On April 8-9, 1978 I snowshoed with Gil Beilke, Scott Morton and George Basich on a 7 mile round trip up North Fork Big Pine Creek in the John Muir Wilderness.
We left Lone Pine after 6 a.m. Saturday and drove to the Trailhead parking below the Pack Station on Big Pine Creek. We hiked on the pack trail over mostly bare ground as far as the old cabin area which is now the small campground above First Falls. Here we found hard wind packed snow on the trail so dropped down to the road.
Met a Sierra Club Mountaineering Course group and another group from San Diego who had followed the road up. We followed the road and continued up the hillside to the switch backs at Second Falls. It was windy and snow flurries off and on as we continued on firm snow to the "Lon Chaney" cabin for snacks.
Shortly after leaving the cabin a mini blizzard and whiteout blew in. We continued on snowshoes between wind gusts and made camp in a sheltered spot about 1/4 mile+ beyond the cabin. During the afternoon we snowshoed up toward First Lake. I turned back about 1/4 mile from the Black Lake trail junction while Gil and Scott continued on to First and Second Lake before returning to camp. We had supper about 5 p.m. and turned in about 8 p.m.
Wild winds off and on all night but awoke to blue skies. Broke camp around 7:30 a.m. and leisurely hiked back to the cars. Found the San Diego trio had camped below the cabin when the mini-blizzard blew in and the Sierra Club group had camped just above Second Falls. We made the car about 9:45 a.m. and headed back to Lone Pine where the rest headed for San Diego about noon. Tried out my new Polarguard Sleeping bag and was very comfortable. Nice trip.
Glacier Lodge to near First Lake on Big Pine Creek 1978
