Today was the day I said goodbye to my hiking friends and headed off on my own. While Mary, Michael, and Kerry continued south, I left the JMT to head east through Piute Canyon. My goal for the night was to camp somewhere in Humphrey’s Basin.
I had heard that Piute Canyon was beautiful, and I’m glad to say that these reports were not exaggerated. The canyon was stunning – rocky and steep at the beginning, with tumbling cascades and great views. Followed by the gentle, flat, green Hutchinson Meadow. The trail then climbed slowly at a comfortable grade as it ascended the last 1000 feet into Humprey’s Basin. I could follow my progress by keeping an eye on Pilot Knob, a peak that was within view almost all day.
This was the first day I was concerned about weather – several lenticular clouds were forming and there was a strange haze to the west – a haze that later became obviously smoke. Fortunately nothing turned into rain and I was able to enjoy myself at my camp at Upper Golden Trout Lake, including a swim in the warm and clear water.
The sunset was one of the best in my seven year Sierra backpacking career. The smoke (which I later found out was from the Zaca fire in Santa Barbara) created stunning oranges and reds, and the entire Humphrey’s Basin lit up in these brilliant colors.
This day’s stats:
- Mileage: 10.42 mi
- Ascending: 3055 ft
- Descending: 230 ft
- Cumulative Mileage: 102.87 mi
- Cumulative Ascending: 18,953 ft
- Cumulative Descending: 16,654 ft
