Big Pine Lakes
Hike Review:
I hiked the North Fork Big Pine Creek Trail up to Lake 2.
The trail mainly follows Big Pine Creek, which means that it’s colder, but with a rocking soundtrack and some waterfalls to see.
The trail was mostly a single track with almost no exposure.
At lower elevations, there a lot of trees, but past the half way point to Lake 2, there is essentially no shade.
There were a few spots where the trail was iced over, but they were short and easy to avoid.
There was zero cell signal on the entire trail, including the trailhead.
What I Learned:
I somehow accidentally turned off RAW mode on my iphone camera and so I realized how mediocre my phone shots were after the trip.
My right knee felt tired at Lake 2, so I turned around instead of hiking up to Lake 5 and looping back via Black Lake. I think it was due to over using it, especially by driving 7 hrs without using cruise control the day before.
Even though I missed the sunrise, I really enjoyed helping Jesus and Natalie. I was glad that they were able to hike and have a lovely hiking experience.
Although the trail was colder than expected, I didn’t use my glove much. Also, the REI insulated jacket worked perfectly for this temperature. I could see how it wouldn’t be enough for lower than 20-25 degrees though.
I drank some frappucchino before hiking and it helped me hydrate and feel less tired at the beginning of the trail. I didn’t really need the extra caffeine, but it sure did taste good.
I initially hiked for about 5 minutes from the overnight parking lot before I turned around for my forgotten lip balm. At this point, to save time, I drove to the trailhead... which ended up being the right decision as my lips, Jesus, and Natalie were all saved.
Media Consumed:
The Alice Network
Friends:
Jesus and Natalie from LA—As I drove to the trailhead (at 5:15am-ish), they blinked their high beams and rolled their windows down. They were confused where the trailhead was, so I pointed them back the way they came. After I parked, Jesus came over and asked a few more questions while holding his inadequate (and misleading) Google Maps. I offered to wait for them to ensure that they got on the right trail (the same one that I was hiking). I waited for a bit, then we started hiking together. I wanted to hike faster, but I stayed with them until we got on the North Bound trail towards the Big Pine Lakes. Once I knew they couldn’t get lost, I took off. I felt a little bad that I left them behind (but I was on a schedule...), but I made sure that they were following since I could keep track of their progress by looking back at the tiny, but mighty headlamps. On the way down from Lake 2, I ran into them, where they thanked me again for helping them. Jesus had taken a small fall (I didn’t bring my first aid kit, so I couldn’t help), but they were still in high spirits. We talked about the weather a bit before we parted.
What Happened?
9.9 miles, 4 hrs 49 mins, 2895 ft of ascent
My awesome friend Geoff told me about this trail a few years ago, and after his epic experience backpacking, my interest on this trail was definitely piqued. I had wanted to hike this trail at various times this summer, but due to the weather or other reasons, I just couldn’t commit to this trail. Things just seemed to align this weekend for this trail, however, so even though it would require 800+ miles of driving over two days, I jumped at the chance.
I wanted to start the hike at 5 am, given that I thought that it’d take me about 2.5 hrs to get to Lake 2. My alarm rang at 4:45 am, and I got up and ready in about 15 minutes.
With my lip balm detour and helping out fellow hikers, I knew I would be late for the sunrise at Temple Crag, but I still enjoyed the hike. The crisp air, the slow changing of the colors in the sky, it was just perfect for me.
After Lake 2, I turned around and felt a little cold on the trail as I wasn’t expending so much energy on the downhill. Although, when I got out of the mountain shadows and into the sunlight, it was blissful. I then was a little annoyed that I hadn’t packed my hat, though the sunglasses made the direct sunlight bearable. I really enjoyed the final mile back to the trailhead, as I got to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.
When I got back to my car, I was pretty happy with how I completed the hike in less than 5 hrs and I headed off to Lone Pine for the oft-recommended Alabama Hills Cafe and Bakery.