Pie in the Sky

At 10,200 feet, the Mosquito Flat Trailhead is the highest trailhead in the Eastern Sierra. The main trail follows Rock Creek upstream through the Little Lakes Valley.  A gentle hike brought us to one beautiful alpine lake after another: Mack Lake, Marsh Lake, Heart Lake, Long Lake, and several others. 

Soft, grassy meadows invite you to linger by the lakes' clear waters, but we hiked quickly, propelled by the thought of pie. Just below the trailhead near Rock Creek Lake is the infamous Pie in the Sky Cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch, and of course, pie. Pies sell out quickly, and hikers are encouraged to come early for the best selection. 

Our short but scenic hike ended just after 11, and we quickly headed down the hill for pie. The menu board boasted at least ten different types of pie, including a few unusual signature pies, such as cheddar pear. We selected slices of strawberry pie and mud pie, and blissful munched away.

Fortified by the two generous slices of pie, Sierra and I decided we were ready for more adventure. We drove to the bottom of the Lower Rock Creek Trail, a popular mountain biking trail. After riding up on the road, we enjoyed winding along the singletrack trail next to the creek. Tall pines shaded our path and aspens rustled in the breeze.  On a recent ride we spotted a pelican swimming on one of several beaver ponds along the creek. We searched the creek, but did not spot either beaver or pelican today. 

We hopped off our bikes at the end of our ride looking forward to our next adventure.