I had the chance to visit my native state of California last week and sneak in a 3 day backpacking trip in the High Sierras. Check out these gnarly photos!
Mountain Therapy | Exploring the Sierra Nevada
When a man comes to the mountains, he comes home. The core of a man’s heart is undomesticated and that is good. -John Muir
My cousin Drew Welch and I left from Modesto and drove up to the Crabtree Trailhead near Pinecrest, California. Our backcountry trip would take us into the Emigrant Wilderness Area (above Yosemite National Park).
Drew worked for the fire service for 9 seasons and is an experienced hiker. Our original plan was to start at the Gianelli Trailhead but a park ranger warned us that the mosquitos were so bad through the wet meadows that they “sound like drones”.
Among My Supplies . . .
- Bought a 40 liter pack from REI called a Trail 40
- Wore my On Cloudventure Trail Shoes
- Path Project shorts (Graves PX) very lightweight and durable.
- Spenco sandals were nice for leisure time about camp.
- A Steripen Ultra UV Water Purifier for water purification (sadly, I lost it on the last day)
- North Face 1-man tent, REI sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees, Big Agnes inflatable pad, Snow Peak GigaPower stove, titanium cup, bug spray.
- Enough food for three days. The best comfort camp food I brought was instant coffee, Tabasco sauce for seasoning and strawberry Pop-tarts for calories.
I didn’t weigh my pack but I’m guessing it was around 25-30 pounds. Mad respect for what Coach Steve did, getting his pack down to 16 pounds during his 155 mile Gobi March!
Once we left the main trail and followed the creek we didn’t see another soul.
Using only our map (no trail or trail markers) we set out to find the hidden lakes but they alluded us. We topped ridges, peaks, and false summits trying to get our bearing and catch a glimpse of deep blue water. Finally we found Hyatt Lake!
Hyatt Lake
We hiked about 35 miles in 3 days. I’m thankful for my marathon legs that never failed me while scrambling over boulders and rambling through the high Sierras!
Next up for me:
The Boulderthon (Oct 7th 2023)
The Richmond Marathon (Nov 11th 2023)
The Tokyo Marathon (March 3rd 2024)
Tour du Mont Blanc (Summer 2024)
We keep an up-to-date itinerary here.
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So beautiful! Growing up on the central coast of California, I spent the summers scouring the Sierras. I loved the beauty of the lakes, trees, and huge granite slabs like the ones in your pics. I had a dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail through the Sierras one day and skipping the parts north or south – still about 400 miles and endless beauty.
I agree with Greg, great pictures. I backpacked with my scout troop growing up just north of there from Pinecrest Lake up to Cleo’s Bath and then up to Waterhouse Lake. I remember all of the granite we hiked over and the lakes we swam in.