{"id":510,"date":"2008-08-12T01:01:48","date_gmt":"2008-08-12T01:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/08\/a-fantastic-hike.html"},"modified":"2008-08-12T01:01:48","modified_gmt":"2008-08-12T01:01:48","slug":"a-fantastic-hike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/08\/a-fantastic-hike.html","title":{"rendered":"A Fantastic Hike"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though I’m still on vacation, I just returned to civilization from several days camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. One of the highlights of this trip was a fantastic hike to Dinkey Lakes. It was the first time I’ve done this hike, which has entered my “top five all-time hikes” list. Others on this list include: The Narrows<\/a> in Zion National Park, Utah; Angels’ Landing<\/a> in Zion; Chocolate Lakes Loop out of Bishop, California; and Treasure Lakes<\/a> in Little Lakes Valley, California.
\n\"dinkeyThe Dinkey Lakes hikes is almost a perfect short hike, easily done in a half day. It’s a seven-mile trip, two-thirds of which is a loop. Though you hike up from the trailhead to several lakes, the uphill climb is very gradual, especially for a High Sierra hike. This would be an outsanding introductory hike for folks who aren’t sure they want to brave the challenges of high mountain trails.
\nYou might expect such a wonderful hike to be awash in people. It’s not. In fact, we saw relatively few people along the trail, and those we ran into were quite friendly. But there’s a good reason the Dinkey Lakes trail is uncrowded: the drive to the trailhead. You don’t get to start this hike without a major investment in wear and tear on your car . . . and your body. First of all, you have to drive from Fresno, California (in the San Joaquin Valley) to Shaver Lake, an hour-long drive, the last stretch of which is very curvy. From Shaver Lake, you drive for about 9 miles on a two-lane mountain road until you get to a sign that points in the direction of Dinkey Lakes. From the sign, you have 9 miles of a paved, single-lane road with hundreds of hungry potholes. Then you take a side road for 4.7 miles of a very rocky, bumpy, mostly unpaved surface. Finally you’ve got 2 more miles on a narrow, steep, tortuous dirt road. You can make this drive in a passenger vehicle (if it doesn’t have low clearance), but it’s one of the toughest drives I’ve ever made. The good news about this drive is that it protects Dinkey Lakes from the littering crowd who ruin so many Sierra trailheads. You don’t drive to this trailhead unless you really love nature!
\n\"dinkeyThe first section of the hike wanders along a creek through pine forests and verdant meadows. Though we hiked after the main flower season, there were still lots of wildflowers decorating our path. The trail works its way uphill along the creek, but the grade is easy and the path free of rocks and horse manure.
\nWe took the left trail at the first fork, about a mile and a half in. Before long we came to First Dinkey Lake, a pristine lake from which there were stunning views of the Three Sisters peaks. (Photo below: An inlet of First Dinkey Lake with the Three Sisters in the background.)<\/p>\n

\"first<\/p>\n

\"southAfter a brief rest at First Dinkey, we made our way along the shore until another trail junction. Taking the right fork, we made our way to South Lake, where we paused for lunch. It doesn’t get much better than sitting beside a High Sierra lake, enjoying the view and a Cliff Bar for lunch.
\nAfter lunch, we headed to the next lake. Swede Lake was the high point of our journey at 9224 feet, or about 700 feet above our starting point. At Swede Lake my son and nephew decided it was time for a swim. They said the water a surprisingly warm for a Sierra lake. Sometimes the high ones can be well under 50 degrees. But Swede Lake, no longer snow fed, had plenty of time to absorb the High Sierra sun. My guess is that it was at least 67 degrees. (My son has been known to swim in lakes that are virtually frozen. I don’t know how he does it! Photo below: jumping into Swede Lake.)
\n\"SwedeFrom Swede Lake we made our way to Mystery Lake, which wasn’t especially mysterious. There we found some campers from Orange County, where we used to live. They explained that they camped there every year. I can see why!
\nThe hike from Mystery Lake back to the trailhead, about two and a half miles, was delightful . . . a gentle, downhill run through forests and meadows illumined by the late afternoon sun. Sigh!
\nThe Dinkey Lakes hike is a winner, even if getting there takes a toll on your car. It’s an especially fine hike for people who want to enjoy High Sierra beauty without taking on a Herculean hike. I recommend it highly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Though I’m still on vacation, I just returned to civilization from several days camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. One of the highlights of this trip was a fantastic hike to Dinkey Lakes. It was the first time I’ve done this hike, which has entered my “top five all-time hikes” list. Others on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recommendations"],"yoast_head":"\nA Fantastic Hike - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}