After hiking the Swiss Alps in the summer of 2024, I found myself craving more outdoor adventures. My free time quickly turned into an endless search on AllTrails and Google Maps for the perfect California trek. That’s when I stumbled on the 12-mile hike to Pear Lake in Sequoia National Park—images of the rugged Sierra peaks reminded me of the Alps I’d just explored.
At first, the trail wound through humid forests alive with mosquitoes. I regretted not bringing a head net and became an easy target. But as I pushed onward, the thick woods thinned out, revealing massive granite slabs underfoot. From the Watchtower Trail, my first stop, I was rewarded with a sweeping view of the entire mountain range—a scene that rekindled my early excitement.
Eventually, fatigue caught up with me as I climbed higher. By the time I reached Pear Lake—close to 10,000 feet above sea level—my lungs and legs felt every step. I paused there for a measured break, aware that lingering too long would make the journey down even tougher. Several hikers were setting up camp along the tranquil lakeshore, but with only a single day’s worth of water and food, I knew I had to start the descent.
In the Alps, I would have just hopped on a cable car for the ride back, but no such luxuries exist in the High Sierras. There is an uncompromising effort from those who enter. There are no shortcuts here, no crowds spilling. The wilderness remains a place for those willing to earn its beauty, step by step. As much as I dreaded the long descent, I found a quiet satisfaction in knowing the Sierras preserve that raw, unfiltered connection to the natural world.
Brayden Noh 