A couple of friends and I hopped a plane from Nashville to Vegas, commandeered a rental car and drove to the Eastern High Sierra for 5 days of backpacking. Being from the south and hiking in the green canopy, this was a real eye opener. No amount of video, pictures or research can prepare you for how big these mountains truly are or the endless beauty of this area. It was truly amazing.
The altitude was definitely a factor. I had mild altitude sickness for 2 days after arriving and attempting to acclimate for about 24 hours and so did one of the other guys. The forest fires out there caused us to cut the trip 1 day short as we were just tired of breathing it in. Everyday it rolled in earlier and earlier. I elected not to bring the hammock as I was unfamiliar with the terrain and wasn't sure if I would have a place to hang every night. The tent was not comfortable and in retrospect, I could have managed with the hammock.
From Independence, CA we started the 7 mile drive up to Onion Valley. It was 95 degrees in Independence. When we arrived at Onion Valley, it was 65 degrees at around 9200 FT. We spent 5 awesome days in the mountains and I already miss it. Had some great food and brews down in Lone Pine where we spent a night before heading back through Death Valley on our way to Las Vegas. Spent a night in Vegas losing some money at the poker table and flew home with a head full of memories. Enjoy!
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