM as nature called again. I felt great and was hungry! I ate my breakfast (all of it this time) and got most of my gear packed up in my tent. By 6:45AM we headed out for what would be a 5 hour round trip summit excursion.

The North Rib visible above me to the right.

We headed for the North Rib as planned, still not sure exactly what variant of the route we would take. As we approached Mt. Tyndall, Mt. Williamson came into view. This is another fourteener but not on our itinerary as it is in the protected sheep zoological zone and has a limited window of entry. Probably for the best as I was not up for a second fourteener on this trip. It will have to wait for another day.

Scrambling up the rib.

Once at the base of the North Rib we slowly began climbing up. The rib itself was loose rock which presented a hazard travelling in a group. One loose rock could easily take out a climber below. We stayed just right of the rib on a mixture of loose rock and granite slabs. As we approached the top we went right as our fellow club members had said they did. Either we went too far right or they were hallucinating from their long journey as we hit the summit ridge and found it impassible towards the summit without major exposure. We traversed below the summit ridge left toward the peak and found a better spot to make the summit ridge. This looked much better but we still felt there was an easier way to try on the way down.

Mt. Williamson

Me on the Tyndall summit

We made our way along the rocky summit ridge. We dropped over to the Southwest side and found it easier to make our way along. Finally there was no more up! We had reached the summit! The views were incredible as expected. We signed the register and took in the beauty before us. We spent a good half hour taking pictures of each other to document our accomplishment. It was cool up top as a breeze blew fairly strong. It was now time to head down. At this time I packed up my camera to avoid damaging it on the descent as I usually do.

Hanging out on Tyndall!

We progressed to a notch just Southwest of the North Rib. We headed down this and quickly traversed over to the top of the rib. We travelled down this all the way to the bottom. This was by far the best (easiest) route. If heading up our directions would be to stay on top of the North Rib and about 75 feet below the ridge traverse left and up through the notch on the left of the rib to reach the summit ridge.

We made it back into camp around 11:45AM and had lunch. We quickly packed up our stuff and headed out by 12:15PM. Heidi was staying an extra night at Anvil Camp so we said our goodbye to her and headed on down. Mike and I kept a fast pace down the trail. We both dreaded the uphill portion we knew was coming. We cooled off at one of the creek crossings just before the uphill section. I took the lead and thought it was not going to be that bad as I could see where we had to go. Unfortunately, that point was just one of three identical looking points along the trail going uphill. We finally crossed over the ridge and began to descend. We both began to wonder how the trail got longer since we had done it the day before?

At 4:45PM we had made it to our cars. What a great sight they were. We cleaned up and headed down to Independence for a much deserved soda on ice! Funny how something so simple can mean so much.

It was a great trip. To sum up the experience I would use two words, rewarding and brutal. I now understand why Shepherds Pass is known as one of the hardest trails in the Sierras. Mt. Williamson still beckons me but I am going to look hard for a different route as the thought of doing Shepherds Pass again is not at the top of list.

For the full online slide show of the trip please click here.

Taking Your Second Child on Their First Backpacking Trip

Bishop Pass Trailhead

Having successfully taken my 10 year old son on his first backpacking trip several months prior as I had chronicled in Taking Your Child on Their First Backpacking Trip, it was time to introduce my 5 year old to the activity. I knew the timing was right as when I got a new small summit pack for my recent birthday and my 5 year old put it on immediately and thought it was for him. He proudly wore it around the house for almost an hour, blowing the whistle built into the yolk strap buckle I did not even know it had. He had seen his brother pack and return from his backpacking trip and assumed he was next.

I wanted to strike while the iron was hot. It wasn’t long before we had a planned boy’s trip to Mammoth with friends. We would take a few lazy days exploring and camping on the way up and then stay with our friends in their condo once in Mammoth. Our friends had to be home on a Friday but I saw no reason to rush home and thought this would be a good opportunity to fit in a backpacking trip for both of my boys and I. After speaking with my friend Edd about it, he suggested a great location he had taken his niece for her first backpacking trip near South Lake in the Sierras outside of Bishop.

With the location now selected the trip was nearly set. I needed to obtain a wilderness permit for our overnight stay. These can be reserved for $5 per person in advance or obtained free after 11:00AM the day prior to entry into the backcountry. As I was trying to show my boys on this trip that you do not have to pay to camp I opted for the free, walk in option. We visited the ranger station in Mammoth and obtained our permit with no problem.

