Hot Showers, Soft Beds, and Dayhikes in the Sierra: Walks and Strolls Near Lodgings

CHAPTER 1

Lone Pine to Convict Lake

The Eastern Sierra is simply the best—the most wild and ruggedly scenic—part of the range. The southern part of the Eastern Sierra, from Lone Pine to Bishop, slopes up abruptly to its crest from Owens Valley by as much as 10,000 feet in just a few miles. From the communities along U.S. Highway 395 in Owens Valley, side roads rise swiftly past mountain lodgings to some of the range’s highest trailheads. What caused this, to oversimplify millions of years of geological evolution, is that as the Sierra Nevada rose, Owens Valley sank. In the northern part of the Eastern Sierra, from Toms Place to Bridgeport, the range slopes up less abruptly but just as scenically from plateaus at 6000 to 7000 feet. Here again, side roads also rise quickly past mountain lodgings to splendid trailheads.

As indicated in the introduction, the prehistoric Native American inhabitants of the range seasonally used but did not live permanently in almost all of the areas explored in this book. In the mid-19th century, people of European descent came to the Eastern Sierra for mineral riches but rarely found them. Some stayed to farm and ranch, but after Los Angeles diverted most of the area’s water, the farms and ranches literally dried up. Now the area is devoted largely to recreation. Once people discover the Eastern Sierra, they return again and again.

Almost abreast of Lone Pine, the Sierra Crest rises to its highest point—Mt. Whitney at 14,491 feet. All of the Sierra’s jagged 14ers pierce the sky in the region around Lone Pine and north to Convict Lake, along with plenty of 13ers. Majestic best describes this part of the crest, and that majesty isn’t reserved for climbers. Day-hikers will find a wealth of rugged scenery along the many high trails here, because it is here that the trailheads are the highest—some over 10,000 feet.

At one time, it was thought that the highest peak in the Sierra was Yosemite’s 13,053-foot Mt. Dana. It was soon realized that higher peaks lay farther south, and the race was on to identify and climb the highest. Clarence King, an intrepid mountaineer and a member of the California Geological Survey (1860–74), and his fearless climbing partner, Richard Cotter, summated what they thought was the highest peak in 1864, only to see higher peaks to the south. They named the 14,018-foot mountain they had climbed Mt. Tyndall, and they named the highest peak they could see after the survey’s leader, Josiah Dwight Whitney. In 1871, King tried to climb Mt. Whitney but picked the wrong peak; he ascended instead what is now Mt. Langley (14,042 feet), the Sierra’s southernmost 14er, just a few miles south of Mt. Whitney. Three fishermen from Lone Pine made the first ascent of Mt. Whitney on August 18, 1873, climbing the mountain’s easier west side from their camp on the Kern River. They christened it Fisherman’s Peak, but Mt. Whitney remained the official name. A chagrined Clarence King, who had returned home to New York, came out West to climb the highest peak soon thereafter—but too late to be first. King’s 1872 book Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada is a classic of California literature, although King’s accounts are considered to be more vivid in the retelling than they were in actuality.

Recommended Maps

In addition to those listed in the trip write-ups, your library of maps should include the following. Get the latest edition/revision you can find. They’re widely available, certainly at any of the local ranger stations.

Inyo National Forest and Pacific Southwest Region: A Guide to the John Muir Wilderness and the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Guide to Eastern Sierra. Automobile Club of Southern California.

Golden Trout Wilderness, Mt. Whitney High Country, Kearsarge Pass, The Palisades, Bishop Pass, and Mono Divide High Country. Tom Harrison Maps.

Individual Lodgings

Note: Most Crowley Lake postal addresses are actually in Mammoth Lakes for U.S. Post Office purposes.

Towns and Agencies

1 Chicken Spring Lake

Best Time Early July–late August

Topo Cirque Peak 7.5'

Where to Stay

Note: A variety of lodgings are available in Lone Pine.

