On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
UncleEbeneezer
We wanted to do one fairly challenging day hike during our trip. So we decided to do the hike to Long Lake that starts out of the South Lake area of Bishop Creek. The hike is only about 5.5 miles round trip with 1,800 foot elevation gain. Not crazy-hard, but at that altitude a significant workout for us.
On the way up to Convict Lake, we detoured into Bishop Creek and finally got a chance to do the drive to South Lake, for the first time. The Fall Foliage was really great and the view at the South Lake was spectacular.
There are lots of aspens along the trail, especially during the fairly brutal climb at the beginning of the hike.
Up, up, and away! This part of the hike takes a lot out of the legs/lungs.
After the first mile or so, you finally start to get some lovely meadows.
Long Lake was totally worth the effort to get there.
Long Lake
Beautiful.
The light was much better on the way back down.
Aspens, Sierra and afternoon light. Perfection!
We were pretty exhausted but very happy by the end of the hike.
raven
sweet
Geo Wilcox
Pretty trees. We had an aspen pop up on our property several years ago. We live in SE IN USA so I have no clue where it came from. Half of it died back and I am not sure it will survive but I leave it.
OzarkHillbilly
Very nice hike. Wish I could join you on such but I don’t think my hip, knees, or lungs would approve.
AM in NC
Just lovely. Thank you for sharing these!
Yutsano
Breathtaking! I love how diverse California is in terms of mountains and beaches. And deserts. And forests. And other things I can’t think of right now.
Sandia Blanca
@Yutsano: and movie stars! And cement ponds! But seriously, you are right about the charms of the Golden State. Looking forward to a trip back home there later today.
Uncle E, your photos are lovely, and your energy is inspiring. Thanks for sharing this trip.
eclare
Very nice, 1800 feet climb is nothing to sneeze at. What was your altitude?
Tenar Arha
Lovely day
UncleEbeneezer
@eclare: The hike starts at 9,700 and goes up another 1,200 or so feet. It’s definitely a serious workout. And while we were only semi-acclimated from our stay at Convict Lake.
cope
Beautiful, just beautiful, thank you.
We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of moving from an elevation of about 75 feet to around 4,700 feet. I can’t beg off going on hikes any more with the excuse that I need to acclimatize. Come next spring, I hope to be up to this level of activity. Thanks also for the inspiration.
Neldob
Wonderful. And beautiful.
eclare
@UncleEbeneezer:
Whoa! I had real problems hiking around 8,000 feet! Thanks for the photos, I could never get there. I live at 400 feet.
My bf at the time was so understanding that I needed to stop and wheeze and lean on my walking stick every 20 yards or so.
/s
UncleEbeneezer
@cope: You’re welcome. You can do it!! Our approach is just to take it slow and try to take lots of breaks for water, rest, shade etc. If you give yourself enough time it’s a pretty good system. We also understand that we can always turn back if we are too winded or it’s too hot, sunny etc., and that there’s really no shame in doing so. Fortunately most of the hikes we try we know are supposedly awesome so we usually have a lot of incentive to push through.
UncleEbeneezer
@eclare: Usually a couple days at altitude and you will feel much better attempting this stuff, but it is still hard.
eclare
@UncleEbeneezer:
I asked a ranger at Bryce Canyon how long it took to acclimate, expecting an answer of a few days. He said a few weeks. I was in good shape, but just too used to air you can scoop with your hand.
I think altitude is one of those things where everyone is different. I knew someone who traveled to Denver and was sick the entire time, and that’s only around 5,000 feet.
JaneE
@eclare: South Lake is at 9700 or thereabouts.
UncleEbeneezer
@eclare: I’ve heard similar but I also know a lot of hikers who give themselves only 24-48 hours before starting a strenuous hike at higher altitude. We’ve never had anything beyond a constant headache and feeling out-of-breath, as far as altitude sickness goes.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
Great hike and lovely shots.
I was up at South Lake a week before you, the color wasn’t nearly as good. I did hike about a 1/4 mile up the same trail, just for some nice views looking down at a full South Lake. I headed back down and hiked about a mile up the Tyee Lakes trail for some nice views of the valley below.
The reaction to altitude can be weird, I ran across a YouTube video of a guy climbing all the California 14’ers. He and his gf climbed Split Mountain and two weeks later attempted Middle Palisade. They camped at Glacier Lodge and then hiked to Brainerd Lake at about 10,300′ for the overnight, she had problems with the altitude and they hiked back down during the night.
Dmbeaster
@UncleEbeneezer: i have been mountaineering for decades in the Sierra, and you are right about altitude. It just varies from person to person. I have never been in great shape, but have also never had any issue with altitude up to 14,000. People in better shape than me suffer before that. It’s just lucky genetics.
I camped at Long Lake last year. I backpacked by it this year hiking out at South Lake after crossing Bishop Pass.
I strongly recommend Rock Creek as a beautiful and easy hiking destination (approach from Toms Place off 395). Trailhead is 10,000. My favorite destination is the north side of Chickenfoot Lake, which is 4 miles in and only a 600 foot gain. The crowds tend to go to Gem Lakes. The trail passes by a series of beautiful lakes on the way there.
Long Lake has some interesting geology. You may have noticed Chocolate Mountain just to the south, which is one of the roof pendants in the Sierra.
Dmbeaster
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: I was at South Lake last year and this year. Last year it was horribly low and sad. This year, brimmed. I delayed a long backcountry trip until late September because of snow concerns. There was still water everywhere as if it was late June or early July. Flowers were still blooming at nearly all altitudes. Just wild.
Nearly all of the aspens on the South Lake trail are in the first mile or so. After the trail junction for Treasure Lakes, not a lot of Fall color opportunity.
dibert dogbert
Google Maps has many photos along the Bishop Pass Trail. My hiking days are over but I can still view the photos and remember the experience. Now if VR was improved with adding the smells, the wind, the temperature and the feel of tired legs I would buy the Apple thing.