Eastern Sierra hikes (2010-22) - posted April '25
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Intro - In my 2025 quest to pay homage to Rich, for his skillful and dedicated facilitation of monthly hikes for 20+ years, for so many hikers, I chose the group trips to the Eastern Sierra, as the best hiking examples in my collection of photos.
Even though a regular group of us formed in '06 to explore the Eastern Sierra, I used 2010 as a starting point, maybe because that's when Linda appeared, immediately improving Rich's life, and many others', too.
Below the Index is more background about the group's East Sierra trip history.
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Rich at Briones, Nov. '20 |
Index
2010 - Piute Pass, Rock Creek Lakes, and Sabrina Basin
2011 - no trip
2012 - Lundy Lake, Virginia Lakes, and Horse Creek
2013 - Yost Creek/Fern Lake, Mt. Dana, and Patrick Lake (plus Yosemite NP)
2014 - Glacier Lodge hikes & Alabama Hills
2015 - Mineral King/Silver City
2016- Mono Hot Springs resort
2017 - in progress (Sept '25)
2018-2019-2020
2021 - Return to Mineral King - a year I didn't attend. The seven who went had good hikes but then a scary short-notice fire evacuation occurred, on the last evening.
2022 - Mine Creek/Bennettvile, Virginia Lakes, and Buckeye Creek
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Background to the Trips - The group's maiden voyage was in 2006, when 25 people climbed White Mountain at 14,447 ft. But we had a combo of three different groups, Rich's small group, Geno's biker group, and Bob Tribe's group.
Over the next few years, the group congealed and our camping range expanded to include any place between Bridgeport to the north and Lone Pine to the south, via scenic Hwy. 395.
Early on we established that staying four nights meant three good days of hiking. And for years we camped out
Starting in 2012, most of us wanted beds & warm showers, so we started staying in cabins at higher elevations, where the trailheads were often not far from the cabins.
Being high up & remote meant we planned in advance for the first night's dinner, usually an appetizer-fest, which became a standing tradition. The other nights were a wild card to play anywhere.
Hike leader & organized and methodical former Eagle Scout, Rich, almost always provided the group with maps & photocopied trail descriptions from his extensive guidebook collection.
Out on the trail, Rich was the trail guide & source of plant info. He did, after all, have a degree in Botany from Stanford U., and from early on, became a native plant enthusiast, and taught the rest of us.
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