Mountain: None

Other: None

Towns and Agencies: Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce

HIGHLIGHTS The drive to the trailhead is very scenic and airy. You’re in the high country from the minute you step out of the car. The well-graded trail passes through a wonderfully varied alpine landscape up to superb views at Cottonwood Pass. Chicken Spring Lake, tucked right under Cirque Peak, is starkly beautiful.

HOW TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD From the traffic light in Lone Pine, at the intersection of Highway 395 and Whitney Portal Road, turn west on Whitney Portal Road and follow it 3.5 miles to Horseshoe Meadow Road. Turn left (south) onto Horseshoe Meadow Rd. as it snakes up the mountainside to a fork at about 20 miles. Go ahead to the Horseshoe Meadow and Kern Plateau trailheads at the road’s end at a parking lot, 0.5 mile more, which has water and restrooms.

ON THE TRAIL Pick up the sandy trail by a large information sign to the right of the restrooms and head west through an open forest of lodgepole and foxtail pines, soon entering Golden Trout Wilderness. The gradually rising trail stays in the forest edge as you skirt broad, dusty Horseshoe Meadow and bypass a use trail left to Trail and Mulkey passes. Stay on the main trail and near the west end of Horseshoe Meadow cross a couple of forks of Cottonwood Creek one after the other (they look like one crossing on the book’s map). Just beyond there’s a lovely, shady, streamside stop at 1.5 miles and 9960 feet, with lots of nice rocks to sit on. Sharp-eyed hikers may spot an old log cabin to the south—look but don’t disturb.

Continuing, cross the creek once more, pass a small, flowery meadow, and then begin a moderate, switchbacking climb toward Cottonwood Pass. Views soon open up over Horseshoe Meadow. Cross the creek again partway up, where there’s a fine display of flowers in season. Just below the pass, a signed but unmapped stock bypass route branches right; go left, staying on the main trail. Shortly reach Cottonwood Pass at a little less than 4 miles and 11,200 feet. The view westward, over Kern Plateau and Kern Canyon, toward one of the Sierra’s most beautiful subranges, the Great Western Divide, is sublime.

A few steps west of Cottonwood Pass, meet the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) at a three-way junction. Turn right on the Pacific Crest Trail and follow it for almost 0.6 mile to the rocky outlet stream of Chicken Spring Lake. Turn right and follow the outlet, which is often dry by late season, upstream a short way to reach Chicken Spring Lake at 4.5 miles and 11,270 feet. This beautiful lake is a popular spot, so you’ll probably have company.

Return the way you came.

Chicken Spring Lake

2 Lone Pine Lake

Note Permit required to go farther than Lone Pine Lake

Best Time Early July–late August

Topos WP Mt. Whitney 15'; Mt. Langley, Mount Whitney 7.5'

Where to Stay

Note: A variety of lodgings are available in Lone Pine.

Mountain: None

Other: None

Towns and Agencies: Independence Chamber of Commerce, Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce

HIGHLIGHTS Experience the easiest and prettiest part of the famous, crowded, and brutal trail to the summit of Mt. Whitney on this delightful, moderate hike to the area’s loveliest lake.

Lone Pine Lake

HOW TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD At the traffic light in Lone Pine where Highway 395 intersects Whitney Portal Road, turn west onto Whitney Portal Road and follow it into the steep canyon below Mt. Whitney for 13 miles to its end at Whitney Portal. The trailhead is on the north side of the road (not the parking lot) and is initially lined by information signs. Water, restrooms, a store, a fishing pond, and café are available at the trailhead. Be aware that the trailhead is very crowded, which the facilities can sometimes reflect.

ON THE TRAIL From the information signs, climb northeast gradually to moderately under white firs and Jeffrey pines, on coarse granite sand. A few switchbacks bring you out onto the open, sagebrush-dotted northwest side of the canyon, and this traverse offers good views east over the Owens Valley and west toward Mt. Whitney. In season, there’s a good show of fall color in this canyon. On the next switchbacks, note the dashing cascade on Lone Pine Creek.

