South Lake to North Lake Trail

At 60 miles, this trek through the EasternSierra was the longest Los Boyz had ever attempted—so naturally, we called it TheGranddaddy of them all. Six nights, high passes, glacier-fed lakes, and one unforgettable mid-trip rendezvous. Our route started at South Lake and would finish at North Lake. But the real magic was scheduled for the middle, where Eric’s wife and daughter were hiking the same trail in reverse, and we planned a trailside lunch meet-up that only Los Boyz could pull off.

The trip had all the ingredients of a classic: sweeping alpine vistas, thigh-burning climbs, and that Boyz-brand camaraderie that turns hard miles into core memories. But this time, there was more than just elevation to contend with.

After lunch with Eric’s family, we hit the trail again—some Boyz pressing ahead to snag a prime campsite, while Eric and Egg lingered behind for a cold dip in a trailside creek. Packs went back on and the two began descending the switchbacks toward camp.

Then: disaster.

Eric slipped. Took a hard fall and ruptured his quadriceps tendon. He was immobilized, laid out on the trail with pain written across his face and no way to walk.

Thankfully, Egg was right there. Calm.Capable. Classic Egg. He stabilized Eric, assessed the situation, and knew they were in trouble.

Meanwhile, down in camp, the rest of us were just starting to wonder: Where were they?

That’s when two hikers came down the trail and told us someone was hurt. Badly.

We jumped into action, filling bottles, prepping packs, ready to hike back up. But just as we were lacing boots, we heard it, the chop of a rotor. A bright orange rescue helicopter was circling high above the canyon.

Eric had hit the SOS button on his InReach. We stood down, thankful and relieved.

Egg made it to camp just before dark, absolutely spent. He told us everything—how he’d talked Eric into hitting the emergency button, then helped the SAR team get him up the trail and into the helicopter. We all made a toast to Egg and his heroic effort.

Eric was safe, en route to a hospital in Bishop.

And yes, after his quadricep tendon was surgically repaired, he recovered fully. In true Boyz fashion, he was back pounding out trail miles before long, battle-scar and all.

This trip—epic, dramatic, unforgettable—is etched into Los Boyz lore. A reminder that the wilderness can awe you one minute and humble you the next. But when it counts, the Boyz show up.

Even when the Granddaddy throws you a curveball.

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