May 2026. I woke up early in the morning together with the first rays of the sunrise, after a night of excellent sleep that I needed like air to breathe.
After getting organized briefly by the vehicle, the very first thing I did was approach the back of the 4Runner to check that yesterday's makeshift rigging and ties on the rear bumper were holding up. Everything looked stable and secure enough, and I set out from the Onion Valley campground.
A word about this campground: the site is managed by the BLM, and to my great surprise, it is really organized and clean. It has picnic tables, designated fire rings, and even built vault toilets. For anyone planning to come out here, it's worth knowing that this lake is very popular among fishermen, and you need the appropriate state licenses and permits if you come to fish here.
I drove slowly and moved over to the other side of the lake, the spot where the sun was already beginning to shine in its full power.
I used these minutes to thaw out from the morning cold, standing to warm up in the sun while drinking a good coffee I had just brewed. It was the perfect timing to pull out the drone and fly it over the water. I got the drone up high and captured the insane view of the lake and the entire valley from above, as well as the snow-covered mountain ranges, just a beautiful and wild piece of country.
After I finished my coffee, I got back behind the wheel and drove a short distance further up a side trail that passed through a green aspen forest, until I reached a small parking area where the vehicle trail ends.
My next destination was an area of several alpine lakes called Blue Lakes.
From this parking lot, a foot trail begins at the Blue Lakes Trailhead. The trail climbs moderately inside a grove of aspen trees, and after a short walk of less than a mile, the forest opens up and you arrive at the beautiful lake.
Its location is simply perfect, sitting right at the foot of the tall, snow-capped mountains of the range.
In these early morning hours, an absolute quiet settled over the place, and the mirror image of the snowy peaks reflecting on the smooth surface of the water was just a stunning sight.
After a short rest break facing the view, I turned around and began descending the trail I had come up, heading back toward the vehicle.
Overall, it is not a difficult hike at all, and the payoff of the open view of the lake is completely worth it.
From the parking lot, I started the drive downhill back toward Onion Valley, and from there I turned onto the main trail that leads to the big descent from the mountains.
This trail is supposed to lead me, ultimately, half a loop back and connect to the very same trail junction where I stood yesterday afternoon, before I turned onto that tough loop.
The descent from the ridge was really steep, but unlike yesterday's nightmare, this time there were no trees at all, or any special navigability issues or fallen tree blockages.
The only law here was simply to drive slowly, patiently, and with great caution, so as not to slide off the tracks on the turns or catch an annoying flat tire from the sharp chert rock. It was a long, continuous descent that led me down to the bottom of a deep valley where a creek flows, and from there the road climbed briefly again until I reached the familiar trail split I was at yesterday.
I did it, I closed the loop. From this split point, a final long descent awaited me, this time toward the main valley below.
I made it down to the bottom of the wide valley.
I returned to the open pasture area where I met the large seasonal lake again. This was the precise spot to stop the 4Runner, pull out the compressor, and reinflate the tires back to regular highway pressure, right before I opened up the engine for a drive of another 10 miles on the good dirt road that leads out of the valley toward the asphalt of the highway.
I officially exited the backcountry.
The wheels returned to spinning on smooth asphalt, and I pressed down on the gas heading toward the tiny town of Denio, which is my refreshment stop, refueling point, and official first crossing of this trip into the state of Oregon.
Looking back on this foray into Onion Valley, I realize that except for a few blows to my bruised pride and one broken plastic bumper that will remain as a souvenir, it was an incredibly unique and challenging off-road trip.
I enjoyed every moment of concentrated driving, the physical work of clearing obstacles, and landscapes that few people get to see.
It was an experience amazing in its intensity, a movie-like adventure that I am sure I will never forget.
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