Bob's Journal: Backpacking the John Muir Wilderness

I was fortunate to be invited by my cousin Sue and her boyfriend Paul, to join them and their friend Becky on a backpacking trip in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierras this past week.

Sue couldn't wait to have Jack in the Box tacos, which she cannot get in her part of the country. She and I walked a mile to get them in 95 degree heat while Paul took a nap.

Going over the plans at Becky's home in Bishop. Becky is a mountain lion specialist for the Department of Fish and Game. She is a biologist who tracks and collars lions to study their predation on the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep. She can spot lion tracks while driving down a dirt road, and currently has 16 lions that she has radio collars on that she is studying. She got her biology degree at Cal Poly just like yours truly. She and her dog Max are also members of Search and Rescue. Paul and Becky spent a month in Pakistan a couple years ago as part of a support team for a friend of theirs who summited K2, the second highest mountain in the world. They hiked to the base camp at about the 16,000 foot level. It was a real privilege to be in their company for the week.

After leaving two vehicles at the exit trailhead at McGee Creek, we stuffed ourselves into Paul's and Sue's rented PT Cruiser to drive to our entry trailhead at Lake Mary above Mammoth.

Trying to acclimate to the altitude took a couple days for me. I was getting a little goofy by the time we got to Duck Pass. Here we are on our first breather.

The five of us at Barney Lake. Max had to carry his own food. He is a rescued border collie who is extremely obedient. Becky is definitely his "pack leader".

On the other side of Duck Pass is, of course, Duck Lake.

We celebrated our hike over Duck Pass, elevation 10,797 feet, with a beer at our first campsite at Pika Lake. "What, backpacking with beer?" you might ask. Becky has friends in the US Forest Service who packed in a six pack on their mules and stashed it for her at one of their remote camps where we spent our first night. It was special.

Sue fishing at Pika Lake, but the fish weren't biting on salmon eggs.

Sue and I at Duck Lake.

Leaving Duck Lake. We camped at Pika Lake which is that little bit of blue on the far right beneath the peaks.

Setting up camp at Lake Virginia on Tuesday.

A full moon rising over a pond next to our campsite.

On our way down to Tully Hole.

Walking through Tully Hole.

Sue and Paul enjoying a little bit of Eden.

Columbine

Red Slate Mountain was prominent from our Wednesday campsite.

That distant dip on the ridge at the left is 12,000 foot McGee Pass which we climbed over the next day. Our campsite here is at about the 10,500 foot level.

Sue doing laundry in a bear cannister.

Our three tents.

Pretty trout for dinner - can't wait! Becky, Sue, and Paul had good luck using a lure.

The Silver Divide.

Paul holding one of the colorful trout before frying it in a little olive oil and salami. They were D lishus!

Wednesday evening became very cold and windy. At night I was still a little chilly sleeping in my down bag, wearing my down jacket, inside my tent.

Huffing up the pass on Thursday. The furthest green patch towards the left is where we made camp the day before.

Summer in California is not supposed to look like an expedition to the South Pole.

Max looking like he's wondering what the heck are we doing up here.

Paul and Sue approaching the top of the pass.

Heading down the eastern side of the pass. You can barely make out the trail descending down the ravine. We passed a small, frozen waterfall above those icy looking lakes.

Sue and I in front of a very gnarly tree - a real survivor.

Descending down into the life zone, I spotted a California Toad with bright orange spots. At higher elevations, they hunt during the day instead of the cold nights.