Hungry Packer via Sabrina Lake, John Muir Wilderness October 21-22, 2023 Solo

The weather forecast was for 20 degree temps and some snow on Sunday night. I worked my clinical at the hospital until 12am on Friday night, slept 5 hours and headed to Bishop. I stopped at the ranger station and confirmed the forecast and gave them my plan.

I packed heavy,
extra warm sleeping clothes,
full rain gear,
extra sleeping bag insulation,
a whole bonus days of food incase I needed to wait a day for the sun to melt snow,
gloves, hand warmers and microspikes.
Probably 8 lbs more gear than I usually carry.

I began hiking at 1pm and made it to Blue lake just a few miles up the trail and made camp. A nice girlie joined me for dinner and I gave her a set of my hand warmers. I slept cold, really cold and I’m not even sure it froze.

The next morning I decided not to break camp and bring all of my gear to Hungry Packer Lake which was my original goal. Instead I would leave my camp set, dayhike to Hungry Packer with a light pack and return to sleep lower for the bad weather.

The trip up to the lake was so beautiful and I saw only a couple people the whole day. I had the lake to myself. The zone right below it is one of my favorite types of places with tarns and creeks and babbling waterfalls populated by marmots and pika and the aging leftovers of wildflowers. So pretty.
I stayed at the lake an hour and headed 4 miles back to my camp.

When I got there I was so cold. It was sunny, but windy and cold and even though I had been hiking all day 8 miles so far I had never gotten really warm. I put my gloves on and sat down to enjoy the view and eat a snack.
15 mins later I decided to head out.

It was only about 3-4 miles to the car. It was 4pm and I still had 2.5 hours of daylight. I could do it. Even on tired feet.

So I hastily broke camp and headed down the trail. I could see the storm clouds puffing over the peaks and a big storm over Tonopah with lightning. This confirmed my decision.
I made it to my car at last light.

I turned on the heat, the heated seats and the heated steering wheel and began my drive home. It took me more than an hour with all of that, to finally get warm. Even though I had hiked 12 miles all day long, I was bone cold. As soon as I warmed up I was exhausted.
I slept in my car at coso junction and made it home early this morning.

I’m glad I made the choice to not camp at the higher lake. I’m glad I made the choice to leave. I was already colder than I realized. It was a big day and a super quick trip but it was wonderful.
Im glad I got one more before winter unleashes, and the high country lake season closes tight.