John Muir Wilderness

A three day backpacking trip up Bear Creek in the John Muir Wilderness.

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Bear Creek

Upper Bear Creek

Seven Gables above Bear Creek

Willie Goat at 10,700 feet

I had the chance to take a solo trip anywhere in the High Sierra for a weekend. I love the Sierra High Route and had heard from guides in the past that Bear Lakes Basin was a particularly beautiful and remote area. If there was a way I could access that special place then I wanted to try. I had also heard that the Bear Creek Ridge section along the John Muir Trail was a bit of a beast, but that heading up Bear Creek was slightly easier. I had also never ventured past Kaiser Peak Wilderness towards Lake Edison but had heard many family stories of trips there by my relatives. There was a detailed trip in Sierra South that also covered a lot of that area and it all added up to grabbing a Bear Creek Diversion permit and heading up on Friday.

What an adventure - big highs and lows. The big low was getting altitude sickness and having to bail to lower elevation at night. Not fun and honestly, a bit of a scare for me. Later, I was told by my doctor that descending was the right decision at the time. Too much hiking, elevation gain and max altitude that second day. The highs were getting to see so much of Bear Creek including getting up close to Seven Gables. Bear Creek has to be one of my favorite rivers in the Sierra. The Yuba may be my number one, but Bear Creek is right up there with crystal clear waters, rugged wilderness, towering trees and an endless pattern of cascades and lazy swimming holes.

The trip started mid-afternoon, after a 5+ hour drive, when I parked at the bottom of the 4x4 road. I was able to hike the entire 2.5 miles road and then almost a mile up the trail to find a beautiful first camp site along Bear Creek. The next day was a beast - I covered most of Bear Creek, along the JMT, and then up Seven Gables trail to the first lake, below the lowest Seven Gables Lake. After my descent back down that night to the JMT, my last day was spent just hiking down and out to the trailhead which was a long slog. I hope I get another chance to take more time to acclimate and enjoy that area. Oof.

Highlights

• The cascades and pools of beautiful and rugged Bear Creak. Wow!
• The lush, green meadows and granite spires of upper Bear Creek at 10,700 feet. This was a paradise and I had beautiful conditions with clear skies.
• Great amount of food and I did a really good job with making sure I was hydrated throughout the whole trip.
• Fun trying out some new gear. My favorite was the bivvy sack. It was interesting to try to figure out using a tarp and frameless backpack. Now I have a better idea of how those work on a trip.
• The drive along Kaiser Pass Road is epic. Very, very long but epic views.

RECAP

• Location: Bear Creek and Seven Gables Peak, John Muir Wilderness via the Bear Creek Diversion trailhead.
• Date: July 2025.
• Stats: 30 miles with 5,600+ ft elevation gain.

Route map
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Trailhead

Glad to get home safe!