Eastern Sierra · August 2026
A massive, blinding bolt of lightning struck just beside the car, shaking the ground like an earthquake as a ferocious downpour pelted our windshield…the chase was on! I’ve never seen storms like this in the Sierra, but once they cleared, they would reveal a beautiful, fresh landscape and perfect weather for a hike over Kearsarge Pass.
But to understand how we ended up here, we have to rewind to February.
A Plan is Hatched
Way back in February, I was in Tokyo on a snowboard trip, but my mind was already on summer adventures. You have to plan things so early these days. So many logistics to handle, and permits open up six months in advance.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night to grab a batch of permits for Kearsarge Pass in the Eastern Sierra. I had never been, but I’d always heard about it. It’s a well-known, almost bucket-list backpacking trip, and it sits not far from the PCT, so you see a lot of PCT hikers coming over to resupply. It’s a formidable pass, climbing to roughly 11,800 feet before dropping down to Kearsarge Lakes.
With permits in hand, I rallied a crew of seven, and everyone was excited. What was going to make this trip special was timing it with the Perseid meteor shower. That was intentional. I knew there would be no moon, and it would be prime time to be high in the mountains, sleeping out under the stars and watching meteors with good friends.
Getting Ready
The crew slowly started pulling their gear together. We had many months to prepare, and for several people this would be their first backpacking trip. Fitness training started early to get ready for the altitude, and then suddenly it was time to pack up and hit the road.
Night One: Perseids at Alabama Hills
This really became two trips in one. We left Wednesday night and camped in Alabama Hills to catch what turned out to be the actual peak of the Perseids. We had an amazing spot and watched meteor after meteor streak across the sky with the Milky Way shining bright above. We stayed up until 2 am, soaking it all in, sharing laughs and food, before crawling into bed for a little sleep. The sun blasted us bright and early the next morning.
That Thursday morning we had coffee and a delicious breakfast, and the plan was to go float the Owens River in Bishop. Those plans would change very quickly…. I’d been watching the weather models like a hawk, and I knew we had a good chance of strong thunderstorms that day.
The Chase
Sure enough, as we were packing up at Alabama Hills, massive cumulonimbus clouds were building over Mount Whitney and the rest of the Sierra. The storms were coming fast. We headed north and stopped for gas in Independence, and just as we were about to leave, bolts of lightning started striking the side of the mountain barely a mile away!
I made a quick decision to pivot. I had to get my lightning photos, and (almost) nothing gets in the way of that.
I grabbed my tripod, put on my lightning trigger, and tried to figure out my settings while the bolts crept closer. It was a bit chaotic. I sprinted behind the gas station, set up, and hoped for a few good frames. Thankfully I came away with a few. Some brilliant bolts came down right in front of my camera, but the storm kept growing, its anger unleashed on the landscape closer and closer to us, and it was time to bail.
I ran to the car, and we tried to head north to relocate and keep photographing the storm, but we couldn’t seem to get out of it. Bolts landed right next to our cars, and the deep bass of the thunder shook the ground and echoed all around us. It was incredible, if a bit terrifying at moments. The storm chase was on.
Our two cars zigzagged down side roads, trying to get ahead of the system. Eventually we came upon billowing smoke in the distance: a wildfire, just started by a lightning strike. Police and fire engines came blasting down the road as the fire took off with the wind, though thankfully crews got it under control in a relatively short time.
Floating the Owens River
As the storms faded a little, we made our way to the Owens River, wondering if we’d actually be able float. It was cold and rainy, not exactly hot, sunny floating weather, so we hung out, played games, and ate some good food to see if things would clear. It did get a bit nicer, but it stayed cloudy and on the cold side. We were there, so we had to get in the water. Most of us rallied. A couple of people stayed behind, and the rest of us made the long hike up the road to put in our floats.
Shaboooozyyyyy! It was an epic float. We zigzagged through the endlessly winding Owens River, through beautiful landscapes with nobody else in sight, capsizing, laughing, and enduring. So much fun.
