In September 2021 I finally went on my first multi-day backpacking trip and I became quickly hooked! Some friends had 2 extra permits for a long weekend backpacking to the Hilton Lakes in the Sierras, just outside of Bishop, and my husband I were so happy we could join!

My husband and I drove up the day before we were set to start the trip, and stayed with my Aunt & Uncle in Mammoth. As we drove up and once we got there, we realized just how smoky everything was due to some fires burning further south. We were definitely worried about the haziness and the smoke and what it would be like backpacking in it (and if we should even do our trip), and prayed for it to be clear. On the first day of the trip, we woke early in the morning to a relatively clear day, though still pretty hazy, and decided to hike the 5 miles in to one of the Hilton Lakes where we set up camp. There’s I believe 4 or 5 Hilton Lakes total, and we chose a scenic, quiet one to call home for the next 2 nights.

Once we set up camp, we hiked around a bit and went up to another of the Hilton Lakes that was nearby, and that’s when we first got a glimpse of how WINDY it was! It was so so windy up at that other lake.

After we explored a bit and took in the views, we hung out back out our campsite, soaking in sunset light and making dinner. It had started to get pretty windy that evening, but still nothing to be overly concerned about, and after everyone went to bed I was determined to stay up just a little longer to try to get some night time photos. The wind was too much though and it was def hard to stabilize the camera! So not long after I decided to head to sleep too. I did not get much sleep that night! The wind was SO bad that I was up every hour hearing the wind coming down from the mountain and in off the lake, and could feel our tent getting completely rocked by the wind. Not to mention all of the sand that somehow found it’s way blown into our tent. It was a very sleepless and cold night. Sometime in the night, our tent poles actually snapped from the wind - it was that bad! It definitely explained why we didn’t get great sleep, as the top pole snapped in two which lead to a rip in the fly and the sides of the tent smacking against us all night. Needless to say, that night I was counting down the hours til we woke up and I could get out of there! Morning finally came, and it was still so so windy. But in the daylight nothing seems as bad as it is at night, and I was determined to wait it out a little longer before calling it quits and hiking back to the car. We all decided to pack up our tents, and hike down to one of the lower lakes in search of more shelter from the wind.

Down at a lower lake we were able to tuck in the trees a bit and shelter from the wind, but in general it was soo much less windy! A complete difference from the afternoon before. Plus side of all of this? The smoke had cleared out! It was an answer to prayers, just not in the way I would have expected it. So we set up camp at one of the lower Hilton Lakes and we were able to tough it out even with a broken tent. We’ll always backpack with duct tape now! After setting up camp, we spent the day exploring the rest of the lakes in the area! We fished, we played games, and we hiked. It was a great, relaxing afternoon. And we got some dreamy light and even a smidge of fall colors. I was in heaven, and so glad we stayed!

That night was a cold one, but a complete 180 from the previous night. After dinner we sat around playing farkle (a great dice game that I highly recommend) and just enjoying being in nature and with friends. No wind at all! And when it was time to head to bed, I think it may have been the best I’ve ever slept while camping.

The next day we packed up and hiked back out the way we came. It was crazy to see how different our views were on the way out than they were on the first day. Not having smoke definitely changed things! Here’s a side by side of a view from day 1 vs day 3. Such a difference!