Golden Trout Lakes

I did an overnight trip with my husband to Golden Trout Lakes a couple of weekends ago. The trailhead is out of Onion Valley near Independence, CA, and is the same trailhead that goes to Kearsarge Pass, gateway to Sequoia/ Kings Canyon National Park. Although the hike is short (3 miles to the first North Fork lake), it goes up a good 2000 feet. Also, the trail is not well maintained--look forward to loose scree and some boulders and make sure to bring ski or trekking poles and a sturdy pair of shoes. One's efforts are rewarded with severally glacially carved lakes full of eager-to- bite brook trout and some more wary golden trout. The scenery is stunning, with jagged peaks, wildflowers, and wildlife galore (we saw a mother bear and three baby bears) and one's senses are inundated--the air smells of spicy and sweet plant scents, the wind constantly blows, and the nearby creek sounds of flowing water.

Mount Baldy-Ski Hut Trail to Devil's Backbone

Today I hiked the Ski Hut/Baldy Bowl Trail to the top of Mount Baldy, and took the Devil's Backbone back. It was a beautiful, sunny day with no sign of clouds. The steep Ski Hut trail begins on the road to Baldy Notch, as an unmarked trail on the left about five minutes after the waterfall. There is a trail register holder shortly after starting the trail, but it was empty. The trail leads up a shaded canyon to the Sierra Club hut, where there are nice benches for taking a break. Then you climb up, up, up, until the trees thin and the breeze picks up. On top, you can see the desert, the valley, and the surrounding peaks. If you squint you may be able to see the Sierra. Going on the backbone on the way back this time was less frightening for me. I even peered over a couple of ledges--a big step for this acrophobic. It didn't hurt that I was wearing my sturdy hiking boots, instead of my running shoes. The hike back passed quickly, as a speed hiker came by and entertained with conversation about training for Mount Whitney.

About this blog...

Over the last year, I have gone on a number of hikes, done a bunch of dives, and enjoyed many road trips. This blog will cover some of these trips, and future excursions.

almost Mount Baldy

Yesterday, I hiked from Manker Flats to Baldy Notch on a nice, wide dirt road. I did a short sidehike down the trail to Stockton Flats but turned around after about a mile; this added two miles to my hike. I haven't hiked in the San Gabriels before and I'm sad that I discovered this beautiful area right before I leave LA.

Next I took a gravel road with switchbacks up to the Devil's Backbone trail. The Devil's Backbone is a ridge trail leading up to Mount Baldy that has drop-offs of several thousand feet on each side. I was glad I had my ski poles. As I walked, I noticed gathering clouds near the summit. At first they were little white clouds, and as I got closer they progressed to white clouds with dark bottoms and then their tops seemed to be expanding. At the saddle between Mount Baldy and Mount Harwood (approx. 500 feet/1 mile from the summit) I decided to turn around. No lightning strikes for me. My original plan had been to do the loop, taking the Ski Hut trail down from the summit for a 11 mile round trip hike, but I ended up doing the longer out-and-back. I enjoyed the Devil's Backbone on the way back once I realized that the fear in my head was disproportionate to the low risk of falling off. I hope to tackle this hike again next week and make it to the top. Leaving an hour or two earlier would allow me to ascend without thunderheads building up. Also, I wore running shoes instead of hiking boots and they worked quite well.