Onion Valley
We made it back to the cars, packed up, and drove to our campsite at Onion Valley campground so we could acclimate and prep for an early start. Everything was cold and damp after a day of storms pounding the area. We built a nice fire, made a pasta dinner, drank some wine, and hustled to pack our bags and prep gear for the morning.
My alarm went off well before sunrise. It was freezing, with frost on my sleeping bag, but it was go time. I jumped out, grabbed my gear, loaded the car, and the rest of the crew eventually did the same.
Hitting the Trail
With our bags packed up, we relocated to the backpackers’ lot, pulled our bags out, and it finally sank in: we’re doing this. Months of planning, training, and prep, and now we were actually hiking. It was a perfectly clear bluebird day, and we couldn’t have asked for better.
- Trailhead: Onion Valley, at about 9,200 feet
- To the pass: roughly 4.7 miles one way and about 2,600 feet of climbing, topping out near 11,800 feet.
- To Kearsarge Lakes: about 14.4 miles round trip with around 4,300 feet of total gain.
- Along the way: five alpine lakes before you ever reach the pass
- The JMT/PCT connection: it’s the easiest access to the John Muir Trail from the east side, and through-hikers drop down to Independence to resupply
We weighed our packs that Friday morning, and mine was ridiculously heavy, by far the heaviest it’s ever been. I think it was around 55 lbs. We all tried to lighten our loads, but I wasn’t willing to give up the luxury items I’d brought. Once we were dialed in, we hit the trail. It was going to be a long day, so I wanted to keep a decent pace to reach camp in good time. Overall, we did very well.
Eventually we splintered into a few groups: some ahead, some in the middle, some in the back, everyone comfortable at their own pace. We passed some stunning lakes on the way up, took one last rest before the pass, and then tackled it. It was not as bad as I expected. The trail is pretty easy, just a few long switchbacks.
Kearsarge Pass
The views from the top were incredible. You can see so far over the other side of the Sierra Crest. It was stunning. We took a nice break up there before descending to our final destination: Kearsarge Lakes.
The last mile was the hardest: the mental battle of wanting to be at your destination, knees aching from the descent, and heavy, heavy packs.
Finding the Best Campsite
We finally made it to the lakes, and then came my favorite part: finding the absolute best campsite. I’m always quite picky about this. I can never take the first or second site. I need to look at every single option and find the ultimate spot, which is hard after hiking all day when all you want is to set up and rest. But I put in the extra work even though I was ready to collapse from exhaustion.
We found one decent spot, but I was still determined, so I was sprinting all over the place. Then I turned a corner, and there it was. It had to be the best site in the whole area, and nobody had taken it yet! It sat at the end of a peninsula, a bit above the water with views all around. Great trees, an awesome hangout area, even a bench someone had put together from wood lying around. Beautiful water to swim in, and nobody nearby. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
Eventually the rest of the crew arrived, exhausted. Tears were flowing and smiles were beaming…we made it. We picked out our sites, set up a little common area, and hung twinkle lights. Everything was just right. We jumped in the lake for a quick bath to rinse off the sweat and grime, then enjoyed a freeze-dried dinner, some drinks, and snacks. A nice, chill first night under the stars.
Zero Day
Saturday was a “zero day”: zero miles, a rest day. We had a leisurely breakfast and lounged around all day, playing games, swimming, drinking, and eating lots of food to replenish the calories we’d burned. We even set up a hot happy hour in a grassy meadow along the water to watch the sun go down. It was a perfect day.
After dinner everyone went to bed, but I stayed up a little longer to photograph the Milky Way drifting overhead. Then I set up a long time-lapse and crawled into my tent.
Hiking Out
I woke early Sunday morning, photographed the sunrise, and soaked in the peaceful, calm morning. Sadly, it was time to hike out, so I wanted to savor it.
We packed up camp and were excited to see how much lighter our packs were after working through our food and drinks. It made the hike much easier. We climbed back up and over Kearsarge Pass, enjoyed a nice lunch at the top while PCT hikers came up and over for resupply, and then made it back to the car.
That’s a Wrap
Mission accomplished. We were all so proud of ourselves. It was a great trip, and we’re already looking forward to the next one. Nothing beats time in the mountains with friends.
Leave a Reply