Langley

This June I hiked up Mount Langley in California, which is a touch over 14,000 feet and is located near Lone Pine, CA. My husband Jack and I hiked to Long Lake from the Horseshoe Meadows trailhead and stayed overnight to acclimatize to the thinner air above 10,000 feet. We saw lots of golden trout jumping but left our fishing rods at home since the season didn't start until July 1. On our hike up the next day, we had to navigate a steep, snowy section, did a fair amount of scrambling, and saw a ton of marmots. We also saw a pile of sticks under some rocks that looked like a den for some kind of large animal. As we hiked up, the altitude slowed us down along with the loose scree that we were hiking in. It was beautiful at the top but due to the haze from recent fires, we couldn't see too far. However, we were thrilled that we saw all of two people that day. We went back to our camp at Long Lake, tired and sore, and the next day we hiked back to our car.
Pictures to follow...

Vandalism in Owens Valley

In the Inyo Register, there is a series of articles about recent vandalism in Bishop, Big Pine, and the White Mountains. Someone (or a group of people) damaged a high-altitude laboratory on White Mountain, one of California's fourteeners, breaking equipment and dousing the lab in gasoline. In Bishop, multiple businesses had rocks thrown at the windows. Cars at various trailheads near Bishop have been vandalized.

Sometimes I worry about the elements and wild animals in the Sierras. But I usually don't have to worry about other people, save those who leave garbage on the trail or food in their car. I have been reminded by these articles that even the Owens Valley isn't free from petty criminals.

The plan for now...

Having started school, I realize that I won't be going down to 140 feet below sea level or hiking up to 14,000 feet anytime soon. I may get to go scuba diving over winter break, and plan to go somewhere with diving over spring break. While I won't go hiking much in the next few months, I plan to keep in shape for next summer. That means continuing to run, spending more time on the stairmaster, and weight training at least a couple times a week. As for the blog, I will recount some of my favorite trips that I have gone on in the last couple of years--like hiking Mount Langley, scuba diving in Roatan, and fishing for trout in the Golden Trout Wilderness. And that's the plan for now...

Cenote diving in Tulum

Going on a Cenote dive was the scariest but most thrilling dive I've ever done. I went with my dive buddy last year after a week on Cozumel and we hired a guide in Tulum, Mexico. Cenotes are freshwater (sometimes mixed with saltwater) limestone caves. We went on cavern dives, where you never get too far from natural light, but some of the spaces we were in did get pretty dark. We did the Gran Cenote and Aktun-Ha/Carwash. Although they were relatively shallow, with maximum depth around 45 feet, they were scary for several reasons. First, being in a cavern meant I had to have perfect neutral buoyancy and gentle finning, so that I didn't stir up any vision-obscuring silt. Second, the dive was essentially a "trust me" dive, where we were dependent on our guide and followed the reel line that he had placed to enter and exit the cavern. Finally, diving in a cavern feels different from being in open water. The lighting is dark, the colors are diffferent, ghostly fish swim by, and you feel as if in another world. This is also one of the loveliest parts of being in a cavern.

Cottonwood Pass

One of the warm-up hikes I did last week was a short, 7 mile round trip hike from Horseshoe Meadows to Cottonwood Pass. This hike starts around 10,000 feet and goes up at a mild incline, to around 11,000 feet. Cottonwood is one of the easier passes to access the backcountry and the trail is quiet and serene--I only ran into three people.

Whitney photos

14,496 feet

Hiking Mount Whitney in a day is both a humbling and empowering experience. I was humbled by my tired legs and the thin air. As others passed me, every step was a struggle.

But I found that by slowing down and taking breaks, I summited. By distracting myself from the pain of my blistered feet, I was able to get down at a reasonable hour. I felt very empowered by completing this long hike.

Despite the physical demands of the hike, I enjoyed it. I was impressed with the sweeping views of the backcountry. I liked crossing the creeks on logs and rocks (and was glad for Goretex boots). Hiking in the dark with a bright LED headlamp was fun but slightly scary, especially when two glowing eyes stared at me from a bush. (Thankfully, the eyes belonged to a deer). Fellow hikers were very helpful and entertaining. While I don't plan to climb those switchbacks again anytime soon, it was a great experience.

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.