From the September/October 2014 issue of GLS TRACKS
Editor’s note Sept. 1, 2024: As Alan’s six-day Cottonwood Lakes mule pack trip is getting under way, this article about a shorter GLS trip on the east side of the Sierras almost exactly 10 years ago is being republished here as a recollection and in anticipation of hearing about the sights and events of the mule pack trip.
By Nancy Beverly
While Susan Sontag gave us Illness as Metaphor, I prefer hiking as metaphor. When I’m standing down in the valley and looking up at jagged peaks miles away, oh, many thoughts come to mind. What have I gotten myself into? Can I make it? Am I fit enough to do this? How fast can I do this? Get to the top! Get the goal accomplished!
On Saturday August 23rd, co-leaders Jim and Dora plus Mary, Mark, Sparky Dog and I went from our campground nestled next to Big Pine Creek, up along the South Fork of Big Pine to a little Sierra Nevada Mountains gem called Willow Lake. Along the way we communed with Foxtail Pine, cousin to the ancient Bristlecone Pine, and listened to Jim explain some of the geological history revealed in the craggy rocks.
On Sunday we did the North Fork of Big Pine, wending our way past the rushing creek, more pines and even some quaking aspen, up to actor Lon Chaney Sr.’s stone cabin (built in 1929/30, thanks to a pack train bringing materials to 9200’). It sits right next to a quiet stretch of the creek and made for a relaxing rest stop and turnaround point.
We got there putting one foot in front of the other, paying attention to which trail to take, taking brief breaks to catch our breath, and sharing stories about our lives and lovers. Before you know it, the destination – be it a lake, a cabin, a new job or a new writing project – is in hand.
