Up Pine Creek | Pine Creek Pass | Feather Pass | Dancing Bear and Italy Passes | Full Circle
Full Circle
We had planned for an early morning departure, aiming to be on the trail by 7:30 this morning. Last week, I had back calculated the times based on Brad’s flight out of Ontario, dinner, the drive down with potential traffic through the Cajon Pass, lunch in Bishop, showering by the car, arriving and unpacking at the trailhead, and the seven-and-a-half mile hike down.
All of us are up at daybreak. Lisa and Jonathan are done with everything first and say their goodbyes, right on time as planned.
“Thank you for all the planning,” Lisa starts out.
Jonathan tells Brad, “Danny’s been trying to get me to go backpacking with him for about three years. He keeps inviting me every year.” He’s glad it finally happened.
“We’re going to head down the trail first,” Lisa says.
They are looking forward to the monster burritos from the local food truck in Bishop.
Brad and I leave ten minutes later. The first part of the descent requires navigating through confusing boulders, disappearing trails, and high rocky steps. Occasional cairns highlight the main path from the maze of use trails.
Seeing all the boulders and rocks scattered among meadows and creeks, I say to Brad, “I can see why they named this Granite Park.”
Exiting the heart of this park, we descend to the calm water of Honeymoon Lake. The Wizard’s Castle rises again. Then, we reach the Pine Creek Pass junction.
“We just came full circle,” I comment, “and Jonathan has accomplished his first through hike.”
Upper Pine Lake is very different this morning. Instead of pregnant clouds and gusty winds, a light breeze makes miniature ripples on the water’s surface. The deep blue sky, the contrasting white granite, and the carpet of conifer stands form broken reflections.
The steep descent bothers me. Brad marches ahead, oblivious and ready to get to the car while my left iliotibial band becomes more painful by the side of my left knee. I had started to feel this come on during the third day, the day over Feather Pass, and it is much worse now. Each downhill step is jarring. The last set of switchbacks has a gentler grade, and my knees are thankful.
It’s 11:27. After the sagebrush slopes, we duck into the cool shade of the forest, greeted again by the smell of wet pine and resin. Brad and I hop across a few creeks as we approach the pack station. We arrive at our car twenty minutes behind schedule.
“Those two probably got here before 10:00 this morning,” Brad observes.
“Yeah, they have a stride length advantage.”
This isn’t that late. I had planned in some buffer time, and everything is going to be fine. It’s now time to clean up, load the car, and head to the Wonderland Chinese Restaurant in Bishop for a big lunch!
The planning did help, a lot. We nailed some of the best camping spots on the Bear Lakes massif. While chilled, we were prepared to laugh at the rain. We threaded the high passes and their cliffy ledges. Having done many firsts on this trip—first time hiking together with Lisa and Jonathan, Jonathan’s first through-hike, first Class 2 scrambles, and first extensive off-trail days—we’re ready to make seconds (minus the mile-long boulder-and-crevice hop section). I have some great ideas; Brad’s going to want me to plan it. And I’m excited to do so.
