“It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of nature I was ever permitted to enter.” — John Muir
The superlatives flow swiftly when you set out on the John Muir trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness near Mammoth Lakes. “Awesome” and “spectacular” would be overused hyperbole if the scenery wasn’t so, well, awesome and spectacular.
After a few days of dirt, fatigue and sensory overload, the rare sights that had awed seem almost commonplace, because they are in this most uncommon place. “Look, another sparkling mountain stream. Soaring granite edifice number 32. Ho, hum. I’m really sore from carrying this 50-pound pack.” It’s so easy to get spoiled.
I’ve long wanted to do a trans-sierra backpack. But it’s not easy to coordinate my friends’ schedules for a poker game, so what are the chances of organizing a weeklong trip?
Enter the OC Hiking and Backpacking Club. I’ve been on the e-mail list since earlier in the year when the Register partnered with the club for outdoors coverage. In July, an alert caught my eye: A 7-day, 50-mile trek from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley on the northern stretch of the famous John Muir Trail. The trip was full, but I put my name on the waiting list on the off chance a spot would come open. It did, and, ready or not, I had to get ready in little more than a week.
I did not know any of the nine people I would live with 24/7, but I figured this type of challenge would attract folks with a good spirit and sense of adventure. And I liked the fact that a club-certified leader had worked out logistics, such as wilderness permits and transit back to our cars in Mammoth.
It turned out to be a fantastic and physically challenging experience. I even made some new friends along the way.
The trip’s climax — Half Dome and Yosemite Valley — provides a second wind and brings back my sense of wonder. But full appreciation for the experience doesn’t set in until after the return to freeways and e-mail when, clean and shaven, I review photos of the amazing territory I had the privilege of roaming. What a wonderful display of nature’s beauty, complexity and synergy! Want to see for yourself?
The Orange County Hiking and Backpacking Club holds a variety of events, from local day hikes to extended backpacks. For more information or to join for free click here.
The first three days were mostly uphill and grueling as we made the steep incline on the granite slope to 11,000-foot Donohue Pass. Once over the pass, it was a rocky climb back down into the grasslands of Lyle Valley. It wouldn’t be all downhill from here, but any respite from the uphill was welcome.
See more photos on my Facebook page.http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=100891&id=740202157