The trail above South Lake

The following morning we arrived in the South Lake parking lot and found the trailhead for Bishop Pass which was the trail we would be hiking. The itinerary took us from South Lake up to Long Lake, about a 2 mile hike with about 500 ft. of elevation gain. We would enter the John Muir Wilderness about halfway into our route. The altitude at Long Lake was around 11,000 ft. but the boys had been acclimatized at Mammoth so the elevation was not much of a factor. We got our packs ready. My 5 year old carried my ultralight sleeping bag and his clothes. My 10 year old had his own gear plus a stove and the tent poles while I carried the rest. After a quick lunch near the trailhead overlooking the beautiful South Lake and a quick gear check, we were off.

The hike starts by climbing up and out of the South Lake basin. The views were incredible but the trail was uphill and it was early afternoon. My youngest, Eric, needed frequent breaks and said his legs were tired after only a ¼ mile or so. I let him know that there was plenty more hiking but that we would take breaks regularly. We slowly made our way along the trail, stopping to talk to other hikers who were most impressed at the efforts of my two boys.

Gregory points out a waterfall to his brother.

Eric started to get fairly tired at about the halfway point. His older brother Gregory did a good job encouraging him but it was not enough. I remembered that my parents always kept some high energy (sweet and sugary) snacks to motivate my sister on hikes so I figured I would give that a try. I offered him a chewy granola bar which he gladly accepted and he devoured it in no time. Within about 15-20 minutes it was quite apparent that it was working. We got to a short section of switchbacks and he started running up them! His brother and I laughed at the transformation. The trail soon leveled out and I informed the boys that this meant we had climbed out of the South Lake basin and would soon be arriving at Long Lake.

Eric evaluates a creek crossing

Arriving at Long Lake

Chocolate Peak in the background

While the thought of reaching our destination was appealing, mosquitoes began to appear. We quickly put on some bug repellant and stepped up the pace to get out of that area. Not too much further brought us to the first views of the lovely alpine Long Lake. The lake sits nestled between two mountain ridges with some of the best scenery you could ever imagine surrounding it. Tall craggy peaks and ridges contrasted by white snow and glaciers filled the upper elevations. The area around the lake was a mix of granite and pine trees mixed with a few meadows. We saw a few people hiking and fishing but they all looked like they were packing up to head back down. We proceeded to a secluded camp location that my friend Edd had informed me of. As this is the backcountry, there are no designated camps. You need to be 100 ft. from lakes, creeks and trails and follow the Leave No Trace guidelines. After a little searching we found the exact location my friend had suggested.

The boys and I set up our tent and put our gear inside. Our food was packed in our bear canister and we located that and our stoves about 100 ft. from our camp. The lake was calling us so down to the water we went with our water filter in-hand. Gregory just wanted to take pictures but Eric and I took off our shoes and socks and put our feet in the cold water. We pumped water through the filter and cooled off. Since we had the entire lake to ourselves I suggested skinny dipping to the boys. Eric took me up on it and he and I stripped down. Eric got about waist deep before he decided it was too cold. I got in about as far and he was right, but went on in anyway. Brrrrrrrrrrrr! I guess those glaciers we could see above us were melting directly into this lake. I lasted about 10 seconds in the water and it was time to get out. We dried off, pumped some more water and decided it was time to start dinner.

Trail alongside Long Lake

Our dinner consisted of one of our homemade freezer bag meals and a store bought freeze dried entre. Our freezer bag meal, chicken stuffing, was far superior to the store bought beef enchilada. It further confirmed my opinion that we can make better tasting meals than the experts. We heated our water on our homemade alcohol stoves and enjoyed our dinner in the last direct sunlight of the day before it dropped behind the ridge to the West.

With the sun down it was time to think about getting our stuff ready for the night. I wanted to pump enough water so that we would have all we needed for the morning and the hike out. The visit to the shoreline was an experience. The mosquitoes had been thickening since the sun went down. The worst time for mosquitoes is in the early morning or early evening, when there is no wind and especially near swampy areas or standing water. Guess what the conditions were like at that time at waters edge? You guessed it, prime time mosquito happy hour. While pumping water I had both my boys swatting them off of me. Despite the bug repellant, the mosquitoes descended upon us like gold panners to the American River upon the discovery of gold at Sutters Mill. After pumping water we headed back to our camp area.

Our mosquito free refuge!

