“I’m starting to feel a little sad at the prospect of leaving this fine place and this fine living, for the days become finer the deeper we edge into autumn. But there are other good things ahead and nothing remains forever, not even these eternal hills.” -Randy Morgenson, 1974
My favorite time to visit the Sierra’s is my mid October trip. It’s a magical time in the mountains. Gone are the crowds. Permits are easy to pull. And if your timing is right, once on trail, the fall colors are going off!
Not being very religious, my October trips are as close to a spiritual experience that I can relate too. I’ve backpacked areas that a few weeks before would have been littered with tents and people. For example, I had Minaret Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, one of the most popular and beautiful backcountry destinations anywhere in this world, all to myself for two nights.
Weather in October is unpredictable, and if you aren’t prepared, can be dangerous. I trade in my summer 20 degree bag for my more versatile 0 degree quilt. In 2021, I camped mid October at Muriel Lake, off trail, west of Piute Pass (again, I had the lake to myself). I woke up to a snow flurry, a frozen water bag and my sweaty shirt I hiked in the day before was frozen stiff. A year later, while camped just west of Bishop Pass at Bishop Lake (again, by myself for two days. see the common theme?), I was fishing in the evening in just a pair of shorts and flip flops because it was so warm!
The other fall obstacle is the mental aspect. Come October, it is dark at 6pm, so in essence, you are looking at 12-13 hours of darkness. Take the darkness, and add in being by yourself, and you have a recipe for loneliness if you don’t know how to keep yourself busy. That is my biggest obstacle. Thankfully, with technology comes the ability to watch movies on my phone and listen to music and books on tape, which means a good portable charger and AirPods are necessary pieces of equipment.
My October trips are personal. It signifies a few things. First, it represents another successful backpacking season coming to a close in the sierra’s. Sometimes my trips are brutally tough. Sometimes, it’s a leisurely pace. As in the case of Bishop Lake. It was a straightforward hike to the lake where I had it to myself. I setup a basecamp and climbed into the Dusy Basin and explored one day and the other day I spent fishing, catching dozen’s of fish (and I’m not much of a fisherman anymore). Second, I am always solo on these trips. My wife is busy with work commitments, and as much as I love having her with me, I love my solo trips. She’s not much for off trail scrambles, so when I’m alone, I have many options. Third, the fall colors. Nothing more needs to be said. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you’re missing out. Lastly, my October trip signifies my last trip to the east side. It’s a celebratory drive over Tioga Pass. My usual stop, the Whoa Nellie Deli has closed for the season, but Holy Smokes BBQ is still serving mean BBQ and Roberto’s in Mammoth Lakes is still making the best fajitas. If I could live in the Eastern Sierra’s, I’d move tomorrow. Every time I’m on the “East Side”, from Bridgeport to Lone Pine, and anywhere in between, I feel like I’m home, and throughout the 30+ years of exploring the east side, I know the areas well. When I leave that one last time, I make sure to grab food, a couple of loafs of bread from Schat’s Bakery in Bishop, and a couple bags of coffee beans from the Looney Bean in Mammoth Lakes. After one last trip over Deadman’s Pass, one last glimpse at Mono Lake, one last glimpse over my shoulder at Mt Ritter and Banner Peak, and one final climb over Tioga Pass, it’s all downhill back thru Yosemite Valley and home, leaving me with nothing but amazing memories and photo’s to relive.
Because wilderness permits are relatively easy to pull in October, there’s no rush to plan my trip as I do for the rest of my seasons trips. And it’s often difficult to nail down that one last trip because it is exactly that: ONE LAST TRIP, so it has to be epic. This year, I’ve changed my mind a ton. I’ve contemplated the High Sierra Trail. I’m also considering a trip to Lake Reflection in Kings Canyon, or a loop over Lamarc Col to Darwin Bench and back over Alpine Col to the Humphrey’s Basin. As I soon embark on my season’s trips, I’ll learn of other trips and if history repeats itself, I will end up not doing any of the trips I’m thinking about, and I’ll end up on trail where as of now, haven’t given it a second of thought.
