After scouting out where the Wilderness Permits were obtained, I headed over to the market to buy lunch. As I waited in the slow line, I kept looking at my watch and finally decided to postpone lunch until I had a permit in hand. One other hiker was waiting for the Ranger to arrive at 1, so we chatted to pass the time. Slowly, more folks queued up behind us and I really bailing on lunch was a good call. I scored a permit to camp at Pear Lake and was now free to explore more of Sequoia NP. I grabbed a sandwich and soda and enjoyed them under the towering trees. I drove over to my campsite and tossed my food into the bear box. Unfortunately, the site had zero shade, so grabbing a nap there was not in the cards, so I opted to drive to the Little Baldy Trailhead. This trail is just over 3 miles round trip and about 1,400 feet of gain, which was good afternoon workout to test the lungs and the legs. It was a tad warm, so I was mindful of that and I focused heavily on keeping my pace down. The trailhead starts at 7,700 feet, so I was going to feel it as I worked my way up the trail.
Once in a while I would pass a few hikers returning from the summit, but had a lot of time to reflect on life as I steadily climbed. I started to feel a bit off as I worked my way up, much like I did when hiking Mt. Pinos & Sawmill. I wonder what is triggering this? I will be keeping a close eye on it when I hike out to Pear Lake. I took a few breaks, partly to begin to build better backpacking habits, but also to let my stomach settle. After about a mile, the trail eased up and cruised over to the summit. From there I was rewarded with some 360-degree views! After finding the benchmark, I hopped over the summit to sit in some shade for a bit before making my way down.
Heading down went quickly. Two other groups of hikers were making their way up as the sunset must really be something from the top. I felt pretty good as I hiked down. I did encounter a grouse on the trail—I don’t think I have ever seen one in the wild. Back at the car I headed back towards Lodgepole, making a stop at the market for a Gatorade and another soda, before heading to my actual campsite and began setting up for the night. Hopefully, a good night’s sleep would have me ready for the challenge of tomorrow.
Postscript
As the moon rose later that evening, it had an orange glow, not a good sign. When I awoke, I wasn’t sure if the smoke I smelled was from campfires from those at the campground or also from the fire. I checked with the Ranger before heading to the trailhead. He said the air quality was about 90 and 160 over at the museum! I drove to the General Sherman Tree and decided to hike down to it, to get a sense of what I might be hiking in. The air was smokey, and you could feel it in your throat. That pretty much sealed the deal, I was bailing. After a long drive home, I checked the estimated AQ at Pear Lake, where I would have spent the night, the reading was 142.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.