“Another glorious Sierra day in which one seems to be dissolved and absorbed…Life seems neither long nor short, and we take no more heed to save time or make haste than do the trees and stars. This is true freedom, a good practical sort of immortality.”
On the trails of the eastern Sierra mountains, I feel that freedom and sense of practical immortality, where the only moment is now. It is a breathtaking landscape, both literally and figuratively. With trails starting at a minimum of 7500 feet, this is the realm of high altitude hiking.
I wouldn’t say that there are any truly easy trails in the Sierra Nevada mountains. But there are some that are easier than others. In our four days at June Lake, we chose three nearby trails that offered us a variety of experiences, from relatively easy to a bit more challenging.
Parker Lake
This is the perfect warm-up hike to acclimatize to higher elevation hiking. The Parker Lake trailhead is close to 8,000 feet with a total elevation gain of 600 feet, primarily within the first half-mile. Other than that, the trail is mostly flat and easy. The beautiful four-mile round trip hike begins in sagebrush. Be sure to turn around to admire the spectacular views of Mono Lake and Mono Craters when you stop to catch your breath along that first section. The trail then winds along Parker Creek, through a stand of golden aspen, and opens to a magnificent view of Parker Lake. The lake is a pristine alpine gem, surrounded by tall mountain peaks reflected in the water.
Click on any photo for a larger view
Reflections in Parker Lake
Devils Postpile And Rainbow Falls
Rising 60-feet out of a rubble pile, Devils Postpile is a unique geological formation of hexagonal columns artfully stacked by an ancient lava flow. In the realm of geological wonders, it’s a rarity and is considered to be one of the finest examples in the world of columnar basalt. Even to a non-geologist, it’s a magnificent sight.
Devils Postpile is generally open from mid-June through mid-October, depending on the weather. An easy half-mile trail leads from the trailhead parking lot to view the grandeur of the Postpile. A steep climb then offers a look at the glacier-polished top of the columns, which looks like an artfully designed stone patio.
We combined the hike to Devils Postpile with Rainbow Falls, continuing on another 2.5 miles. The hike is a gradual descent through the Ansel Adams wilderness to the steep canyon that contains the beautiful 101-foot waterfall. The overlooks from the rim of the river canyon are good. Even better is hiking down the trail to the bottom of the falls for a closer look, but I swear, those are some of the steepest, widest steps I’ve ever climbed. Definitely not made for short people.
Lundy Canyon
The 4-mile round trip Lundy Canyon Trail is reputed to be one of the best in the area, with vibrant high Sierra scenery packed into a relatively short, but relatively intense hike.
Beginning at 8100 feet, a narrow path winds past enormous terraced beaver ponds and through a large grove of aspens. The trail then climbs sharply up a rocky path to a view of beautiful lower Lundy Canyon Falls and the canyon below. The climbing continues on through groves of golden aspen, surrounded by views of craggy mountain peaks and waterfalls. Turn around when you get to the steep talus slope. Even on a chilly, misty day, it’s a beautiful hike.
Thanks for taking us back:) The fall colors were just so beautiful. I’m glad we were in the right areas to see all the golden aspen. They certainly are brilliant! Lundy Canyon looks very nice and that is a very cool waterfall:) Devil’s Postpile was so much fun and so unique!! You are getting closer to present time:) Haha!
Yes, I’m getting closer! It’s a miracle! The only problem is that now I have a backlog of cool stuff to write about that we’ve done in the past couple of weeks. We were all so fortunate to be on 395 at the perfect time. :-)
You paint as lovely a picture with your words as you do with your camera.
Thank you, Marcia. I try my best to capture our experiences in words and photos — it’s definitely a challenge!
We raised our kids in Auburn,CA and have been to all those locations with them.I’m sure glad to see there is water still flowing.
Seems like a wonderful place to raise a family, Karen! We were happy to see plenty of water in the Sierras, too.
Oh goody…you’ve given me three more reasons to return to hwy 395! Looks like some very lovely hikes especially at this time of year. A little huffing and puffing at high altitude is good for us, right?:-)
I definitely feel more fit after hiking at higher elevations! You guys would especially enjoy the Lundy Canyon hike — the other two are good warm-ups and beautiful.
Aaahhh! My kind of country. The fall colors are beautiful.
Yes, it was the perfect time to be there, rainstorms and all.
Makes me want to turn around and go back! Such a lovely verbal and visual tribute to that spectacular place. Love the falls.
Thank you, Jodee. It’s a place where we could easily spend a lot more time — I know you feel the same!
Seeing some of your photos and reading your beautiful prose brought me right back to those trails. Parker Lake was a lovely little hike; Devil’s Postpile was a fascinating geologic formation;and Lundy Canyon was breathtaking. We had a lovely fall day when we hiked Lundy Canyon, but I believe it would be beautiful no matter the weather.
You were so fortunate to have a beautiful day to hike Lundy Canyon — the good thing about it being rainy was that we had the trail almost to ourselves! I remember your gorgeous photos from your time along 395, LuAnn. It would be fun to share adventures there with you two sometime.
I have to admit we missed this one not intentionally but Devils Postpile was already closed when we got there. So thank you again for such beautiful captures and stories, its a must now that we have to go back and a little bit earlier so we can follow your trails.
You have captured the Sierras in its glorious beauty.
Thanks, ML. We were happy to be there before the Monument and the campgrounds closed for the season — with the winter storms fast approaching, I think a bit earlier in October might be even better.
What a stunning opening picture to go along with your beautiful descriptions of this area. It sounds almost mystical. John Muir would love this post. All the trails sound wonderful, complete with waterfalls and gorgeous beaver ponds and Parker Lake. Your photographs are just stunningly vivid. I’d give anything to be able to take such outstanding photographs. Devil’s postpiles seem to be the same sort of formations we saw in Shenandoah where they are called Columnar Joining. Amazing that they are so similar in such far distant areas.
Sherry, that’s the first time that I’ve seem columnar joining, but I remember your posts about it. They really are fantastic looking formations! I like to think that John Muir would have liked this post — what a lovely thing for you to say. :-)