The North Fork Of Big Pine Creek 2019

Dale Matson

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Hike Route

         Our total mileage was about 23 miles over 3 days with an altitude gain of about 3,000’. Our maximum elevation was about 11,300’. Our camping elevation at Third Lake was about 10,200’. We acclimated the day before we started at the campground near glacier lodge store. (You need reservations). We paid for parking two nights near there and got great dinner sandwiches. You may not stay overnight in the parking area near the trailhead.

This is our third trip to the North Fork of Big Pine Creek. Our goal was to take in as many of the lakes as possible with a two-night three-day hike. Actually, there was only one day of hiking and two days of backpacking. We hiked the Glacial Trail off the Big Pine Creek Trail last October and it was a unique experience for us.

https://midsierramusing.blogspot.com/2018/10/hiking-north-fork-of-big-pine-creek.html

We went with two younger friends and their daughter. Needless to say, our pace a quite a bit slower. We even left camp inbound the last morning 2 hours ahead of them and they still caught us at the upper bridge.

The topographical map shows our hike route. We did not make it to Black Lake but we did get to Lakes 1-6 with a view of Lake 7 from above Lake 6. We also got to Summit Lake. Some equestrians we met at the trail junction of Summit Lake and Lakes 6 and 7. They told us there was a great view just off the trail before you descend to Lake 6. Thanks guys.

The mosquitoes were bad this year but we were prepared. It was warm with no rain and few clouds. I have been in lots of areas of the Sierra Nevada both hiking and backpacking and I would say this area compares to Evolution Basin for stark beauty and it is more accessible. However, wilderness site permits are a popular item for this area and I got 5 permits just past midnight the day they became available for mid-August.

I also want to mention my camera gear. Since I had been in the area twice before, I knew what would be good lenses to use with my Sony A7R3. I used the Sony 16-35mm 2.8 GM lens and the Sony 24mm 1.4 GM lens. The 24mm lens is the finest prime I have used with this camera. Photos from above the lakes work best to capture the green water.

We may never see Black lake. This was a difficult trip for us and we are getting too old (I hope to be 75 next month).  Maybe we will find an outfitter with mules to bring in our gear next year. The video of this hike is here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goLXD2Bbrp8&t=25s

 Big Pine Creek

 No Luck Seeing SNBS

 First Falls

 Looking South Toward Middle Palisade And Clyde Peaks

 Lon Chaney Cabin Now A Forest Service Cabin

 Temple Crag From Third Lake

 Fourth Lake

 Two Eagle Peak With Cloud Ripper On Right

 Fifth Lake

 Mt. Galey Far Left Next To Mt. Sill

 Friendly Equestrians

 Sharon Resting By Trail Junction

 Sign Post 

 Above Lake Six

Author

 Excellent View Of 14ers And Palisade Glacier From Summit Lake

LtoR Galey, Sill, Polemonium, N. Palisade, Starlight, Thunderbolt above glacier

 Temple Crag Above Second Lake

 Temple Crag Above First Lake

 Second Falls Center

 Campsite Above Third Lake

Seventh Lake From Above Sixth Lake

The Sony 200-600mm G Lens With The A7R3

Dale Matson

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Sony 200-600mm lens W/1.4X TC On A7R3

(Forgot to close memory card door for photo)

I bought this lens primarily for wildlife photography. My subjects are usually local eagles and the endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep. The air in the Central Valley of California and the Sierra is frequently poor. This means that my goal is to get as close as possible and use the lens to get closer. Otherwise distant shots are useless and I am just magnifying bad air.

This article is not intended as a formal lens review. I will leave that to the professionals. I picked up my lens at the local camera shop on Friday and took the photographs on Saturday and Sunday morning. I chose the A7R3 over my A9 because I could crop to get 1260mm when combined with the 1.4X TC. The acid test for me was whether the lens would be sharp with the TC. Only time will tell if this lens is good for BIF. Although I had the animal eye autofocus on, it did not function when photographing the resident eagle at Millerton Lake this morning. The eagle was at the top of a tall tree about 100’ from me and it took the 1260mm photo to fill the frame. I set the lens to 10m to infinity for faster autofocus (there are three possible settings).

I reduced the file sizes for easier publication so pixel peepers will have to look elsewhere. I did not use a tripod for any of these photographs. I think there is a blessing and a curse to a lens that has internal magnification. Sometimes the lens barrel turned to a lesser magnification and I was unaware b/c the barrel does not extend or retract. However, it did make hand holding manageable with about the same length as the extended 100-400 GM.

I waited for Sony to come out with an affordable lens with this reach. I am not disappointed. This is a sharp lens.  

200mm 1/200 6.3 100 ISO 

 300mm 1/320 f9 2,000 ISO 

 600mm 1/500 f6.3 3,200 ISO

840mm (1.4X TC)  1/500 f9 3,200 ISO 

 1,260mm (1.4 TC and APSC Crop)1/1600, f9 2,000 ISO

 996mm 1/1250 f9 3,200 ISO 

 1,260mm (1,4X TC and APSC Crop) 1/1600 f9 2,000 ISO

Taken 0905 With Sony A9

Crop of final Temperature Photo