Granite Park - Oct 5-6, 2024
The last major backpacking trip of the year for me. Most of my weekend trips (and even my longer trips) tend to keep it under 3000 ft of elevation gain, mostly because the majority of the eastern Sierra hikes that don’t involve climbing a peak usually don’t exceed 3000 ft of gain. Granite Park though is a whopping 8.5 miles and 4500 ft of gain from the Pine Creek trailhead. I viewed this hike as a challenge to check my physical fitness and also check out an area of the Sierra I’ve wanted to see for a long time.
I started from the Pine Creek trailhead at 8:30 AM and didn’t see any other hikers until lower Pine Lake when a couple with a dog passed me on my snack break. The first four miles consisted of endless switchbacks and 2500 ft of elevation gain which gradually mellowed out with open views towards the Sierra crest at the lake. After another 600 ft of gain, I took a lunch break at Honeymoon Lake. I was about 2/3 of the way to Granite Park and my body still felt great!
Approaching Granite Park.
The final 1400 ft of gain to camp was tiring and cold. I ran into two men who were on their return from a Sierra High Route section hike and a couple who appeared to be day hiking but otherwise saw no one else when I reached my camp at Granite Park. I quickly set up the tent in a patch of sand and crawled inside as it starting drizzling and hailing.
My plan for the evening was to set up my camera to photograph the Milky Way and then wake up at sunrise to capture the alpenglow on the peaks. Due to the somewhat stormy weather that lead to there being dynamic clouds in the sky, sunset ended up being incredible despite being in an east-facing basin. I ate dinner while watching the last rays of sun kiss the clouds dancing around Granite Bear Pass and then took some foreground photos for my Milky Way shots during blue hour.
Granite Park + Milky Way.
It became cloudy again shortly after sunset and even started hailing. I was skeptical the evening would be clear enough for astrophotography even though a friend had shared a forecast with me on my inReach which suggested there would be clear skies this evening. But I set an alarm for 9 PM and woke up to miraculously clear skies. I quickly ran out to my camera which was set up near one of the numerous tarns and set up a few sets of interval shots for stacking.
Temperatures that evening hovered around freezing and my three-season setup was more than adequate. I spent the next morning watching a beautiful sunrise before making my way back to the trailhead. Felt amazing to finish this hike with no difficulties and see that all the hiking I’ve been doing this summer paid off!
Milky Way timelapse over Granite Park with intermittent clouds.
Sunrise at Granite Park.
—Justin
