Piute Creek to Merriam Lake

The next day we headed to Merriam Lake.  This involves an easy hike down Piute Canyon to Hutchinson Meadow, an easy hike up French Canyon, and then a strenuous hike out of French Canyon to the meadows below Merriam Lake.  From there, you meander through meadows and up some benches to the lake itself.

View Piute Creek to Merriam Lake in a larger map

The day wasn't uneventful, however.  We got out of camp around 8:00 (our normal starting time the whole trip).  As we crossed French Creek in Piute Canyon, Libby slipped into the stream and banged up her shin and knee pretty badly.  The pain would linger all trip, but was fortunately didn't impact her ability to hike!

Dad and I had been up this trail together before, but the only part that was really familiar to me was the changing view of Pilot Knob and the meadow in French Canyon where we had lunch.

 

I didn't remember the hike from the above meadow to Merriam Lake being such a grunt.  It's a very steep and sandy knapsack trail to the left of the outlet stream with only very small switchbacks. You basically go straight up the hill.  Thankfully, that's a fairly short stretch, and then it becomes much more mellow.

That night we camped along the shore of Merriam on a rocky area above some pretty beaches.  It was a good opportunity to bathe, and I took the chance to go fishing.  The fishing wasn't great, but I caught two for dinner.  After eating, we enjoyed watching the sunset and alpenglow in the east on Mt. Humphreys across the lake.

 

More pictures at the usual place.

Piute Pass

Dad, Libby and I undertook a seven day pack trip this July. The point was to visit the Bear Lakes basin above Bear Creek. Our entrance was via Piute Pass and we exited via Italy Pass to the Pine Creek Pass Trailhead. It was, of course, beautiful and wonderful.

Our first day we went over Piute Pass, and then down to camp along Piute Creek.  We stayed the night before at the Profitas' in Bishop after Joe helped us set up a shuttle by picking us up at the Pine Creek trail head. He hiked with us up to Piute Pass the first day, but couldn't come along for the full trip.


View North Lake to Paiute Creek in a larger map 

The day before we started hiking was stormy.  Giant dark clouds loomed ominously amongst the high peaks around Piute Pass.  Scattered sprinkles started at the cabin at noon, and we were hit by torrential rain on the drive to the Pine Creek trailhead that afternoon.  While Joe was ecstatic to enjoy weather in the 80s down in town, it made me a bit nervous about the prospects for our trip.  Sure enough, the next day, hikers on their way back out over Piute Pass described a four hour uninterrupted deluge.  That's something the Sierras don't see too often.

Oh, and on a different note, did I mention that Dad treed a bear at the cabin that same day?

Anyway, our hike on Monday was cool and damp.  It sprinkled on and off, but never rained substantially.  We made it to the pass around lunch time, and followed quite a crowd of people down the west side toward the Golden Trout Lakes.  Thankfully, our campsite along Piute Creek was perfectly solitary, with only the rumble of the creek, the whine of (many) mosquitoes, and a passel of tiny Golden Trout to keep us company.

 

Pictures are up on Flickr:

Exploring petroglyphs north of Bishop with Joe Profita

First day's hike over Piute Pass in stormy weather