See It at the Movies!

Whitney Portal may be the most famous trailhead in the Sierra. In the 1941 gangster flick High Sierra, the law chases crook Roy Mad Dog Earle (played by Humphrey Bogart) and moll Ida-Marie Garson (played by Ida Lupino) to Lone Pine, finally nailing Mad Dog at Whitney Portal. Mt. Whitney itself has appeared in dozens of films, often substituting for the Himalayas.

Cross a couple of streams, soon enter open-to-sparse forest cover, and reach the boundary of John Muir Wilderness. Lodgepole pines now dominate the forest. It’s not long before you cross the creek and shortly reach the junction with the spur trail to Lone Pine Lake. Turn left (northeast), leaving the crowds behind, and descend 0.25 mile to the edge of lovely Lone Pine Lake at 2.75 miles and 9940 feet. The views are surprising from the far side of the lake.

Retrace your steps.

3 Kearsarge Trail Lakes

Best Time Early July–mid-October

Topo Kearsarge Peak 7.5'

Where to Stay

Note: A variety of lodgings are available in Lone Pine.

Mountain: None

Other: None

Towns and Agencies: Independence Chamber of Commerce, Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce

HIGHLIGHTS Four lovely lakes lie along a well-graded trail that also offers fine views over Owens Valley. Each lake has its own charm—can you decide which is your favorite?—and there’s a wonderful display of flowers in season.

HOW TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD From Highway 395 in Independence, turn west on Market Street, south of the courthouse. Follow this road as it makes a steep, switchbacking climb for 13.3 miles to a circular parking area that serves three trailheads. Day-use parking is by the restrooms, where water is also available.

Kearsarge Trail Lakes

ON THE TRAIL Of the three trailheads here, take the middle one, for Kearsarge Pass, reached by heading southwest on a well-marked trail just past the restrooms. Begin a gradual to moderate ascent on rocky-dusty switchbacks in the scant shade of red fir, foxtail pine, and western white pine; there’s a dazzling array of flowers. Near 0.3 mile, be sure to avoid a use trail that veers off to the right. In 0.75 mile reach the John Muir Wilderness boundary and pause to enjoy over-the-shoulder views back to the Owens Valley. The switchbacks grow shorter near a tumbling creek with some cool, shady, flowery nooks. Marshy and dry sections alternate until the trail is above Little Pothole Lake at 1.6 miles and 10,050 feet. The willow-ringed lake is nice, but the real show is the beautiful cascades on the south and west that are the lake’s inlets. Enjoy good views of University Peak to the south, Independence Peak to the east-southeast, and Kearsarge Peak to the north-northeast.

Resume the ascent, brushing up to a slopeside meadow before emerging onto a talus slope where the trail has been cleared through the talus. Top a bench, level out, and reach flower-ringed Gilbert Lake at 2.5 miles and 10,400 feet—what a beauty! Leaving Gilbert, the trail switchbacks through some huge boulders to reach a marked junction with the spur trail to Matlock Lake that’s right next to the east end of Flower Lake at 2.6 miles and 10,530 feet. Take a minute to follow either of a couple of use trails down to Flower Lake’s serene, cliff-backed shoreline.

Back at the spur-trail junction, turn south to cross Flower Lake’s outlet and begin switchbacking up the ridge that separates Matlock and its companion lakes from Flower and Gilbert lakes. Just beyond the top of the ridge, at 10,660 feet, there’s a view of Matlock Lake and the unnamed, roundish lake to its east, as well as of Dragon and Kearsarge peaks to the northwest and north. Descend moderately to splendid Matlock Lake at 3.3 miles and 10,560 feet, sitting in a beautiful cirque.

Return the way you came, enjoying stunning views eastward, clear over the tops of the Inyo Mountains and on into Nevada.

