Why am I begin off a story about pack with a closely nude picture of myself ? Because when you ’re in the centre of the wilderness with no one else around , skinny dipping in an alpine lake is something you have to check off the list at least once , if not every time . It is , quite indescribably , one of the highest elevation of animation !
A few week ago we went on our first pack trip-up of the year , a three - solar day jaunt through the John Muir Wilderness in the Eastern Sierra Nevada .
I used to distinguish friends that if they wanted to witness the beauty , majesty and purdah of the Sierra , they had to ferment for it — hiking for miles to escape the bunch and reach the solace of stunning places they usually only find in the moving picture . And for the most part , this is still true ; the full experience of the mountains can only be found with a gang on your back and a little puffing and puffing to get there .
However …
Just off Highway 395 from one of those blink - and - you’ll - fille - it sort of towns , you may reach one of the most improbable wildernesses the High Sierra has to propose in less than a mile with very small elevation addition .
In fact , it ’s almost a sine how easily you may enter the alpine grandeur of this area .
Little Lakes Valley has always been one of my favourite getaways in the Central California backcountry . It has some of the most well locomote and well lie with trail in the Sierra but at the same clock time , I ’m always surprised by how cloistered it is .
In winter , we oftenstop for a crabbed - country ski tour along Rock Creekon a groomed trail flank with Jeffrey and spruce pine pines .
In summertime , the Charles Percy Snow is clear away to reveal a minute road that wind up up the canon for 10 mile . Rock Creek Road commence in Crowley Lake at Tom ’s Place ( elevation 7,090 feet ) and ends at Mosquito Flat trail head ( pinnacle 10,250 feet , the highest trail head in the Sierra ) . That means you gain an astounding 3,210 foot in raising as you drive !
From Mosquito Flat , a system of trails snakes through Little Lakes Valley and beyond . The gems of the vale are a train of scenic lakes carved by glacier and feed by snowmelt . The peck are specially popular with fishermen and solar day hikers in the summertime , but many of them never divagate too far off the trail .
The most arduous section was the first after part - land mile up the Alfred Hawthorne from the trail head , but the views shortly appear before we could even catch our breath .
In the first three mi alone , we passed Rock Creek and its cascade several times , high commonwealth meadows filled with wildflowers , and 180 - degree view of snow - capped high thirteeners . Mack Lake came into view , espouse by Marsh Lake , Heart Lake , Box Lake , and Long Lake , each about 20 to 30 minutes apart from one another , and each being beautiful and special in its own rightfulness .
We take a quick detour off Little Lakes Valley Trail and terminate up at the next lake in the chain , Chickenfoot , which was just far enough in to be isolated from the multitude of 24-hour interval trippers .
Despite low snowfall in the Sierra this past winter , there were still mounds of snow to be discover that late in the season . Snow that all melted into the very lakes we would be swimming in !
hem in by a corrie of granite peaks , Chickenfoot Lake ( elevation 10,761 foot ) is a prominent , crystal clear lake with a mile of mostly rocky shoreline . Though we were just three - and - a - one-half miles in on a nearly flat trail , only one other camper had made it that far . The rest of the lake was ours to savour .
I always feel so at home in a backcountry camp . I love the summons of picking out the consummate campground , aligning the tent for the gross view , finding the perfect John Rock to cook on and hang out next to .
No matter how momentary the moments are , they always seem to move in slow - mo when I ’m out in the backcountry . It ’s out there , in the fondness of the heap , where I do n’t think about anything else “ at home ” — because out there , Iamhome .
Morning bring in beautiful reflexion of granite on the glassy lake . I ’m ordinarily not a morning person , but there are times when I ’ll wake up at sunrise , take in the sunrise , then crawl back in my catch some Z’s cup of tea until the first rays of Light Within embark on rain buckets through the tent .
We guess out in search of more lake , and we were n’t thwarted . Impressive views of the Sierra Crest , including Mount Dade , Mount Mills , and Mount Abbot , predominate in the space . Swimming holes appeared along meandering streams .
We hiked hybrid country through alpine meadows , up the drain , across the boulders and past potential climbing wall as we made our direction toward Gem Lakes , the next hardening of lake at the end of the valley .
We were temped to expend the afternoon at Lower Gem Lake , a small , shallow lake that was so clear , you could clearly see the beautiful arial mosaic of stones underwater .
But we pushed up and ahead atop a granite bench and find Upper Gem Lake , the large of the two .
The Gem Lakes are so call because of their brilliant color , specially the upper lake . Its piercing aqua blue come from the gamey mineral content in the water supply , and its smaller size ( compared to Chickenfoot Lake ) think of it was also a few degrees warmer … if you’re able to call 50 ° farad water system warm . ( And that ’s a cautious estimate . )
Looking at these two — my hubby Will and my frequent rucksack pal Clint — you ’d cerebrate we were in the tropics though . ( But not tropic enough to repeat our previousalpine lake escapade in Yosemite ! )
We swam and we snooze on the raging slabs of granite , taking in the silence . And the bouts of laughter . And the cannonballs into the lake .
It was a quintessential summertime day in the Sierra , cheery and slightly breezy with the occasionalcheeseburger birdsinging from the trees . In fact , not only was it my first backpack of the season , it was also my first cheeseburger wench of the season !
Since we ’d hike up cross country to Gem Lakes , we decided to take the lead back to coterie and see what other treasure we ’d missed the first time . There were many .
That evening , we found two more lake near our campsite , little and shallow ones that were just a shade warmer and more suitable for a backcountry bath . And by tub , I mean splashing around in the water and catch out while I could still feel my toes .
Packing up the next day felt all too soon , but I was satisfied with our piffling risky venture . The strong-arm challenge of a upright hike and the breathtaking beauty of the granite skyline had me stoke for the relaxation of the season , as our summertime definitely got off to a adept start .
