This Trail Report is dedicated to The Peaceful Warrior.

Dates: September 10 to 14, 2024

Trailhead: Mosquito Flat (Inyo National Forest)

Nearest Town: Half way between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, California

Distance Hiked: 8 miles (1,000 feet of elevation gain)

Native Land Territories Visited: Eastern Mono and Northern Paiute

Reading Companion: Squeeze Me, by Carl Hiaasen 

Hiking Companions: The Catcher, The Catcher’s wife, Poppy The Dog and my wife Karen (“Care Bear”)

Greetings fellow adventurers!

Below we have a saunter through Little Lakes Valley on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, half way between Bishop and Mammoth.

This is an active bear area, so “bear canisters” are required. A note about bear canisters: I use an “old school” bear canister that requires a quarter to open. Most bears don’t use quarters. I like it because it fits perfectly in my backpack. The only problem is that you often find yourself without a quarter just when you need one. My solution was to put a quarter in every pocket of my backpack and two in my pants. What wealth hath man that he fill each of his pockets with a coin of the realm! It’s like having a bathroom cupboard full of toilet paper rolls. It’s good to be rich! 

Karen, Poppy and I spent one night at Crane Flat campground in Yosemite on our way over the Sierra Nevada. On the east side, we spent another night with The Catcher and his wife at Rock Creek Lake Campground. The following morning we started hiking from the highest trailhead in the Sierra Nevada mountains: Mosquito Flat (elevation 10,200 feet.)

We were all looking forward to an easy hike out to Chickenfoot Lake where we would spend two nights and maybe do a day hike. 

Poppy is no “spring chicken”, so we wanted to take it easy. For anyone looking for an accessible introduction to backpacking, this is your hike. It is perfect for kids and dogs. The only real challenge is the altitude.

I inherited Poppy from my mother in 2017 when Poppy was 3. (When my father passed years earlier, I eventually inherited his dog as well.) This is a good thing. We dog owners pour so much of our love and soul into our dogs that we can pass that on when our dog outlives us. Usually it is the other way around: humans outliving dogs.

When my mother June was just a kid, her father would bring her to Rock Creek Canyon during the summer.

They lived in Barstow, California at that time (1930s) and it was just too darned hot during the summer. They spent months up here fishing and camping. We have brought our own children here and in recent years have returned almost every summer. It was here in the fall of 2019 that we scattered June’s ashes. I challenge you to find a prettier valley anywhere in the world.

The Little Lakes Valley is situated at the end of Rock Creek Road and it is a sight to behold. Because of its scenic beauty, you will not be alone. Yet, you will not meet a single person who is not moved to elation by this hike. Also, the parking lot is quite small and fills up quickly thus putting a limit on the number of people who can be on this trail on any given day. The trail is busy with dogs, fishermen and day hikers. It is a very entertaining trail.

Fun Fact: The trail was originally a road used to service the tungsten mines up around Morgan Pass.

For our two night stay at Chickenfoot Lake we had a five star campground. The first night was windy, but we found a sandy bench beneath a granite wall where we could relax and listen to the wind. We had the lake to ourselves that first night. The second night we had a pair of old fishermen as neighbors. They went to bed early. 

I have known The Catcher now for fifty years. One of the best things we ever did together was listen to our Terra Linda High School Spanish teacher. She recruited us to befriend a new kid who had just moved to Terra Linda from Chile. To this day The Catcher and The Chilean are very close friends and live only a few miles apart.

Going from sea level to almost eleven thousand feet can be tricky, so on our day off at Chickenfoot Lake we mostly took it easy and did some short day hikes.

Upon exiting the trail we spent another night at lovely Rock Creek Lake. But first there was to be a visit to Rock Creek Lakes Resort. They make very good pies and cobblers – not to mention brisket sandwiches. The next morning after breaking camp, we returned for breakfast and enjoyed french toast along with bacon and egg sandwiches. We were informed by the good folks at Rock Creek Lakes Resort that we were going home just in time. In two days they were expecting several inches of snow. 

After lunch I took a dip in Rock Creek Lake. It was cold, but I was able to take five strokes out, float on my back and then swim leisurely back to shore. There was an old timer there who had just finished fishing. He was enjoying a Coke and a cigarette. He informed me that I was crazy and that he would not be rescuing me. I teased him that he was the only one around and hence was the de facto lifeguard. Fortunately I did not cramp after my big lunch, so the old timer didn’t have to get wet. After my swim we talked about the beauty of the place and how important it was for people to take care of it. We both agreed that there was a special place in hell for anyone who would dare to leave trash on the shore.  

