Let me begin by mentioning that both The Niece and The Neighbor are skilled, experienced and strong backpackers. It was a privilege to hike with them and I appreciate all I learned from the process. These two hikers are especially strong in the backpacking food department whereas I have yet to achieve their high level of trailside cuisine. Although my nutritional plan for this trip was focused on fuel, not food – I did receive praise atop a high mountain pass when I pulled out an eight ounce pack of Philadelphia Cream Cheese and began smearing some on a tortilla. “Is that cream cheese!?”, a young voice asked loudly. “Are you backpackers!?”, she asked – later adding, “I can’t believe this bougie backpacking food!”

For this hike we completed a section of the John Muir Trail between Independence, California and Bishop, California. We entered at the Onion Valley trailhead and exited at the Bishop Pass trailhead. 

The route was around 67 miles with about 17,000 feet of climbing. It crossed five high mountain passes which were each at an elevation of close to 12,000 feet.

In Spanish, “Sierra Nevada” translates roughly to “Snowy Saw”. Do you see the saw in the profile above? (Due to the ongoing drought, the saw was not very snowy.)

Day One: On day one we crossed Kearsarge Pass (with a little hail) and camped at Charlotte Lake.

Fun Fact: The pass was named after the Kearsarge mine to the east, which was named by its owners after the USS Kearsarge, the ship that destroyed the CSS Alabama. The Alabama Hills (a famous Hollywood filming locale) were named after the latter ship, and the mine was named in reaction.

Trail Highlight: collecting water at the lakeside early in the morning.

Day Two: On day two we crossed Glen Pass (which was mostly clear) and camped near the Woods Creek suspension bridge.

Fun Fact: Glen Pass is named for Glen H. Crow, an assistant in the U.S. Geological Survey, and later a ranger in the U.S. Forest Service. By the way, The Neighbor I was hiking with is a retired California State Parks Ranger and there should be a mountain pass named after him as well!

Trail Highlight: hiking through the Rae Lakes in the rain.

Day Three: On day three we crossed Pinchot Pass (which was stormy) and camped at Bench Lake. We had the whole lake to ourselves. Well not exactly – we shared the lake with the mosquitoes and the black ants. The large black ants crawled around on everything and were everywhere.

Fun Fact: Gifford Pinchot became the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service after it was established in 1905. Pinchot enjoyed a close relationship with President Theodore Roosevelt, who shared Pinchot’s views regarding the importance of conservation.

Trail Highlight: On the approach to Pinchot Pass I encountered a female Sooty Grouse with two chicks. She would sit on a rock, making sweet cooing sounds while the chicks took cover. (It was a diversionary tactic.)  

Day Four: On day four we crossed Mather Pass (which was stormy) and camped at Lower Palisade Lake. 

Fun Fact: Although often debilitated by bipolar disorder, Stephen Mather became a millionaire from his borax business and later became the first director of the National Park Service. He was a friend to both John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt.

Trail Highlight: Being followed by the rumble of thunder as we descended off the pass and approached our camp.

Day Five: On day five we did not have to cross a pass! This day was all about descending, with a hike down the “Golden Staircase”. Our campsite this night was near the LeConte Ranger Station.  

Fun Fact: In 1938, The Golden Staircase was the last link of the John Muir Trail to be completed.

Trail Highlight: Hiking up the middle fork of the Kings River through Grouse Meadows.

Day Six: On day six we hiked through Dusy Basin and over Bishop Pass. 

Fun Fact: Samuel Addison Bishop (1825 – 1893) was a settler of the Owens Valley and fought as a first sergeant in the Mariposa Battalion which aided in the capture of the Ahwahnechee. He came west during the gold rush and later established a ranch in the Owens Valley where his wife was reported to have been the first white woman to live in the valley.

Regarding the native peoples who came before us, I found this sign attached to the LeConte Ranger Station:

Despite its namesake, what is now known as the John Muir Trail predates the U.S. conservation movement. The route was part of a trade network used by tribes in the Sierra for centuries, and it should be known as the Nüümü Poyo, or the People’s Trail.

If I complete all of my scheduled hikes this summer, I will have completed most of the Nüümü Poyo. All that will remain is a small section of trail in Yosemite Valley, ancestral home of the Ahwahnechee and a special place for Karen and me. That section I will finish with Karen, hopefully late this fall.

As I sat on the porch of the Bishop Creek Lodge with The Niece and The Neighbor eating ice cream, I thought about our time together and a song from my youth came to mind:

I’m so glad we had this time together

Just to have a laugh or sing a song

Seems we just get started and before you know it

Comes the time we have to say so long

And now, “Trail Tips with Trina the Tree Nut”!

(Originally published on July 17, 2021)