Grizzly bear mother, cubs is highlight of Penn Township man's trek out West

(Editor’s Note: Penn Township resident Robert Szypulski and his son, Scott Szypulski, of Oakland, share their latest trips to the western United States. They are regular visitors to our nation’s national parks.)

Autumn is a perfect time to hike or drive through western mountains and national parks.

Cooler temps and smaller crowds are just two of the perks. A different palette of fall foliage colors than in the northeastern states, dominated by aspen groves, is another.

My son, Scott, and I enjoy fall hikes out west. This year, we chose an 11-mile, round-trip trek in the Big Pine Lakes area of the John Muir Wilderness. The trail is in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, bordering Kings Canyon National Park.

We flew into Las Vegas. A storm-related closure of Death Valley National Park forced a 5-hour detour around it to our lodging in the town of Bishop. We stayed at the pricey Creekside Inn at a heavily discounted rate, but less expensive hotels are available. Don’t miss a stop at the terrific Schat’s Bakery next to the inn.

Though shorter than other hikes on our bucket list, the Big Pine Lakes trail proved more challenging than anticipated. While the route passes seven lakes, our goal was only to reach Second Lake (all falls and lakes are so uncreatively named), the one fronting a landform called Temple Crag. The weather was ideal, with clear skies and a temperature rising from the 50s to near 70.

From the day-use parking lot at Big Pine Creek campground, the trail rose slightly through forest to a junction. We turned right, scaling the North Fork route up shaded switchbacks to a bridge crossing First Falls. The path then entered a bowl-like clearing where we spotted Second Falls on a distant rock face that looked impassable.

We soon tackled an exposed set of rockier switchbacks that first led away from the faraway falls, then gradually towards them. When we reached the cascading water, the trail knifed through a cooler crevasse into an area with some of the canyon’s best fall colors. Intermixed with several types of pines, a large aspen grove showed off various shades of green, yellow and orange leaves, all quaking in the mountain breeze, backed by a cloudless blue sky.

After the flat section through the aspens and manzanita shrubs, the trail climbed again, passing an old Forest Service cabin. Beyond the building, more switchbacks delivered us to the top of a moraine, with the sparkling First Lake unexpectedly a few hundred feet below.

A short distance ahead came a left turn through giant boulders that opened to reveal the breathtaking Second Lake beneath Temple Crag. Almost as stunning as the view was the force of a buffeting wind off the water, making it difficult to stand still for a photo.

Finding a sheltered spot in sight of the 10,130-foot high alpine lake, Scott and I rested and snacked before heading down the canyon. Whether excitement or adrenaline kept us from feeling it on the way up, we both noted the rapid elevation change in such a short distance during our switchback descent, a difference we later learned was over 3,000 feet. If ever returning for all seven lakes, we won’t underestimate this trail again.

The next day, traveling back to Vegas, we chose a more adventurous route around Death Valley to see the “oldest living things on the planet.”

Driving the desolate State Route 168 East from California to U.S. 95 in Nevada, we branched onto White Mountain Road for 10 miles to visit Schulman Grove, home to an ancient bristlecone pine forest. Trees there only grow at an elevation of 9,800 to 11,000 feet, making the high-rise view across the valley to the Sierra Nevada range a pleasant bonus.

While most of the gnarly, twisted, sometimes monstrous looking pines average 4,000 years of age, an as-yet unnamed one is believed to need about 5,070 candles on its cake. And while many of the trees appear dead, most have new growth areas that keep the age clock ticking.

The short walk around the grove’s Discovery Trail, new visitors center, and already mentioned view make this a worthy side trip if in the area.

Just days after returning from our hike, I used an expiring airline voucher to backtrack to Montana for solo wildlife watching in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. The Yellowstone half of the trip was plagued by roadwork and nagging warning lights in my rental car. The former limited the chances in Lamar Valley to see wolves and grizzly bears that often feed there. The latter stopped me from risking more serious vehicle issues on a drive south to Grand Teton National Park. Fortunately, ever-present mountain scenery, plenty of full-rack elk, and a short hike to Hellroaring Creek kept my time in Yellowstone enjoyable.

The Glacier visit was even better. The entry roads alone to the Many Glacier and Two Medicine areas on the park’s eastern side are worth every mile. The glacially carved mountains and lakes are as astounding from a distance as they are when snaking through canyon and waterfront roads that snug up to them. Looking Glass Road — Highway 49 — in particular, is a “must-drive” from Highway 89 down to the Two Medicine entrance.

But it was another drive that won top honors. One taken only after I scrubbed a short hike due to dangerously high winds and not enough fellow hikers present to trek comfortably in bear country. Instead, I drove to the Jackson Glacier lookout on Going-to-the-Sun Road, closed at that point for winter.

The decision proved fortunate when, during my descent, a mother grizzly bear and her three blond yearlings crossed the road. Rattled by my first-ever multi-grizzly sighting, I nervously slowed and stopped on the shoulderless pavement, thankful for no traffic either way. I then scrambled to grab a phone that had fallen to the car floor, plus an actual camera, before the family disappeared into forest.

After several shots, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the bears were gone. I caught my breath, let my heart rate settle and couldn’t help but smile. Even today, I marvel at the karma that put a guy fascinated by grizzlies all alone on that stretch of wilderness road at that precise time.

Just a little national park magic, I guess, available daily for all to enjoy, at 63 sites nationwide.