2002: the Adventure Continues!
Autumn 2002 - the Return Trip(s)!
A week after hitting the Tablelands, and immediately after visiting my
relatives further south, I was cruising up US 395 into the Sierra again! I had
no plans for another long hike, but visiting the aspen was high on my list of
things to do, so I made as many detours as time would allow. A quick visit to
the Alabama Hills was soon followed by a drive I had often wanted to make: Onion
Valley and the Kearsarge trailhead. It was too late in the day to attempt to
reach the pass, but I still wanted to look around, and shortly after 3PM I was
at the nearly-deserted trailhead.
While looking at the golden foothills - more
willow than aspen yet still gorgeous - a lone hiker headed for the Robinson Lake
trail, hoping to make a quick trip into the hanging valley. I had overlooked
this option, so I dashed back to my reference books to see how far that trail
would take me. The lake was only two miles away, so my short schedule might
allow me that much exercise!
I was hastily packing a few items into my packlid/daypack when a car pulled up, and a
half-dozen dogs began dashing about. A woman who sheltered pets was about to
take the same trail. We wandered a bit before finding the trailhead behind
one of the campsites. After ten minutes or so I left them behind, but ten
minutes or more later, one of the dogs caught up to me. I asked it "where's
Mom?", at which point it looked downhill, turned around and dashed back down to
check! A little over an hour of moderate uphill got me to the lake, a pretty
site with overused campsites practically surrounding it. After several photos I
turned back to the golden splendor of Onion Valley, then dashed onward to Bishop
for the night. (I never did catch up to the guy who inspired me to do this hike.)
The next day I would recross the Sierra and stay somewhere near Lodi, but
plenty of daylight was available for exploration. I drove up Rock Creek, which
crossed the peak aspen show around 8500 feet - the road-end was already
finished, with more leaves on the pavement than on the trees.
The McGee Creek cutoff was more spectacular (since it ends closer to 8500
feet!), with great color extending well up-valley to even the highest shrubs.
Convict Lake was its usual special self, with nice color along the banks, but
time wasn't available for winding among Mammoth Lakes. Instead I took the June
Lake Loop, which was extremely colorful for its entire length. I waved at our
July trailhead at Bloody Canyon, then proceeded to Bridgeport for lunch. I
crossed Monitor and Ebbets passes, which had great views but not much color,
then reached Lodi on schedule just after 5:30, where I met Kerry again and
shared the stories and photos from a great hike, along with my other adventures
along the way.
Finally, it was time for the return trip to Oregon - but how? Two good
options presented themselves, and after some thought I decided it was time to
simply shut up and climb Lassen Peak. I had suggested doing so to fellow
Oregonians a few times, since after a week of high-elevation packing it should
have been simple enough, but a lack of time always forced us back to Portland
too swiftly.
Now I had time to spare, so I headed north to Red Bluff then east to Lassen
Park. Some of that spare time was lost to a 1-hour traffic delay within the
Park, but by 11:30 I was at the trailhead. I began the climb with less water
than I had hoped (my bottle was half full, but no water was available at the
trailhead) but plenty of energy & enthusiasm. I reached the top at 1PM, my
second major Cascade summit (but Mt. Hood was 29 years before!!). I spent a
half hour on top, took some photos, drank most of my water, and reached the
bottom around 2:45. None of the tourist centers were open for drinks of any
sort, so I finally refilled my filter-bottle in a local stream and drank up.
Due to inept application of sunscreen, I had my last sunburn of the season in a
few spots, but I was pleased with the climb: a great way to end my 2002
high-country adventures.
The trip through Oregon had no high-altitude rewards, but I did take a few
roads I hadn't seen before, seeking another golden species: the larch. Between
Seneca and John Day I was treated to a double-feature, both aspen AND larch in
the same view! After lunching in John Day I headed west to Prineville (more
spectacular larch-groves on display in the Ochoco!), and returned home shortly
after 6PM. I had driven 3180 miles in two weeks, but it's not the driving I
will remember about this trip. Family visits, new friends, great scenery and my
first solo backpacking trip will long be remembered when my current vehicle is
scrap and I'm scooting along in a fuell-cell-powered transport (unless I'm
walking or riding my bike, of course).