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I was granted time off work at the last minute in early July and booked a permit for my first backpacking adventure in the Eastern Sierra. I wanted something scenic (not that hard to find in the Sierras!), and the short notice meant I couldn’t be picky. But the Universe had better backpacking plans for me!

Thank you, Universe!
You certainly have a way of planning better vacations than I planned for myself.

For more outdoor adventure ideas, read these blog posts!

Plan A – backpacking from Cottonwood Lakes Trail

My permit started from the Cottonwood Lakes trail in the Inyo National Forest. I planned on making my way over to the New Army trail and then joining the PCT, to come back via Cottonwood Pass.

That’s just about 20 miles, which is probably very short for seasoned backpackers. But living at sea level, and this being my first time in the Sierras, I had no idea how my body would handle the altitude, so I came up with plans A, B, and C. My goal was not to see nor do as much as I could. I just wanted to set up my tent, chill, and wake up to a different view each day. It would give me the perfect opportunity to test my gear properly, see what works and doesn’t, and see how my body handles altitude.

Medical issue

Cottonwood Lakes trailhead is at just over 10,000ft, and I drove straight there on day 1. I started getting a headache during the drive (long before reaching a high elevation). Shortly after I started my hike, I decided to rest in a meadow, only about two miles away from the trailhead. I set up my tent without the rainfly to lie down and enjoy the scenery, hoping that my headache would improve.

I ended up spending the night there though, because I was also starting to feel nauseous. Since I am prone to migraines, I still don’t know if I suffered from a migraine, altitude sickness, or both.

After chilling for a few hours, I felt a little better, and I made dinner. Nothing fancy at all, just cold mashed potato with turkey gravy because I was too lazy to boil water.

The night was very long though, as I was not feeling great and barely slept. I was therefore facing a choice of either powering through or getting back down to a lower elevation. As silly as it sounds, it was hard to decide because it seemed like a failure. But I did not want to power through, feel worse, and lose the ability to get myself out of the situation. It’s just not worth it.

[Edit in 2023: I’ve been back to higher elevations above 10,000 ft since that trip, and I’ve never had altitude sickness, so I’m now confident this was just one of my migraines!]

Plan B – Alabama Hills

I drove down to Lone Pine to enjoy a lovely smoothie and lunch at a cute little park. However, it was 116F (46C) outside. Although I usually can tolerate heat without a problem, I just couldn’t do it that day. So I decided to book a hotel room for the night and spent a couple of hours chilling in the aircon before going to the actual plan B: Alabama Hills!

Alabama Hills are a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills near Lone Pine. Many films were shot there, and it’s also a photographer’s and rock climber’s paradise.

I had planned to shoot the sunset and even scouted locations for Milky Way and star trail shots. But I was so completely exhausted that I ended up going back to the hotel before sunset to crash.

Plan C – Backpacking to Big Pine Lakes!

By morning I felt like a brand new person, and I was ready to hit the trail again!

I jumped on recreation.gov to find an overnight permit. And to my biggest surprise, I scored one for Big Pine Lakes! 

Thank you, Universe! You certainly have a way of planning better vacations for me than I planned for myself. I tried to book that permit for most of the winter six months prior, but I could never get one. Good things come to those who wait!

About the hike

The trail starts from around 8,000ft of elevation. My goal was to reach the second lake about 5 miles away, with over 2,000ft elevation gain.

The first two miles are very exposed to the elements with no shade. It was very sunny that day, and I left the trailhead at 10 a.m., so the start was quite challenging, to say the least. I spent the first two miles walking and stopping, literally taking breaks every 5 minutes, thinking I would never get to the top at that speed. But I kept pushing through and eventually reached the first waterfall, which marks the end of the exposed section and the beginning of a more shaded path.

Tip: If you need to refill your water, you can do so from that point onwards. There are several areas where you can easily access water.

After a short lunch break, the weather turned, and it started raining a little, with thunder. The rain was welcome and very refreshing. A couple more miles later, I got a glimpse of the first lake, which pumped me up so much, and I finally reached the second lake at 2 p.m.

About the lake

No words can describe the beauty you meet after those 5 miles. The trail itself is very scenic. But the first two lakes really are that picturesque cyan color due to being glacier-fed. None of the pictures I’ve seen, my own included, do these lakes justice. You really have to go and see it for yourself.

The first couple of camps I checked out were already occupied. But someone tipped me that there was another spot still open, with a great view of the lake, and I quickly claimed it!

The wind picked up very quickly, and it was raining again by the time I finished setting up my tent.

Despite the weather, my time by the lake was very relaxing. I spent that afternoon resting and staring at the lake in absolute disbelief that I was there. I love those days when you have no idea where it will take you.