Sunday, September 1

Chicken Spring Lake Backpacking - Eastern Sierra Mts

The mighty Range of Light is a testament of challenging wonders that will reveal itself to those that choose to walk it's paths, deep into it's heart, while exploring their own.


Stephanie & I spontaneously decided to go for a weekend backpacking trip, but skipped the usual local San Gabes & went straight for the big stuff, Eastern Sierra's. Deciding originally on a loop trip, up over Cottonwood Pass to Lower Soldier Lake, then back over New Army Pass & through the Cottonwood Lakes region...... Mother Nature had other intentions.


Driving to Lone Pine, it was raining. We got dinner & our hotel, it was raining. We woke, snagged permits & ate breakfast, it was still raining. Feeling confident, we drove up to the trail head, maybe it'd look different at 10,000ft? After navigating the fifteen some odd rock slides on the road we made it to our parking spot, turned the Jeep off... it was still raining. 

| Near Cottonwood Pass, looking into Horseshoe Meadow |

All gear packed accordingly, about to set foot on the trail & the rain stopped, we couldn't believe it. Walking with smiles only lasted about thirty five minutes, the rain returned while we were climbing the switchbacks to Cottonwood Pass. The views down both sides were beautiful, cloaked in thick dark clouds all around us. 


 
| Chicken Spring Lake - Elevation 11,242ft |

Moving on now, we had spent some time in the rain & still felt good about it. Crossing into the 11,000ft range of elevation we started to encounter hail more than rain. The situation was changing rapidly. We were getting closer to Chicken Spring Lake, so we opted for an afternoon break there. 



The rock basin was stunning upon arrival, the hail continuing to grow stronger, covering the forest floor with a thin layer of white. That's when the thunder began. Rolling heavy & loud all throughout the mountains around us. What a magnificent display. 


By now we had decided to alter our route & call this lake home for the night. When the storm waned a bit, we put up the tent & unpacked gear, all still dry as a bone, things were looking up. Steph knocked out while I sat & giddly listening to every thunder clap for several hours. Lighting never showed up to the party fortunately, just lots of earth shaking noise. Props to Big Agnes, superior ultra light tents, this is the fourth trip with multi-hour storms with no problems what so ever.

| Inyo National Forest |

After showing off her power, Mother Nature decided to show us her softer side & opened up the skies for a majestic sunset that will live with me for a long time. Walking the shoreline & then finding a nice high point to see the last rays of light fall over these granite peaks was all the reassurance I needed that this is where we belong.


Retreating to make a tortellini dinner & snack furiously before sleep was all that had to be done now. Life was good, the stars were out & displaying all their allure. The next morning we still had some clear skies so plans were made to explore more before packing up.


| Chicken Spring Lake, Big Whitney Meadow |

Heading up the boulder section on the eastern side of the lake, we gained a ridgline that looked far down into Big Whitney Meadow. A most expansive & encompassing view. The rocks were interesting & warn along the top of the ridge from wind constantly eroding them away over time. Clouds slowly began to gather & we knew it was time to get walking. 



Gear was secured & slung over our shoulders, made it back to Cottonwood Pass with easy, but we could hear thunder & see the rain in the distance, right where we needed to go. Only about five minutes passed & were we in the thick of a shower & thunder roared again. However, today was different, for every 5 or 6 thunder claps we heard, a bolt of lighting would streak across the sky.



The lower section of the trail through the Horseshoe Meadow area is a mix of dense trees & large open & exposed trail sections. While Steph & I walked one of these open/exposed trail sections a bolt a lighting crashed down from the sky & struck the group in front of us in the same open area we were walking through! The sound was so incredibly loud we both jumped out of shear fright, leaving our skin on the trail behind us. Never had I seen or experienced anything like that in my whole life. Needless to say, hearts racing, we picked up the pace & made it to the car as more hail began to fall from the sky.

| Horseshoe Meadow |

The adventure didn't stop there, while driving out we experience a lighting strike, arc hundreds of feet tall, over our car, hitting the ground on both sides of Luken Canyon Road. Later on the Hwy 395, traffic came to a grinding halt due to a large flash flood mud slide that covered to highway (see video). Everyone stood around on the highway cursing obscenities... I was just thinking about the next trip to the High Sierra's.


Big Tujunga Narrows Group Swim - San Gabriel Mts

As summer comes to a close (only on the calendar), there are several hikes that I did not want to slide by me again. The Big Tujunga Narrows is a summer only hike that absolutely blows 90% of all the others we have done out of the water (no pun intended).


The Big Tujunga Narrows is a wonderland of rock pools & high canyon walls, closing into 15 feet apart at some sections. It's also wonderful b/c it is a non-technical canyoning trip, there are some ropes in place to help assist travelers down steep rock slopes, but nothing terribly challenging.


After dropping almost straight down from an unmarked turn out on the highway, we met the first two rope sections, with large groups it allows for resting, hoots & hollers & anticipation to build. Fun stuff all around.



We all hopped a section of shoreline boulders & within the first 5 minutes we came to our jump in point. Everybody in the pool! The next half hour of travel, brings us to several open rock basins that we would have to swim across to continue down the canyon. Saw a Garter Snake swimming with us in one pool & a soaked bat at another.



It had grown to a warm day, being constantly soaked was a welcome respite from the large day time star. A bit before the halfway point we came to the best obstacle on the trip, a curving waterfall slide. There is only one way to get past this point.... slide! There is potential to rock jump off the sides, but the water levels are a bit on the medium side here, maybe 5ft at deepest, moving to 3 ft on the shallow side.


The hike continues through several more pools & spectacularly perplexing canyon sections. At times, the rock curving overhead like a massive wave. Much of the last forty minutes of hike was directly in the creek, while avoiding mossy areas & vegetation. 


The hardest part about this hike (in my opinion) is finding the exit route if you don't know where it is, we had no trouble, but others said they would have had no clue where to go. An ancient forest service road that is now a trail meets the canyon floor & winds up to the highway in a very exposed, slow & sunny 1.5 miles. The trail is no visible until one is basically standing right on top of it. Search Fall Creek Falls hike for more details on this exit trail, & if you're lucky, a seldom visited 5 tier waterfall in the winter & spring seasons.