Friday July 24
It was a sunny Friday afternoon in Santa Clarita, and temperatures sat around 40 degrees Celsius. I left work at 4:00 PM and drove north toward the Eastern Sierra. I had a four hour drive up Highway 395 ahead of me before I could sleep at my hostel in Bishop.
On the way up, I stopped in Lone Pine. I went to the Elevation Sierra Adventur shop , which stays open until 9:00 PM on Fridays, to rent a mandatory bear canister for my hike. Afterward, I ate dinner at Subway.
As I drove north toward Bishop, a smoke cloud appeared on the horizon. I wondered if there was a fire. The closer I got, the thicker the smoke became. My phone blared with an emergency evacuation alert for the region. I realized I needed to get further north, but the cars in front of me were still moving forward. I kept driving straight toward the blaze.
It was close to the highway and wild to witness. I was lucky. Authorities closed the road right after I passed, creating a huge traffic jam behind me. I was likely one of the last people allowed to drive through. Despite the chaos, it was a highlight of the trip. The sunset glowing through the smoke, combined with helicopters and airplanes swooping down to drop water on the flames, created a surreal atmosphere.
I pulled into The Hostel California in Bishop around 8:00 PM. I chatted with a few people in the common area, but it became clear that many were consuming their own things. It was not the environment I wanted, so I headed to the local Vons supermarket to buy my trail food for the next two days and called it a night.
Saturday July 25
My alarm went off at 5:30 AM. Before leaving Bishop, I stopped at Erick Schat’s Bakkery to buy some fresh bread. It is not quite comparable to bakeries in Europe, but it is better than what you find in a standard US supermarket.
I drove up the June Lake Loop to Silver Lake to start my trek. I was happy I had secured a wilderness permit in advance. To backpack to Thousand Island Lake, which is located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, you must get an overnight permit for the Inyo National Forest through Recreation.gov. You want to select the Rush Creek Trailhead. Walk up permits exist, but booking up to six months in advance is recommended.
By 7:30 AM, I started hiking. I went up the Rush Creek Trail, a steep and demanding climb. Rather than taking the gradual route around Gem Lake, I took the steeper shortcut via the Spooky Meadow Trail. It goes straight up into the high country and saves some distance.
The weather was perfect, not too warm and not too cold. A bit after 12:00 PM, I arrived at Thousand Island Lake.
I pitched my tent and headed down to the rocky beach to relax. After a while, a father and his four sons arrived. We struck up a short conversation, and when they went swimming, I decided to join them. The alpine water was actually not too cold. We spent an hour island hopping, swimming between the small granite islands that give the lake its name. I did not bring a swimsuit or a towel, so I just stood on the shore afterward, letting the high altitude wind air dry my underwear. It was nice and refreshing.
Later in the afternoon, I hiked up a nearby mountain to enjoy an aerial view of the lake and get some cell service to check in with the world. Exhausted by the altitude and the sun, I went to bed at 5:00 PM.
Sometime in the night, I woke up to a rustling sound. I laid there listening as a bear walked right past my tent. It was a fascinating moment. I had placed my bear canister well away from my camp. The next morning, I found the canister sitting in the exact same spot I had left it.
Sunday July 26
I woke up at 7:00 AM, packed up, and began the hike down. I took the slightly longer route past Gem Lake. It was a bit further but beautiful.
On the way down, mosquitoes swarmed and bit me. I chose not to use my bug spray, even though I had a nearly 100 percent DEET spray in my backpack.
I reached my car by 12:00 PM. Looking back at the mountains, my mind was blown. I thought it was so nice.
I started the drive south, stopping in Lone Pine to return my bear canister. Before driving all the way home, I took a detour to Owens Lake. Owens Lake is a mostly dry salt lake. In the early 1900s, it held a large amount of water before it was diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct, leaving behind a dry playa that became a source of dust pollution. Today, the city has built a grid of dirt berms, roads, and shallow flooded pools across the lakebed to mitigate the dust. You can drive your car out onto these unpaved mitigation routes.
After exploring the lake, I hit the highway and pulled into my driveway in Santa Clarita at 6:15 PM.
