Backpacking in Sequoia National Park - Day 2 (Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Meadow)

Day 2 began bright and early because, when you're sleeping in a tent, you get up with the sun. That's okay though, because we also went to bed with the sun, so we still got a good night's sleep and woke up feeling rested. We had about a thirty minute drive from our campsite by Dorst Creek to Crescent Meadow where the High Sierra trailhead is located. On the drive over, we passed by the Tunnel Log, so we had to stop and take some pictures. Because we were there so early, we had it all to ourselves (as it can typically be overrun by tourists).

After snapping a few pictures, we finished our drive through the beautiful Sequoia grove that surrounds Crescent Meadow and parked my car where it would rest for the next few days. We had completely packed our backpacks back at Dorst Creek, so we were ready to go! The trailhead was awaiting our arrival and we were eager to get started.

The sign at the trailhead reads that it is 11 miles to Bearpaw Meadow. However, it is actually 11.3 miles (credit where credit is due, am I right?). Seeing as this was my first time backpacking, not to mention planning a backpacking trip, I didn't know that my itinerary was, as Nate put it, "aggressive."  I had read online in blogs that the hike to Bearpaw takes about eight hours, and that proved accurate for us as well.

The trail begins in the wooded area surrounding Crescent Meadow. There are a few Sequoias to see, but we weren't as concerned with them at this point. We were eager for some mountain vistas, of which we would see plenty in the hours ahead of us. We did, however, stop and snap a picture of double Sequoia that lay right on the edge of the Giant Forest.

About a mile into the trek, we came to a lookout point called "Eagle View." It is basically a sampling of the kinds of vistas that we would be experiencing regularly over the next few days. It was cool to see Moro Rock as a point of reference for where we started and then to see the ridge where we knew Bearpaw Meadow lies off to the east.

The trail was cool because as it went along, slowly gaining elevation, it would dip in and out of forests, twist around rocks, and creep along cliffs. The landscape was so lush and varied. The shade of the forests also provided nice shade along the way, so we weren't always getting hit by direct sunlight.

We also got to see a good amount of wildlife along the way. Mule deer, grouses, butterflies, birds, and forest rodents were all over the place; we even spotted a King Snake! We apparently passed another mama bear and her cub too, but we missed them somehow.

Another new experience for me on this trip was drinking water from a source that is not a bottle or tap. Fortunately, water was in no short supply along the trail, as we were constantly coming across small creeks and streams of water. I was the keeper of the water filter, out of which we got plenty of use. The water from the streams and creeks tasted so good!

I also really enjoyed the vegetation that we experienced along the way. The hills were bursting with wildflowers and plants that looked and smelled amazing. When you combined the flowers with the sweeping vistas, it was a scene straight out of a calendar!

All of this was just in the first half of our trek. We decided to stop for lunch at Mehrten Creek because it was just over halfway to Bearpaw Meadow. There was some shade there, as well as water from the creek to refill our hydration bladders for the remainder of the trek. I didn't really pack lunches per se for this trip. I pretty much grazed on dried fruit and veggies, trail mix, and Beachbars throughout the day. It was very nice, however, to sit down for an hour or so and rest the legs and feet that were getting very tired.

Reaching Mehrton Creek was also a milestone because it marked the end of what had been a steady climb of over three miles. The next four miles to Buck Creek would mostly be gradually descending before the final climb up to Bearpaw.

Shortly before our final descent to Buck Creek, we caught a great view of both Moro Rock and Bearpaw Meadow. It was very cool to see how far we had come throughout the day, albeit a little daunting to see the climb we had up to Bearpaw.

When we finally reached Buck Creek, we knew we had the steepest climb of the day ahead of us, so we took a breather. There was actually a really sweet campsite there as well at which, if we weren't basecamping, I would have loved to spend the night. It was a beautiful spot with lots of rocks and the relaxing sounds of the creek filling the air. A couple we had met at one of our earlier pit stops was setting up camp there when we arrived.

My legs had gotten quite dusty along the trail so far. A fact that was especially obvious once I took my shoes off to chill by the creek!

After resting for a bit, we put ourselves back together and got psyched up for the final climb up to Bearpaw Meadow.

The initial climb out of the creek bed was the steepest, with several very sharp switch backs. Once we cleared that initial ridge, however, the switchbacks were much wider and covered by the forest, which provided shade from the late afternoon sun. That final mile took about forty-five minutes, which after already hiking nearly ten miles, wasn't bad at all. We even saw some more mule deer as we climbed! When the trail finally leveled out at the top, we were so thrilled to see the signage for the Bearpaw Meadow campground! We were apparently late to the party, however, as many of the campsites were already taken. Fortunately, we found a site with an open bear box just down the trail from the High Sierra Camp. We took great pleasure is setting our packs down and getting our camp set up.

Once we were all set up, we had dinner and were joined by two other backpackers, Jordan and Avi. We spent the evening chatting and laughing with our new friends. This was an aspect of backpacking that I had not anticipated. Everyone we met on these trails was so nice and friendly! We easily struck up conversation with so many cool people along the trails. It's amazing the community you can experience when you get away from the pressures and expectations that go along with our busy lives in the "real world." 

I definitely slept better that night than I had the night before. I think this was partially due the fact that I was completely exhausted, and secondly to the fact that Nate had much less water to drink immediately before bed and didn't have to get up to pee every hour. My first day of officially backpacking was an unforgettable success!