Eastern Sierra: Big Pine Glacier Lakes

Organizer: Mike Cheng
Location: Big Pine, CA
Hike difficulty: Level 8/10
Distance: 12.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 3400'
Time: 10 hours
Trail condition: mostly single file trail, 50% shade
Water: You must carry a minimum of 2 liters.
Guest: no
Dog: no
Weather report: Big Pine Lakes Weather Report
Toilette: at trailhead

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Itinerary:
Saturday: Depart separately to arrive at Keough Hot Springs by noon for a couple hours of fun. Afterwards, we will proceed to Big Pine to spend the night. Dinner at the Rossi's Place at 5:30 pm. (Please make your own hotel reservation for Saturday night.)

Sunday: We will meet at Glacier Lodge Trail head at the end of Glacier Lodge Rd Sunday morning 8:00 am to commence our activities for the day. We will start our hike at 7300' and gradually ascend to over 11,000'. We plan to wrap up our hike by 3:30 pm.

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What to Bring: Hat, poles, spikes, boots, gaiters, winter pants, sunglasses, winter gloves, beanie, hard shell jacket, down Jacket.

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Venue Descriptions:
Big Pine North Fork trail goes to the popular First through Seventh Lakes up the canyon north of Mount Sill. This trail also offers views of Temple Crag and the Palisade Glacier. The hike begins at First Falls in the shade of Jeffrey pine and aspen and quickly climbs across sage and manzanita covered slopes to enter the wilderness boundary near Second Falls.

As the trail climbs past the chain of Big Pine Lakes there are many opportunities to observe the effects of glacial activity, such as cirques, glaciated granite and glacial erratic. A side trail to Black Lake offers views of glaciers and the Sierra Crest before rejoining the main trail near Fourth Lake. We plan to visit Lake 1 through 5.

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Our Policy:
Profile photo: Anyone interested in joining this event must have a profile photo showing his/her face. This is a requirement of L.A. Hiking. Without it, you will not be allowed to sign up for an event.

Waiting list priority: People who hike with with L.A. Hiking regularly will be given priority when they are on the waiting list.

Advanced hikes: Anyone interested in participating in advanced hikes (>3,000' elevation gain or distance > 10 miles or Difficulty Level > = 7) will be subject to prescreening before his/her name will be added to the list. Therefore, interested hiker must share with the event host his/her recent hiking background to establish proficiency before his/her name will be added to the list. Guests are not allowed on advanced hikes.

Early departure: If a hiker needs to be separated from the group for any reason, he/she must inform the event host. Not knowing a hiker's where about may prompt the event host to report a hiker's missing to proper authority for further actions.

No show: If you sign up for an event but did not show up, you will be removed from the next event you sign up.

No minor: Meetup user agreement and our liability waiver can not be agreed to by a minor. Therefore, you and your guest must be over 18 to participate in our events.

No drug: Zero tolerance for all illegal drug use.

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Warning:
If you have prior medical condition or a family history of illnesses pertaining to heart, lungs, brain, etc. that can be aggravated by heat and physical exertion, this is not the hike for you.

If you have never done a hike of this distance or difficulty before, this hike will be very difficult for you. It may well be your death march. The mountain is not going anywhere. We will schedule this event again in the future. Do it when your mind and body are ready. Hiking is a recreation, not a suicide mission.

Release of Liability:
The organizer (me) of this trip is a volunteer and is not a professional guide. The function of the organizer is only to organize this trip. Each person who signs up for a trip/hike/or outing is responsible for his or her own safety and the safety of his or her guests.

By signing up for this trip, or any other event organized by me, you are acknowledging that you are aware and have made your guests aware of the risks, dangers and hazards associated with any outdoor activity and freely accept and fully assume all such risks, dangers and hazards, and further agree to release and discharge the organizer (me) of this hike from and against any and all liability arising from your and your guest's participation in the group activities.

L.A. Hiking, its organizer, assistant organizers, event organizers are not responsible for any injuries or accidents that may occur carpooling to and from this event, or for any injuries or accidents incurred before, during, and after this event. If you sign up or participate in an event you acknowledge that you freely and voluntarily agree to assume all risks of injuries and damages arising from, as a result of and associated with this event.