4 Big Pine Lakes

Best Time Late May–mid-October

Topos Split Mountain, Coyote Flat 7.5'

Where to Stay

Mountain: Glacier Lodge

Other: None

Towns and Agencies: Big Pine Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau

HIGHLIGHTS Showy cascades and flower-blessed streamside meadows along North Fork Big Pine Creek make rewarding goals. Beyond them lie splendid alpine lakes that mirror rugged peaks like Temple Crag, whose convoluted face offers at least a score of world-class climbing routes.

HOW TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD From the intersection of Highway 395 and Crocker Street, turn west on Crocker Street and follow it for 11 winding miles to the trailhead, which is at the roadend past the spur road to Glacier Lodge. Trailhead parking is for day users only; overnight users must use the lot 0.7 mile back down and just off the road. If the trailhead parking is full, there’s limited day-use parking along the spur road to Glacier Lodge. The trailhead has restrooms.

ON THE TRAIL From the roadend, head west-southwest past a locked gate, on a continuation of the road and next to rushing Big Pine Creek. The trail is marked SOUTH FORK BIG PINE TRAIL To NORTH FORK BIG PINE TRAIL. Pass a number of summer cabins, but don’t take the numerous paths to any of them. At a second wide spot in the road, turn right (uphill) and shortly veer left toward the creek on a signed, rocky footpath. A switchback leg leads to a bridged crossing of the creek over the handsome cascades known as First Falls at a little over 0.25 mile and 7950 feet.

Just beyond the bridge, there’s a junction. The left (southwest) trail along Big Pine Creek South Fork has fine wildflower displays but no destinations meeting this book’s criteria, so turn right, up the North Fork, and begin a series of very short, moderate to steep, open switchbacks next to the creek. Soon there’s a view over the bouldery wash of South Fork Big Pine Creek. The grade eases as the shade increases, and use trails dart off to the creekside. Staying on the main trail, meet an old road at a T-junction near 0.6 mile. Go right (north) on the old road—the part you walk is shown as a trail on the book’s map—almost immediately crossing the creek on another bridge and reaching another junction: left (north-northwest) on the old road right (east-southeast) and up to the sometimes-unsigned upper trail, and hard right (southeast) and level to the often-unsigned First Falls Walk-in Campground. For this hike, go either left on the old road or right on the upper trail, which soon switchbacks and heads in the same general direction as the old road but many feet above it. The confusion of roads and trails here reflects a long-gone era when there was a car campground here, Second Falls Campground on the topo. (The ex-roads and that campground are casualties of floods in the 1980s.)

Big Pine Lakes

On the road, the route remains level as it passes use trails that lead left to the stream; below Second Falls, moderate switchbacks climb to meet the upper trail. Or, on the upper trail, climb steeply but briefly, make a switchback turn, and then climb gradually on an open, scenic slope. Either way, the long cascades of Second Falls soon come into view ahead as the trail heads northwest, skirting Mt. Alice to the southwest. If you’re on the road, the road narrows back to a trail as it passes under some cottonwoods and begins climbing; avoid a use trail left toward the falls near a switchback turn—it goes nowhere.

Both routes have a good view of Second Falls near 1.5 miles and 8590 feet at a junction where the routes rejoin. After taking in the view, go left (northwest) on the hot, open trail, switchbacking moderately up to the brink of Second Falls. The trail straightens out just above the falls and begins a gradual climb on the north side of the creek. A flower-filled meadow lines the creek, while the trail stays somewhat higher on open, sandy soil. Around 2.3 miles, the trail alternates through patches of cool forest and squishy, flowery meadow. At 2.6 miles pass a spur trail (not on the map) left to signed BIG PINE CREEK WILDERNESS RANGER CAMP. This handsome, streamside stone cabin at Cienaga Mirth was once a vacation home for actor Lon Chaney. Now it’s a backcountry summer ranger