Right after all the hoopla of the fourth of July as summer in Los Angeles heats up; there is an opportunity to escape to the High Sierra. Beautiful alpine flowers, tumbling waterfalls and serene lakes await you. We’ll hike about four miles a day with an altitude gain of about 800 feet per mile. Along the way, you‘ll see stunning vistas and in the evenings, watch the sunset set the peaks aflame. At night you’ll see more stars than you remembered exist.

In order to join us on this four day backpack, you’ll need to be in good physical condition and able to carry a backpack weighing about 45 pounds for about 4 miles a day (with breaks of course).  Before this trip, you need to do a day hike with either Mario Voce or Frederick Brown to see if you qualify.  If you qualify, we will send you a registration form. Wilderness permits are limited to ten backpackers plus two leaders.

Big Pine Canyon is a narrow, steep sided canyon carved by the glaciers.  We will drive up to the trail head to camp the evening of Thursday, July 6. This will allow us to begin adjusting to the 8,000 foot altitude and rest up for the hike the next day.

On Friday morning July 7, we will hike up Big Pine Creek to the North Fork at about 9,300 feet. We will pass second falls and a cabin built by Lon Chaney in the 1920's and through alpine gardens.  On Saturday, we will hike passed the first three lakes, which are the color of milky turquoise from the ice powder carried down from the glacier. We will camp at Sixth Lake (altitude 11,088 feet) with views of the Palisade Glacier, the southern most glacier in the United States.  It is about two miles in length and several hundred feet thick.

On Sunday, we will return to the North Fork via Black Lake, where we will have another splendid view of the Palisade Glacier and the Palisade Crest which averages 14,000 feet.  On Monday July 10, we will hike out to the trail head and return home.

You will need your ten essentials and backpacking gear (we will send you a list of necessary items). Carpooling is recommended to reduce fuel costs and vehicle emissions.