On day 3 of our trip at Sequoia National Park, we hiked from Pear Lake to the base of Alta Peak. Along the way, we saw some spectacular views of the Sierra Mountains, including the Great Western Divide.
We were supposed to camp at Mehrten Meadow, but we made a wrong turn 0.2 miles from our destination and ended up camping near the High Sierra Trail instead. Though it added a few extra miles to our hike, camping away from the crowds afforded us extra opportunities to spot wildlife, including marmots, mule deer, and California quail.
On Sunday morning, we headed up to Alta Peak. We had originally planned on reaching the peak early in the morning, but we didn't realize we were heading in the wrong direction until we reached a trail junction 2 miles further out of our way. By the time we reached the peak -- after a long arduous climb -- clouds had completely surrounded the top and we had no view.
We signed our names in the logbook at the summit and were disappointed to see everyone rave about the awesome 360 degree view of the Sierras. We had no time to complain, though, because thunder immediately chased us off the peak. We hurried back to camp, with ominous storm clouds above us the entire time. The weather cleared, though, and we managed to start a fire before nightfall.
On the last day of our trip, we hiked back out to the Wolverton parking lot. It was sad to be going home, but we both looked forward to taking showers and eating greasy fast food and we promised ourselves we'd make the hike to Alta Peak again.
On day 3 of our trip at Sequoia National Park, we hiked from Pear Lake to the base of Alta Peak. Along the way, we saw some spectacular views of the Sierra Mountains, including the Great Western Divide. 
We were supposed to camp at Mehrten Meadow, but we made a wrong turn 0.2 miles from our destination and ended up camping near the High Sierra Trail instead. Though it added a few extra miles to our hike, camping away from the crowds afforded us extra opportunities to spot wildlife, including marmots, mule deer, and California quail. 
On Sunday morning, we headed up to Alta Peak. We had originally planned on reaching the peak early in the morning, but we didn't realize we were heading in the wrong direction until we reached a trail junction 2 miles further out of our way. By the time we reached the peak -- after a long arduous climb -- clouds had completely surrounded the top and we had no view. 
We signed our names in the logbook at the summit and were disappointed to see everyone rave about the awesome 360 degree view of the Sierras. We had no time to complain, though, because thunder immediately chased us off the peak. We hurried back to camp, with ominous storm clouds above us the entire time. The weather cleared, though, and we managed to start a fire before nightfall. 
On the last day of our trip, we hiked back out to the Wolverton parking lot. It was sad to be going home, but we both looked forward to taking showers and eating greasy fast food and we promised ourselves we'd make the hike to Alta Peak again.
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