Discover Top Posts Tagged with #raelakes

We have some fresh goods in our Etsy shop. Do good, look good. #vintageoutdoor #vintage #outdoor #lgbt #lgbtq #queersinnature #backpacking #sequoianationalpark #kingscanyon #nationalpark #raelakes #mountains

#raelakes #mountains #outdoor #backpacking #vintageoutdoor #vintage #lgbtq #lgbt #queersinnature #nationalpark #sequoianationalpark #kingscanyon

Island life at 3200m. #RaeLakes #Sequoia #NationalPark #California #mountains #backpacking #trekking #hiking #SierraNevada #lake #wilderness #wildernessculture #JMT

#raelakes #mountains #wildernessculture #backpacking #hiking #lake #jmt #wilderness #california #nationalpark #trekking #sequoia #sierranevada

Rae lakes loop with these lovebirds. Thanks for putting up with me. #Raelakes #kingscanyon #sequoianationalpark #backpacking #backpackers #thirdwheel (at Kings Canyon National Park)

#raelakes #backpacking #backpackers #thirdwheel #kingscanyon #sequoianationalpark

Day 2, Friday, July 22.

The furthest hike, the highest climb, and the longest day.

The start of the day was good, got packed early and ate breakfast without having to cook anything. Small details like not having to cook really saves time. Left the camp at 9a.m., but, I planned to stop at the bridge to fish. From the bridge the night before there were about five fish I spotted swimming around. Making sacrifices, this 30 min fishing session took time off the trail. Trying to balance fishing and hiking can change the schedule a lot. I would love to fish spots for hours, but having to be just a hiker really cuts down on the recreational time. Leaving around 9:30 to start the hike, I felt rested. But, a few miles in there was moderate climbing. My legs started to ache already, it just felt like I wasn’t warmed up. The plan was to take it easy in the beginning because i knew it was a long day. It was also the most critical day, knowing that if I made the destination at the end of the day there was no turning back. At around the two hour mark I wanted to take off my pack and break. There just so happen to be the creek near by. I fished again for about 15 minutes. Now, being about 45 minutes delayed from just fishing and some time used on making photos I was over an hour behind on the trail. The first six miles there is a 1500′ elevation climb. It was hard but not that noticeable, being deep down in the canyon you can hardly notice visually the ground and elevation covered. Once I looked behind me I could see the perspective of what I was climbing out of. Taking the time to look back to see where I came from was a big motivator for me, but always moving forward. To be honest relating it to life experiences and seeing how far I came from and how far things have taken me made me appreciate the journey of life so far and the hike of course.

When you get to the suspension bridge you are on the JMT. The trail seemed to change from a one way street to a freeway interchange. People from all directions and different skill and gear levels. Noticing some Z-packs, a lot of ULA equipment, and other top looking brands I don’t know. I ran into a girl from Cal Poly SLO that graduated the same year as me, she had pack horses and that was all the information I got(i was pretty tired). She was one of those people that I regret not taking a photo of. As I was talking to people going up to Rae Lakes everyone seemed to have the same consensus that it was going to be a climb. It is another 2000′ elevation climb in seven miles, while going from 8500 feet to 10500 feet. I met up with heather for a few, she had mentioned that she would have some leftover dinner for me up at the Rae Lakes camp. Dinner with her that night also became a big motivator.

After a quick nap, lunch, and water refill I start at 3:30. The trek from the suspension bridge to Rae lakes gives you about a half mile to warm up then climbing up and around the side of a canyon. It becomes more exposed, it was like rolling hills to get up to 10,000′. 3 hours later I get to the Dollar Lake(I skipped a lot here, just know it was tuff). Its 6:20pm at the lake the sun is setting, fish are jumping nonstop. Fish hit the surface of the lake from shore to shore, so I have to stop to fish. With three miles left to go and pushing my hike time back another 2o minutes I move back on the trail. I think these were the most scenic parts of the trip from Dollar to Arrowhead to Rae Lakes. I reach the first of Rae lakes, this marks over 20 miles, the half way point, the point of no return. When I got up to a hill over looking the lakes, seeing the sunset on the mountains, suddenly it felt like my collar bone had re-broke. I immediately dropped my pack and cringed in pain. From experience I dropped to the ground to lay flat on my back to align and stabilize my shoulder. From the miles and miles of the pack weight pulling my shoulder it finally felt like it separated my already broken collar bone. This was one moment I was waiting for, not stressing my collar bone, but, the moment of panic, the fear when something goes wrong… After about 5 minutes of amazing pain and 5 minutes of rest the pain went away and I was on my way. This happen before at Eagle Lake, which is also above 10,000'. I have a theory that that has something to do with it. when I get to camp its 8:10pm, this is my first real solo night. The last camp I passed was about 30 min back and I see some tents a half mile ahead on a peninsula on the edge of the lake. My body is beat, crouching down to filter water I get cramps in my legs, sitting down the wrong way i get cramps on my side and back, holding the bag of food my hands cramp from holding trekking poles all day. Still having to cook dinner and set up camp I end up eating around 9:40pm. Over a 12 hour day.

#solocamp #hiking #backpacking #kingscanyon #raelakes #JMT