During this period I was getting more and more into backpacking. This would be my first time on the west side of the Sierras, wanting to check out the popular hiking in the Mineral King area. This was just a couple days, where I headed up Timber Gap, then up Cliff Creek, around Little and Big Five Lakes, up Lost Canyon and over Sawtooth Pass and down some gnarly scree past Monarch Lakes continuing back down to Mineral King finishing off the loop. It was a quite strenuous for two days. Should have been minimum of three. At this time I was finding out what my personal hiking style is. When I hike alone, I like to bag miles, or see how far I can get in a day. I’m not really a ‘stop and smell the roses’ hiker. I like the mental and physical challenge of pushing myself, seeing what I am capable of. It also makes me exhausted and allows me to fall asleep easier. When I’m hiking with others I use that as an opportunity to go at a slower pace. But for this hike, I wrapped up in a couple days. It was a really beautiful section of the Sierras. Highly recommend!
