Got a late start this morning because I had to go back and get my wallet which I left in my tent. I didn’t hit the trail until almost ten but was energized once I hit the trail after downing a diet Dr.Pepper. I generally don’t drink sodas until after noon but I decided to make an exception because I was running late and had a potentially long hard hike in front of me. Today’s destination was an unnamed pass in the Virginia Lakes area which is about an hour north of Mammoth. I chose this particular hike because it involved high altitude which I prefer and I had never been there before. I may have mentioned this before but this years adventures involve going to places I have never been to before or areas I haven’t been to in a long time.

The hike up to the pass and beyond was not particularly long, only about six miles round trip, but I anticipated I would be doing some cross country hiking once I reached the pass. After two weeks hiking some very high passes in Colorado the hike up this pass actually seemed quite easy…so…once I got to the top of the pass I decided to hike a nearby unnamed peak. The peak “looked” like a potentially easy stroll but looks can be very deceptive when one is in the high country….because…everything is distorted due to the huge peaks which surround you. And sure enough, the hike up the peak was much more difficult than it looked, but I made it to the top with the help of my hiking poles. I don’t know what I would do without my poles. They provide balance and extra help when climbing up steep trails. I never would have made it to the top without my poles.

The highlights of this particular hike where the views of the red mountain peaks which were plentiful on this particular hike. Another highlight was the two tarns I ran across while hiking to the top of a nearby mountain near the pass. A tarn is a small pond which is very shallow. They are not big enough to qualify as lakes and they generally don’t support any plant or fish life. Tarns are fed by snow melt and their size fluctuates from one year to another according to the yearly snowfall. Eventually they dry up and become meadows or alpine tundra areas. I love tarns because they are generally very beautiful and offer a great place to take a nap. On this particular hike I took a 45 minute break at one of the tarns after I hiked to the top of a nearby peak.

Overall, it was a good day. I took my time going to the top of the pass and a nearby mountain. I took some pictures of some great mountain peaks and some very tiny alpine flowers on my way to the top of a mountain. I hope you appreciate the alpine flowers pics because I had to get down on my hands and knees to take these pics…and…the ground was solid rocks!…which….were pointy and sharp! Not sure where I am going to go hiking tomorrow. I’ll just wait to see how my body feels when I get up. I’ll probably stay close to the Mammoth area and not hike too far because my big hike to Bishop Pass is Wednesday and I need to be ready for what surely will be one of the best hikes of the summer.