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| Hiking | 7.40 Miles |
1,722 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.40 Miles | 8 Hrs 45 Mns | | 1.10 mph |
| 1,722 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 3 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This hike starts at the South Lake/Bishop Pass Trailhead at the north end of South Lake. There are great views of South Lake along the first mile of the trail. South Lake is a reservoir which provides water to a power plant on Bishop Creek. On several occasions during previous visits over the years since 2014 the water level was low. This year the lake was nearly full providing for some great scenic photos. At 2 miles from the trailhead, the Bishop Pass Trail intersects with the trail to Chocolate Lakes. The Chocolate Lakes Trail makes a loop around Chocolate Peak passing five lakes including the three Chocolate Lakes then reconnects with the Bishop Pass Trail at about 3 miles up that trail from the trailhead. I chose to take the loop counterclockwise at the advice of a couple backpackers because I'd be going downhill on the steepest sections of this trail.
The lake views along this hike are amazing like so many of the Eastern Sierra hikes. Chocolate lakes take their name from nearby Chocolate Peak which is the color of chocolate. It was probably the most exhausting hike of the six hikes I'd taken on this 3 week journey through the Oregon Cascades and the California Eastern Sierras because it reached the highest elevation at 11,358 ft. But, it was well worth the effort.
I had planned to go on three more hikes over the next four days in the North Lake, South Lake and Sabrina Lake areas before starting the drive back to Phoenix. But several hikers over the last three days had warned me that a cold front would be moving in late Saturday with snow at the elevations of my planned hikes. That was two days away so the next day, Friday, I drove far enough out of the mountains to get internet connection and checked the weather forecast. Their warning had been correct. I called my wife to tell her I would be coming home 4 days early but she suggested I go visit my son and his wife who live in San Luis Obispo. Evidently she wasn't ready for me to come home yet. So after a quick call to my son I returned to camp at North Lake to pack and started the 7 hour drive to San Luis Obispo arriving in time to enjoy a home barbequed steak dinner.  Lesson learned, one should always have a backup plan (or two) on such adventures. |
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