Brainerd Lake-Finger Lake via Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail

Cappie’s Scoop: What an adventure! Water crossings, fall crunchy leaves, snow, lakes, big rocks to jump on, temperature in the low 20s and an upset belly in the middle of the night. I put on my green backpack and it all begin with a hike through fall leaves! We met some other backpackers coming down the mountain and they said it snowed the night before so we knew we’d find snow at some point. The temperature started getting cooler as we climbed more and eventually we found the snow! I played for a bit but we had to keep moving. Mom likes to set up the tent when there is still light outside. Only a couple miles short of our destination Finger Lake, we decided to stop and camp at Brainerd Lake. It was perfect! Mom and I snuggled inside our tent to stay warm and drifted off to sleep. Then the unthinkable happened, I had to go to the bathroom. I sat up in the tent, giving mom the signal to let me out but she thought I had heard a noise and told me to go back to sleep. This happened a few times before mom snuggled me next to her. And then it happened, my belly got the best of me and I pooped inside our tent and worse, inside mom’s sleeping bag. Luckily we had some toilet paper with us and mom sacrificed an old hooded sweater to wipe up the mess. I gave her kisses and she forgave me knowing I tried to warn her! Sometimes an adventure happens when things go wrong and we learned a lot. When I sit up mom, let me out of the tent to go potty or it could get stinky! Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!

Tips: This trip is NOT for beginners. The Finger Lake camp (destination) is ~11,000 ft. Campfires are not allowed at this elevation. Portable gas stoves are allowed. There is a permit required to camp overnight in the Inyo National Forest. Bear-proof canisters are strongly recommended. You can rent them from your local adventure store. If you prefer to camp the night before your backpack trip starts, the Big Pine Creek Campground is near the trailhead. The camp sits at 7,600 ft elevation. Drinking water, vault toilets, picnic table, bear boxes, campfire rings and I think two parking spots are available (extra cost for additional vehicles). Firewood sold on-site. Sites first-come, first-serve. Fees $24.00 per night since last hiked. Check in with campground host upon arrival. General store nearby at Glacier Lodge.

Directions: Use the trailhead coordinates in the chart. Regardless of whether you camp the night before at Big Pine Creek Campground, you will need to park your car in the backpackers parking lot and walk down the road to the trailhead. Do NOT take the trail from the backpackers parking lot. It ascends up the northern slope of the canyon to the North Fork trail before coming back down. The walk from the parking lot down the road to the trailhead adds one extra mile of hiking. Bear boxes are located in the parking lot to store any smelly stuff so don’t leave anything in your car.

Planning a Backpack – April 2021 Newsletter Special Issue