Whenever I see this view, a sense of excitement and wonder rises in my soul. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are one of my favorite places on earth. The Sierras run for 400 miles in the north-south direction, and 70 miles in the east-west direction. Plenty of room to play in!
My first stop on my Sierra Camping trip was Independence Creek, which lies just north of Lone Pine and Mt. Whitney. The purple lupine and rambling creek surrounded me on all sides.
My campsite bordered Independence Creek, a creek that actually seems more like a river. It was extremely hot up there, so to beat the heat, I soaked in the waterholes.
The vast openness of the landscape gives me a feeling of freedom. No cars, no stores, no noise. Just lots of mountains and rocks!
On my last night at the creek, I was walking down to the water when I heard a rattlesnake shaking its rattle. I stopped dead in my tracks and saw a small rattler curled up in a hole in the tree. My yelp alerted the men camped next door and they came running over to see what was up. The baby rattler was warning me not to come any closer. One of the men got a stick and curled the snake around it. Then he dropped the snake into a large plastic bin. They were going to take it down the mountain and release it. Scary, but I'm glad the snake warned me and am thankful to my friends for helping me.
After leaving Independence, I drove north to Bishop Creek, another of my favorite places.
Selfie from my campsite on Bishop Creek.
It is always cold in the early morning hours, but that's when I get to see the first light in the mountains. Worth the effort it takes to crawl out of my blankets and get dressed.
Exploring up the creek, I climbed over boulders, ran around fallen trees, and took pictures of the landscape.
Such a beautiful place to spend time in. My soul is always restored after a trip into the mountains. I love my home by the beach, but every now and then I have to go into the mountains to feel free.
On the way to Sabrina Lake, I stopped to view the pile of rocks covering the mountainside. That is my new Subee, actually she's two years old now! She's been a wonderful companion even though I call her Miss BossyPants. She has many safeguards built in that keep me from drifting out of my lane or from getting too close to the car in front of me! I appreciate her, but sometimes it feels like she is in charge.
Every time I visit Sabrina Lake, it changes. This time the water level was so low it exposed a lot of the rocks and boulders that are usually covered by water.
Deer roamed throughout each part of the Sierras that I visited.
Blue sky and hot weather were the norm for my trip, but I did see a lot of afternoon clouds and one torrential rainfall!
One of the prettiest lakes in the Bishop Creek area is North Lake. After I explored all around North Lake, I came out to my car and found two backpackers who needed a ride to South Lake where their car was parked. I told them to hop in and drove them over to the parking lot at South Lake. A super nice couple that I was happy to help!
South Lake was cold and windy, and surrounded by brutal rocks. So different from the other lakes! It was so cold I could only stay few minutes!
Colorful shooting stars were blooming all over the Sierras.
One colorful place you don't want to miss in Bishop is Erick Schats Bakkery! I have been stopping here on my way up Highway 395 since I was a kid. Back then it was two kinds of bread; squaw bread and sheepherders bread that we would pick up before heading to Yosemite. Now it is still the same bakery, but with much much more!
Another place I gravitate towards is Convict Lake, located between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. The lake was developed by a moraine dam created from retreating glaciers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The National Forest Service campground there is well maintained and is only a short walk to the crystal clear lake that is famous for trout fishing.
Within the campground is a stream that flows from the lake and traverses the campground.
A beautiful 3 mile walk takes you completely around the lake, where I met these three lovely ladies out on a holiday. We played in the water and talked for hours about everything and anything.
I happened upon this crazy hut, built by someone who knows what they are doing.
Goodnight to one and all! God bless and keep you.