Hungry Packer Hike, California

Hungry Packer Lake, Sierra Mountains, California

I first moved to Bishop in September of 2018. I'd moved here on a whim- sitting in a Starbucks parking lot in my home at the time- A Subaru Outback, applying for jobs in gear stores in all the places you could climb year round. Bishop, Vegas, Tuscon, St. George. In theory, all the places it rarely rains. 

I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for my whole life. My whole existence was spent staring up at the canopies of hundred year old evergreen trees. 

The first job offer I heard from was at the local gear shop in Bishop, and I accepted immediately. Within two weeks I would buy a van, and shift my life entirely to the state of California. 

Bishop, California isn't a big town. With a population of 3,500 people, the town is situated at 4,150 feet, and is more known as a "Small town, big backyard." 

Which is exactly the reason I moved here. 

Shortly after arriving in Bishop, I was antsy to get out and explore. I was taking a short break from climbing as I'd spent a week sport climbing with friends in Smith Rock, so I figured the next best thing would be a short backpacking trip through the Sierras would be a great way to get out my nerves. 

A friend recommend a hike called Hungry Packer Lake- one of the many strings of lakes above North Lake Sabrina. It was fall, and the aspen trees looked like they were on fire. It was hard to not be amazed by the reflection of the trees in the lakes.

To get to Hungry Packer Lake is 6.5 miles of steady uphill walking. Along the way Koa and I experienced several pack mules, two very friendly dogs, and a lovely elderly couple trying to hike all the trails in California. 

As tradition, we jump into all the alpine lakes we visit, and this one was no warmer than I expected it to be.

Sitting on the edge of Hungry Packer Lake before jumping in

We swam around for a bit, shivered, then ate a healthy lunch of peanut butter sandwiches before setting up camp on the far side of the lake. 

I went up to some of the nearby peaks before the sun set to scope out some of the granite faces for possible lines. 

To be honest, I didn't sleep super well that night. Some hikers romped through my campsite around eleven P.M. and I wasn't able to get back to sleep until at least two A.M. 

I woke up, had a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and nuts with raisins, then got an early hike out. I'm looking forward to next season when I'll be able to put more mileage down. In June I plan to hike the Tahoe Rim Trail in 11 days, averaging about 18 miles a day. I'm curious to see how Koa does as we up our mileage and speed per day. 

How Koa feels about backpacking in California