u/weezopondo

Note: I noticed in the video I called it “Palisades” Glacier a couple times. It’s “Palisade” Glacier. Sorry, I must have been tired at the moment…

This hike was better than expected, so I thought I’d share a report.

Temperatures in the Owens Valley were up to 108, which is not comfortable for me to camp. I stayed in a hotel in Bishop the night prior.

There were several summer thunderstorms in the area. The AllTrails weather report said the route was going to be clear, which turned out to be accurate. Weather was good. No rain. Temps in the lower 80s in the lower sections in the afternoon, and temps in the upper 60s in the higher sections.

I parked at the Big Pine Creek trailhead at 5:30am. There were other people already parked there, but parking was still available. The parking lot was full when I returned at 3pm. This was a Sunday. No permit needed to park. No fee to park. The parking lot had ample bear boxes.

Starting elevation is roughly 8k feet. The Palisade Glacier route shares the same route for several miles with the Big Pine Lakes route. This Big Pine Lakes route had far more novice hikers than I’m used to seeing in the Eastern Sierras. More of a Yosemite vibe than an Eastern Sierra vibe, just less crowded than Yosemite.

The first half of the hike is less steep and less rocky than the second half. Plenty of places to filter water. I brought 4 liters of water/electrolytes with me, and filtered an additional liter I ended up drinking.

At roughly mile 2.5 you see some Aspen trees. Some were damaged with graffiti :(. At roughly mile 4.5 you see Temple Crag and Big Pine Lakes 1 & 2. This is a very nice area. Temple Crag is legit, and beautiful, just under 13k feet at its peak. The Big Pine Lakes are very nice alpine lakes, with vibrant color.

After this you will leave the shared trail with the Big Pine Lakes Loop. I very, very highly recommend using an AllTrails (or similar service) pre-downloaded offline map with GPS capabilities. The trails are not very well marked, and it could be very easy to get lost, or lose the trail.

At this point, the trail becomes slightly steeper, with more technical/rocky terrain.

At roughly mile 6.5 you run into an alpine creek in an open meadow. This is a great spot. Very serene. Great place to rest and filter some water. One of the highlights of the day for me.

The last half mile (maybe a little more) is what I would call lower class 2 scrambling on talus. For most people, the cardio at this point will be tougher than the technical nature of the scrambling. There is no trail for this section, but the cairns were very easy to follow. The AllTrails route followed the cairns pretty closely.

You hit the Palisade Glacier overlook at roughly mile 8-8.5. This is slightly over 12k feet in elevation. I expected this to be awesome, but it was much better than I had expected. Much larger than I expected. Truly amazing area, with the 14ers and 13ers behind it, per the video. Mt. Sill and North Palisade are two of the notable peaks.

You could do what appears to be a short class 2 scramble to get closer to the glacier, but I didn’t do it. The viewpoint was satisfying enough for me.

On the return, instead of following my footsteps the entire way back, I completed the Big Pine Lakes lollipop loop then completed the trail, which turned out to be 18.5 miles and 5.7k feet of climbing.

Without this diversion, the route would be closer to 16-17 miles, and 4.7k feet of climbing.

In difficulty, I would say this hike compares to a Half Dome via Happy Isles hike, maybe a little more challenging for those who struggle at altitude. Far less difficult, however, as compared to Mt. Whitney or Mt. Langley day hikes.

I camped at the Sage Flat trailhead the night prior to the hike. Parking was free. No permits needed.

When you get to the main parking area, instead of going straight and parking at the trailhead, I recommend taking a right, driving all the way to the end roughly one or two tenths of a mile, and camping at the last campsite. Awesome elevated view of the Owens Valley/dried Owens Lake from this spot.

Temperatures were relatively warm in the tent, so I cowboy camped under the stars with a cot. There were some birds chirping throughout the night, so used earplugs. Woke up around 5:00am to a beautiful sunrise in the Inyo Mountains and a swarm of mosquitoes and June bugs.

The initial hike from the trailhead to Olancha Pass is roughly 5 miles and 3,500 feet of very steady climbing. Great views of the Owens Valley. I took six liters of water and electrolytes with me, which in retrospect feels appropriate.

From there, you pick up the Pacific Crest Trail, hike through a flat meadow for a roughly a mile, then climb roughly 4 miles and 1,300 feet on the Pacific Crest Trail. In June, there was flowing water in this stretch. I filtered a liter on the journey back I didn’t end up using. On the way back, I saw roughly a dozen PCT thru hikers, who are always fun to talk to.

At this point, I used AllTrails pre-download offline mapping to identify the scrambling spur off of the PCT, and the general line. There were no signs. The scramble was roughly 1,600 feet of climbing over one mile, and significantly more difficult than I expected. I’m not really a scrambler, but it’s considered a class 2-3 scramble by others. I personally feel class 2 is a more accurate description of the technicality of the scrambling.

Great views at the summit. Well worth it. One of the best day hikes I’ve been on.

Other than the PCT thru hikers, I didn’t see anyone else on the trail.

Very strenuous. Significantly more difficult than Gorgonio. Roughly 22 miles of hiking total, and 6,500ft of climbing. Strong hiking fitness and remote outdoor skills essential for this hike.