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The Call of the Mountains LbNA #75735

Owner:Baby Bear
Plant date:Aug 23, 2021
Location: Bishop Lake
City:Bishop
County:Inyo
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: Silver Eagle
Last found:Sep 13, 2023
Status:aF
Last edited:Sep 1, 2021
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficulty
Distance: About 8.2 miles round trip

Nice hike to multiple lakes. Great views.

Directions:
From US Highway 395 in downtown Bishop, turn west on Line Street /Highway 168. Follow Line Street / Highway 168 for 15 miles and turn left on to South Lake Road. Follow South Lake Road for 7.1 miles to the trailhead, located at the end of the road. Overflow parking is located along the road near Parchers Camp, less than a mile from South Lake. The trailhead is at the south end of the trailhead parking lot, to the left of the bathrooms.

To the Letterbox:
Starting from the south end of the trailhead parking area the Bishop Pass trail makes a short descent before it begins climbing at a steady pace along the east side of South Lake (9,768-ft.). The open trail offers wonderful views of the peaks ringing the lakes basin, including Hurd Peak (12,237-ft.), Mt. Thompson (13,494-ft.) and Mt. Goode (13,085-ft.).

A half mile from the start the trail turns left (southeast), passes through a small drainage and then makes a sharp right (southwest) turn back toward the lake. The trail now enters a forest of aspen and lodgepole pines, reaching the border of the John Muir Wilderness at 0.7 miles and the junction with the Treasure Lakes trail at 0.8 miles. Beyond the junction the trail turns left (southeast) and heads away from the lake, continuing its steady ascent.

After crossing a small bridge you may notice an unmarked trail heading right toward Hurd Lake. Reach the marked trail to Marie Louise Lakes, branch left (southeast), at 1.3 miles. Soon the trail crosses a small meadow and then climbs a series of moderately steep switchbacks before reaching a junction with the path to Bull Lake and Chocolate Lake at 1.7 miles. (The Chocolate Lakes trail rejoins the Bishop Pass trail in 1.3 miles.)

Past the junction the grade abates as the trail traverses a meadow with a scenic tarn. To the east/southeast views open to the jagged peaks of the Inconsolable Range rising above Chocolate Lake. At 2.0 miles the trail arrives at the northern end of scenic Long Lake (10,758-ft.).

The trail now wanders along the eastern side of the lake for 0.7 miles, along the way passing the junction for the trail to Ruwau and Chocolate Lakes, heading east (left), at 2.6 miles. The grand views of the peaks to the south and west invite frequent stops along the lake shore. The area surrounding the lake is a popular place to camp for people who wish to fish and explore the upper lakes basin.

At the south end of Long Lake the trail resumes its steady ascent, traversing a rocky hillside above the eastern shore of Spearhead Lake and then climbing a set of switchbacks. The grade abates as the path reaches the Timberline Tarns in the upper lakes basin. Follow the trail as it curves around the western side of the lower tarn and ascends beside a pretty waterfall to the eastern shore of Saddlerock Lake (11,128-ft.) at 3.6 miles. The lake lies nestled beneath the eastern flanks of Mount Goode in a rocky basin decorated with clusters of stunted whitebark pines.

Follow the trail as it crosses Saddlerock Lake’s outlet stream on a footbridge and parallels its eastern shoreline. At the head of the lake the trail climbs a hill at a moderate pace, reaching Bishop Lake (11,240-ft.) at 4.1 miles.

BOX: As you arrive at the lake to your right, just before trail crosses the outlet stream and starts going up toward the pass, go right on flat area to the lakeshore. Find 10ft flat rock on lakeshore. From it, turn around and see small bluff in front of you 15 yards away. Go to it and climb up middle, then go left on top to evergreen. Box is under limbs, with rock pile in front, and under flat rock.

Hike length: 8+ miles