The mosquito issue was not improving so I took the boys on a short hike to get a few pictures along the lake. We returned to camp in about 20 minutes and still the mosquitoes were horrible. While it was only 7:30PM, I decided it was time to crawl into our only safe haven from these vampires! Into the tent we went. We exterminated the few blood suckers that snuck in with us and began to enjoy this bug free zone. Since it was early we needed something to do. Unfortunately, we brought nothing in the form of entertainment. We began by reading every word on our wilderness permit. That lasted about 15 minutes. The boys then wanted me to tell them stories. I told some past tales of my childhood which put Eric to sleep. After almost an hour of story telling I had Greg tell me a story and that put me to sleep. He was on his own but he did not last long after me, he says.

The boys and I on our way out.

Our final view of Long Lake.

I awoke early and delayed getting out of the tent until at least I could see a slight change in the color of the sky so I knew the sun would be up fairly soon. I rousted the boys out of the tent by 7AM and we made our oatmeal breakfast and had cereal bars. We got all packed up and on the trail by 8AM. To keep Eric motivated I informed him that the sooner we finish the sooner he would get to see Mom. It had been just over a week since we left home and both boys were excited to get back home to tell Mom all about their adventures. We got back to the truck by about 10:00AM and cleaned up. We headed on down the highway to Lone Pine for some lunch. After backpacking I let them know that they could have anything they wanted for lunch. Thinking they were getting away with the crime of the century they both ordered a cherry coke with their lunch as I kept them on a no soda diet for the last week.

Over that lunch I asked Eric what was his favorite part of his first backpacking trip. He replied, “putting my feet in the water.” Not what I had expected to hear from him but it certainly helps me understand what a 5 year old enjoys. I will make sure that future backpack trips with the boys include stops along creeks, rivers and lakes for plenty of time to soak their feet, and perhaps a cold swim for Dad!

Sunrise on San Gorgonio, Highest in SoCal at 11,500 ft.

While I tend to write about my most recent trip, there is one that stands out from the recent past that I think needs to be shared. Not every hike is worth writing about, it is the one’s where you had to overcome adversity however that are worth telling.

Several months after my return from my second trip up Mt. Whitney I was in need of something memorable. While looking at the scheduled hikes for the several clubs I belong to I found one that peaked my interest with the SoCal Hikers and Peakbagers. The hike was titled “Full Moon Hike to San Gorgonio Peak” which by itself sounded quite interesting. I read on to learn that it was scheduled to depart at 1AM to reach the summit to watch the sunrise. Rather ambitious I thought given that we would be climbing up 5,500 ft. in less than 9 miles to the highest point in Southern California at 11,500 ft. but it sounded like something I had to do.

I talked a few other friends into joining me and we carpooled out together. We opted to get to the Vivian Creek trailhead around 9PM and sleep there rather than driving out in the middle of the night. We had checked the weather before going and it was going to be cold up top, near freezing, and the wind would be blowing. How much wind was not clear from the reports but around 30MPH was what we were hearing.

We arrived at the dark trailhead and as promised it was illuminated by a full moon. There was a slight breeze but nothing major. We all went to sleep rather quickly and planned on a 12:30AM wakeup. When we woke up we saw some activity in the parking area. This turned out to be the rest of our crew. We got our gear ready and headed out a little after 1AM with the full moon and our headlamps to guide us.

The morning temps were not too bad. I had a couple light layers on and was doing fine. Hiking under the full moon was a great experience. It is odd to see such prominent shadows cast by the moon. Very early into the hike our organizer took a break and said she was going to turn back as we were all too fast for her. We encouraged her to stay with us and that we could adjust our speed to accommodate. We later discovered she had never made it to the top despite 2 prior attempts. Both prior times the elevation had gotten to her as she had become sick and lost all energy to continue.

We pressed onward, briskly, as we were trying to reach the summit to watch the sunrise. My friends and I planned on cooking up a brunch up top and watching the event so the timing was critical. We made good time following the trail bathed in the light from the moon. Shortly after High Creek Camp, one of the trail camps along the way, the wind began to pick up. I put on my fleece and windproof shell and got out my warmer gloves. My fleece headgear and goggles were also put in my pockets so I was ready. We were climbing up to a ridgeline and I knew it would be colder once there as the wind would intensify.

Reaching the ridge brought the expected wind. It was actually a little more intense than we had anticipated. A little further and we had left the treeline and were now completely exposed to the winds and the cold. It was just getting light out, not yet sunrise but getting close. I stopped to take a few pictures and I put on my facemask, ski goggles and beanie to keep warm. I pretty much had everything I brought for clothing on me at this point and it was all zipped and buttoned up. Four layers on my top was doing a good job at keeping my core warm. The thin nylon pants left my legs a little cool but not that bad.

