It’s been a year since we last went backpacking, and the kids have been looking forward to this trip. They are growing up, and they can have more freedom on this trip. The night before our trip, I put all the kids to bed an hour early, since we have an early morning start to a long car ride and hike.
Early Saturday morning, we leave home at 6:30 and head up the highway, stopping briefly at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center in Lone Pine. From there, we shoot up to the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center to meet up with the Denhams and have a picnic lunch. Months prior, looking for hiking partners, Yan had mentioned this trip to her coworker, Laura; we’re so happy that she and her family can make this trip.
The hike in is a flat stroll along the southwestern shore of Saddlebag Lake. Before long, we’re at the far end of the lake. It seems shorter than what Yan and I remember when we brought Daphney on her first backpacking trip. We stop for a snack break by trailside boulders.
We cross Lee Vining Creek on some makeshift log bridges and find a lakefront campsite. Jeremy and I scout around but decide that the scenic value of our location is unsurpassed. Greenstone Lake is flanked by sheer granite walls, and North Peak stands regal, looking down from the opposite shore.
Yan and I try to remember where we camped the last time we were here—we had to cross a marshy area with Mark and Sarah. Somehow, this lake feels different. Later, when comparing pictures, I’ll discover that the area where we are camping now was previously underwater and the rock outcroppings were little islands.
I set up camp while letting the kids roam free. Daphney collects and knaps rocks into round coins and triangular arrowheads. The other kids skip rocks in the lake. After a quick bath, we make dinner. It’s egg flower soup and spinach noodles.
Bright stars dot the clear inky blue sky as light fades away. Our orange tent gives a pop of contrast color to the evening. I take star trail pictures.
Jayden is the first to wake up on Sunday morning. At 5:00, he needs to pee, and once outside, he exclaims that the Milky Way is super bright. Sure enough, it is vertical, like smoke rising up from the right side of North Peak. There are but a few minutes to capture this, however, since twilight is around the corner.
The peaks reflect in Greenstone Lake’s polished mirror. As the sun comes up, golden light sets the cliffs aglow. Ducks make ripples in the calm water. We have breakfast burritos.
This trip is about letting the kids have more say, since the adults dictate so much of their lives. I ask them if they want to move camp and backpack to another lake for a change of scene or just stay put. Daphney, Jayden, and Nathaniel hold a conference and decide to stay. “We love this place,” they say.
With no rush to go anywhere, the morning is now a lazy one. With my three-weight rod in hand, I fly fish the pond created by the outlet of Greenstone Lake. Little brook trout are biting. Little Parachute Adams seem to work well. Jayden says he feels sorry for the fish, but he’ll eat one if I cook it. Daphney, however, says no. Since the kids are in charge, we catch and release.
We encounter other wildlife on our hike towards Wasco Lake in the afternoon. A garter snake mesmerizes the kids as it swims along the shore and into the grass. Laura catches some native Sierra frogs.
Back at camp, we make rice and Japanese curry with homegrown carrots. The kids devour that and then share a dessert: dried strawberries sprinkled over cheesecake pudding spread on crushed Oreo cookies. We watch the sun go down and the sky turn orange. The moon is just past first quarter.
After oatmeal and more fishing, we make the long drive home.
Myles says, “I love backpacking.” Next year, maybe he’ll actually hike, carry some of his stuff, and gain some trail freedom.