Poppy The Dog was a real trail champion. There were so many people (and dogs) along the trail. She would check on them all. Then there was lots of watching to do while in camp. After so much herding and watching she would get tired and go into the tent early for a well deserved sleep. 

The evenings were cold (around freezing), but with two people (and a dog) the interior of the tent never dropped below forty. We were quite cozy.

The aspen trees of the High Sierra are starting to show some color. Fall is in the air and it might be awhile before I spend another night on the trail. It was a little bittersweet putting away my gear after this last trip and wondering when I would be pulling it out again. But I love fall. For the teacher, fall is the beginning of a new cycle. It is a time of hope, fresh starts, optimism and a sense that adventure lies somewhere ahead.   

A favorite “fall song” of mine is “We Are Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes. It captures that spirit of optimism that the beginning of a school year brings with it and references familiar sights and sounds like new shoes, climbing fences, looking at bugs and making friends. One line says “We don’t notice any time pass.” I guess that is what being present is all about.

Thank you for reading and I hope you were able to enjoy the last days of summer.

Addendum:

While on this trip, The Catcher and I reminisced about our mutual friend The Peaceful Warrior. I call him that because he stood up for me against the biggest bully at our high school at a time when it was certain I was going to sustain a good pummeling. He never had to fight anyone, he just used his size and confidence. He was a gentle giant.

The three of us had a memorable hike up to Little Yosemite Valley and then Half Dome many years ago. A bear ate all our food and The Peaceful Warrior lost his sleeping bag on The Mist Trail.

I also recall a backpacking trip where we were dropped off by my folks high above Zion National Park on the Kolob Terrace. We hiked the West Rim trail into Zion Canyon. Before setting out, the Peaceful Warrior had the wisdom to properly orient our topographic map thus ensuring that we started off in the right direction. This gave our Troop 84 Scoutmaster Stan Boicourt no small amount of pride as this was a skill he had worked hard to engrain in us. We came up a little short on our final day of hiking and ended up sleeping in a river bed, just a mile or two from civilization. Upon awaking, the Peaceful Warrior calmly began removing huge rocks from underneath his sleeping bag – companions of his he had obviously become familiar with during that night’s slumber.

I was also fortunate to see the middle fork of the Stanislaus River on a rafting trip that was sponsored by The Peaceful Warrior’s father. We spent a weekend with a bunch of radical, young river rats who ran a river guiding service through the then wild whitewater of the Stanislaus River. They were engaged in a fight to save the river. Soon after the trip, that part of the Stanislaus would be inundated by the New Melones Dam – lost forever. That made a real impression on me and my budding environmental ethic.

In a beautiful twist of fate, one day while calling out roll on the first day of school in my science class I noticed someone with the same last name as The Peaceful Warrior. As it turned out, I was going to be teaching his son that year. I asked if it was okay if I shared a story about his Dad with the class. He said sure. So I told the story about that fateful day when The Peaceful Warrior faced down the biggest bully at my old school and what it meant to me. That story was the perfect tonic for a room full of nervous freshmen on the first day of high school.

A few minutes ago as I was finishing this trail report I received a call from The Catcher. He just learned that The Peaceful Warrior had passed away a few days ago. This trail report is dedicated to Our Peaceful Warrior.

From left to right: The Catcher, The Peaceful Warrior and Me (Boy Scout Camp Marin Sierra, circa 1974)

It was here at Camp Marin Sierra (located near Lake Tahoe) that we all earned our Rifle and Shotgun merit badge. The Peaceful Warrior was an excellent shot.

One final memory, if you’ll indulge me, is of that time period after college and before kids when The Peaceful Warrior and I would engage in long, epic mountain bike rides which would often result in getting lost and/or finishing after dark. Care Bear sportingly came along on these adventures until she sensibly deemed them as unnecessary.

As we pass through this world we alter it in subtle ways. We leave it in a slightly different state than if we had never existed ourselves. We leave behind ripples, or even waves (if we are one of those who make a big splash.) I for one am a happier and more secure individual for having known The Peaceful Warrior. He made me laugh. He made me feel safe. For these things I am grateful.