Day 7: Buck Canyon to Crescent Meadow

10 miles, 550 feet elevation loss

Our final day was a retracing of our steps from our first day. We cruised along the trail, motivated by a hot meal and a cold drink. The mountains were still hazy on this side and the flowers still abundant and colorful - I couldn’t resist stopping a few times for pictures. Steve saw a bear on the mountainside, foraging for food. He stopped and backtracked to tell us, but the bear was gone by the time we reached that point on the trail. We didn’t miss the large rattlesnake that crossed the trail near the end of our hike, just before we reentered the forest near Crescent Meadow. I was surprised to see a rattlesnake, but I guess I shouldn’t have been according to the park newspaper - they can be common in the dryer, sunnier areas of the park.

We enjoyed our backpack (well, mostly and I can’t probably speak for all members of the family, lol) - it was another great trip to the Sierra Nevadas.