The Evolution Loop, in a Single Push

In June of 2025, my friend Aditya and I visited Bishop, California, and stayed with our friend Alana. In many ways Bishop is paradise. Access to some of the most epic mountains in the Sierra Nevada range is within a one hour drive. During that time, we did the Sky Marathon, a point to point route about 24 miles long, with roughly ~4k gain. I was captivated by the beauty of alpine lakes and the raw beauty of the eastern Sierra. During that trip, we became aware of a route known as the Evolution Loop. Over a year later, I asked Aditya to make a trip to the Bay Area to go on some outdoor adventures. We decided one of those was to do the Evolution Loop in a "single push."

The Evolution Loop traverses some very scenic terrain in the eastern Sierra. It begins at North Lake, climbing out of Piute Pass, and down into Humphreys Basin and Piute Canyon. From there, the route continues south along the JMT/PCT, into the Evolution Valley, full of broad meadows. From here, Evolution Basin awaits, several lakes sitting underneath a series of 13,000 foot summits named after evolutionary thinkers, such as Mt. Darwin, Mt. Mendel and others. It did not go without notice that Aditya had and continues to study evolutionary biology and dynamics.

Our journey started with a shuttle from South Lake to North Lake. We parked our car at the Bishop Pass Trailhead at approximately 10PM. One of the Bishop shuttle service offerers picked us up, but noted that he wouldn't take us up to the North Lake trailhead, but drop us off slightly earlier. He mentioned that it would be a short walk to the start. When we were dropped off, I failed to check the GPS location, and I realized we were significantly further to the start than expected. Moreover, it was pitch black, and we had no way to contact anyone. Resigned to our fate, we began walking along the North Lake road. Moments later, two very nice men came along the road. They were kind enough to let us hop in their pickup bed on their way to the trailhead near their campground. Sitting in the back of the pickup, I felt extraordinarily thankful for several things, some of which included my opportunity to go on such an epic adventure, the fact that my friend Aditya was with me, and for the beautiful view of the milky way and the stars.

We began in the dark, around 10:30PM. We hiked in the dark, at a brisk pace through Piute Pass and into Humphrey's Basin. Hiking in the pitch black darkness was a very interesting experience. Time flew by, but ten miles in, I needed to turn on music to give myself some semblance of sanity.

The sun rising was a very welcome feeling, accompanied almost exactly by our joining with the PCT/JMT, as well as our entry into Kings Canyon.

The towering granite walls inspired such energy that I found myself no longer sleepy (momentarily). Shortly after that, I found myself actively sleeping while hiking, a theme that would continue to haunt me through the rest of the day. From here, I found myself loving the experience of hiking along the PCT. We encountered several people, who were befuddled by our small packs. The conversation often followed something along the lines of:

Them: "Where did you come from?"

Us: "Piute Pass"

Them: "Where are you going?"

Us: "Bishop Pass"

Them: "Wow! You guys are awesome" ("beasts" was also used).

Us: "Nope, we're just stupid!"

The highlight of the trip was indeed the Evolution Basin. I was totally awestruck. It also occurred to me that we were ~30 miles in, and there was really no easy approach to Evolution Basin. It was really a serene alcove of "pristine" wilderness. At this time, I also decided to take a nap on the side of the trail, as the sleep deprivation was really destroying me. I fell asleep for five minutes, awakened by my alarm and the need to keep moving. We really did not want to finish in the dark.

It is a bit sad to realize that the glaciers in this bowl, e.g. Mount Fiske Glacier, Mendel Glacier, are all either severely retreating or no longer active. I briefly think that this basin, named after evolutionary thinkers, is also going through its own evolution. Maybe the glaciers are being selected out, unable to adapt as quickly as they must.

We climb past Muir Pass, and reach the rock shelter Muir Hut. I briefly contemplate another nap, warded off by the realization that we need to keep moving. This section of the loop is incredibly rocky, and the geology of the region is so drastically different. Rocks poke at our feet, and we briefly contemplate how on earth this section is runnable. A few too many stream crossings make the going slow and at times very frustrating.

From here, we continued onwards, on our way to Bishop Pass and the junction. At the junction, we contemplated the climb ahead, noting that there were 11 miles remaining. At this point, our pace slows to a halt, and we make peace with the fact that we would not be back at the car by last light. However, climbing Bishop Pass is aided slightly by sweeping vistas behind us, and the setting sun illuminates the mountains, including the Inconsolable Range. We make it to the top of the pass in about 4.5 hours, and begin the descent from the top of Bishop Pass. Meanwhile, we are absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes. At this point it's pitch black and mental energy is quite low. Despite this, we make it back to the car, guided by the dim light of some headlamps, phone flashlights, and my GPS watch map.

During this trip, at several times I felt that the terrain and distance ahead was too insurmountable, given our pace, and given energy levels. Despite this, embarking on a journey like this with someone else gives special meaning to the experience. It's special to me that someone else had the same visual, physical, and at least partial emotional experience over more than one day. The shared joy of seeing the car in the parking lot is ever so sweet and relieving in a way that seeps into one's bones. I never sleep as easily as I am when exhausted, sitting reclined in my car after a monumental day in the mountains.

My Strava Recording: