17 September 2017, Sunday
We are up early. A breakfast of blueberry pancakes for me and pecan waffles for O will power us up the first part of our hike. We drive out of Bishop and climb quickly. The trailhead at Sabrina Lake is over 9000 feet. The air is cool (8 degrees C lower than in Bishop) and refreshing. We park Vincent along the road where many other hikers appear to have parked. We do not see any ‘No Parking’ signs here, nor do we see bear proof food lockers. Soon we have shouldered our packs to begin our ascent. The trailhead is, of course, marked by a quote from John Muir.
Sabrina Lake itself is dammed and apparently a popular fishing spot. We climb switchbacks along the lakeshore heading generally southward and soon enter the John Muir Wilderness.
By noon we have gained 250 meters of elevation and we are ready for our chocolate chip cookies. As we munch we enjoy a splendid view of surrounding glacier-carved peaks. We can see a great red granite ridge to the north, and by now we can also see the tops of the Evolution Peaks over the ridge we are climbing. The Evolution Peaks are all named after famous scientists who studied the subject. Darwin Peak is one of the most prominent.
We reach Blue Lake before 2 pm. Both of us are happy to finish the day’s hike. It is a challenge carrying full packs, each weighing more than 16 kilos for 4.5 miles up over 1200 feet. Our campsite at beautiful Blue Lake is well over 10,000 feet and we are not yet acclimated to this altitude. We spend a relaxing afternoon watching the ever-changing light on the water and surrounding peaks as the sun moves across the sky and great puffy cumulus clouds come and go. There is a steady breeze here and the air cools quickly as the sun lowers behind the western ridges. The temperature could easily drop below freezing tonight.