I had been drinking all the way up the mountain from my Camelback bladder but after adding the additional clothing at my last stop had been unable to get any more water through my drink tube. I figured I had kinked the hose when I got stuff out of my pack. We were close to the summit, just a mile or so more so I did not worry about it.

The final stretch to the summit was a little overwhelming. We had strung out a little as some of us were hurrying to make the top for the sunrise. The problem we were encountering, in addition to the cold temps, was that he wind was now blowing at about 40MPH sustained with gusts to over 50MPH! Walking was becoming difficult as the wind would push our legs and trekking poles in all different directions. We basically looked like a bunch of drunks staggering home from the bar.

We arrived on the summit to just catch the sunrise. The full moon was setting at our backs which was a really nice scene if we just had one eye on the back of our heads so we could see both simultaneously. The sunrise over the lunar landscape up top looked very surreal. We had hunkered down into a rock windbreak that was up top. We shopped for a better one and collected ourselves together. It was unclear where everyone in our party was since to poke your head above the windbreak meant a face full of wind and possibly being blown over! I got out my stove and so did my friend. In the intense wind even in the windbreak we could only get my 25 year old MSR XGK stove to light. My three friends were freezing and I was the only one who was moderately warm. We decided that brunch up top was a bad idea but all agreed that some warm beverages would be great. I got water ready and had some hot chocolate. I found out I was not the only one with an issue with their Camelback, all of us were suffering the same problem as the water had frozen solid in the drink tubes and bite valves. Sitting there was only getting us colder so after drinking a little it was time to pack up and get off the summit.

As we stepped out of the windbreak we were again greeted with the full force of the wind. The ladies with us were very cold and took off like sprinters to get down. My friend Jason and I kept a brisk but more appropriate pace. Shortly off the peak and along the ridgeline leading to the summit we came across our hike organizer heading back down as well. The ladies had gotten to her first and realized she was in need of help. Her insulated hat had blown off which was the first sign of a problem. She was nearly delirious, disoriented and was unable to coordinate movement and barely able to speak. She was also feeling rather sick and upset stomach was how it manifested itself. What was worse was that she did not seem to realize the trouble she was in!

As soon as Jason and I arrived on-scene our two ladies made sure we had it handled and dashed off to get out of the wind and into warmer weather below. Jason immediately offered up his fleece headcover and put that on her. We asked if she had anything warmer in her pack and she could barely reply but the answer was no. She wanted to stay put as she felt awful but we knew we had to get her down and out of this wind. Jason and I both worked at zipping her jacket up tight and getting her as warm as possible. I firmly put my arm around her and told her (nearly yelling to communicate over the wind) she needed to walk with me in my wind shadow. I escorted her off the ridge with Jason right next to us to also help block some of the fiercely cold wind that was striking us. Slowly the three of us progressed together.

After getting out of the wind and descending about 500 ft. we stopped to take a break. She still felt terrible but was beginning to come back to life. Her stomach was still upset and we insisted she drink some electrolytes. She thanked us and told us we could go ahead. Jason and I immediately informed her that she was stuck with us for awhile and in no way would we let her fall behind us. We gave her a little more time to collect herself and moved on. We let her take the lead as she was now feeling better after warming up once out of the wind and getting lower. This was her third attempt to summit and by her description, altitude sickness kept her from it the last two times. She made it this time, but at what price?

Jason and I discussed this at length while descending and we concluded it was a blend of AMS (acute mountain sickness) and the onset of hypothermia. We have studied both of these conditions in our wilderness first-aid courses and seen some of the symptoms before but never in combination. The conditions were certainly right for both.

We met back up with the ladies who were sunning themselves like lizards several miles off the peak. They had decided this would be a great place to have brunch. Our hike organizer opted to head on down at her own pace and let us catch her later as we were faster. She was doing much better now and had teamed up with another in our party so we let her go on her way. We prepared a wonderful meal of chicken sausage, peppers, onions, cheese and eggs. It might not have been while watching the sunrise but at least it was warm.

We made our way back down and caught up with our hike organizer. We finished out the hike together and she thanked us for all the help we had provided. It was hard to believe that this person before us now, bubbling personality and full of energy, was in such dire straights less than 4 hours prior.

The hike was fantastic. The additional drama made it all the more memorable. I finally got to put some of my first-aid training to use after years of study and practice scenarios. I got some of my favorite hiking photos that day as well. It pays to know those around you and what issues they have at elevation. Had we known before, we would have kept someone with her at all times. My next trip up this mountain will probably be even colder. I think a winter ascent will be next on the list. At least then I will be better prepared for the cold.

Additional trip photos are available here.