The week before I began my new job at Caltrans in Bishop, I wanted to take a short backpacking trip in the Sierra to energize myself. I chose Taboose Pass to Bishop Pass for a 3 day trip because of a few gorgeous pictures I saw on the internet, and also because it seemed to be a less popular route.

Jon helped me ferry my car to the parking lot at South Lake and then dropped me off at the Taboose trailhead. It was a sad moment because he had to return to work in the Bay Area. Then off I hiked up toward Taboose pass, starting around 2 pm. I arrived at a beautiful waterfall below the final switchbacks for my first campsite. After pitching my tent, I attemted to make dinner, but realized my camp stove wasn't working. It was OK; I had plenty of bagels.

In the morning, I broke camp and headed up the pass. I fell in love with the views west from there! It looked like a magical mountain wonderland down below. I soaked in the beauty as I decended down to the South Fork of the Kings River, where I lost the trail. Hmmm... I got out my map and was trying to figure out where I was, when I saw a party of 3 walking abreast across the river from me!

When I crossed and scrabbled up to where I saw the people, I found myself on a super highway: the Pacific Crest Trail. I saw many more people than I had the day before, and most whom I spoke with were traveling the John Muir Trail in its entirety. I made my way toward Mather Pass, impressed by how gradual the grade was, winding along on the contour lines.

A hopeless navigator, even with map in hand, I wasn't sure exactly which pass the trail would take me up until I got close enough to see people on the switchbacks. The views from Mather Pass were spectacular and I sat on a rock and looked at the expanse below for some time. Later, I descended and found a quiet little campsite off the trail, but not too far. I was surprised by how late the Ray Jardine type ultra light packers hiked by. I was cozy in my tent by then.

The next day I hiked down past the lake and then down some switchbacks. A helicopter was at the base of those, dropping off some explosives so a trail crew could blow up a horse-impassible boulder. There was a calm and private enough bend in the river where I took a little dip to cool off. I walked for a long time with the Citadel in front of me, long enough to decide I wanted to return and climb it one day. Then I came to a bend in the trail at the intersection with Simpson's Trail and hiked north to Grouse Meadow. It was quite buggy, even though it was as beautiful as the pictures I had seen.

I finished the afternoon by hiking up the switchbacks towards Bishop Pass. I found a nice campsite for one, plus one marmot, on my way up. In the morning I finished the switchbacks and smelled bacon from some campers. After many bagel meals, that smelled heavenly. I also watched fish do method airs above a summit pond.

There was a small patch of snow to glissade down, and then I trucked down past all the pretty lakes to South Lake. I was still stockpiling the scenery for later recall, but my untrained body was a bit weary by then. The trail had a frenzy of activity, especially compared to the first day and a half of my trip, but everyone was friendly. I'm sure I will repeat this trip in the future with Jon, so he can see the beauty firsthand.