Emigrant Meadow Lake - Emigrant Wilderness - Aug 1966 On the fourth day we headed for Emigrant Lake and camped below its outlet. The northeastern third of the Wilderness is dominated by volcanic ridges and peaks; the remaining areas consist of many sparsely vegetated, granitic ridges interspersed with numerous lakes and meadows. By the time I got to the top of the ridge separating Buck Lakes and Emigrant Lake, it was once again warm enough that I could ditch my fleece. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished into the dark. I had time for one last weekend trip to the Sierra before winter. Wilderness Permits. She's one of those athletic types, so we let her carry the stove and water filter to slow her down. October 4 - 6, 2019. I also planned to do some off-trail exploration in the high country. Snowpacks typically linger into June, sometimes later following very wet winters. Only later did I remember that I had hit the outside of my foot against a sharp rock. The views over Huckleberry Lake were some of the most impressive of the trip so far. The last miles of the trail passed through an old burn area. Follow the road to a T and turn left onto Crabtree Rd. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. Thanks for sharing. I decided to sleep under the stars without the tarp. Towering granite peaks surrounded Upper Buck Lake. The night was wind-still, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. But the path that paralleled East Fork Cherry seemed to double as a riverbed during spring. Gluttons for punishment, we went back to the Emigrant Wilderness again, this time with Nikki, Steph's friend, in tow. I woke up as the sun began to illuminate the mountains. [1], The Emigrant Wilderness is a glaciated landscape of scenic beauty. Locale: San Francisco. To the south you can see far into the distance, across Emigrant Wilderness and towards the peaks in Yosemite, Long Lake with its little islands is prominent in the valley below. In addition, three major deer herds – Jawbone, Yosemite and Stanislaus herds – live in Emigrant Basin. The descent to Huckleberry Lake was painful. Highlights include cliffs in the Granite Dome area and lakes such as Emigrant Lake, Huckleberry Lake, and Lake Lertoria. The chart above will give you some idea on what to expect. There’s nothing like a relaxing weekend in the Sierra backcountry. Even so, the trail had well-constructed steps that ascended the granite. The dams were constructed by anglers who tightly stacked nearby stones and boulders. Gianelli Cabin is a very popular summer time trailhead in the Emigrant Wilderness. Rainbow and Brook trout are found in almost all lakes and streams in the area. The weather forecast for the trip showed clear skies. I ate dinner, watching the sunset reflect off the calm lake. Summers are generally dry and mild, but afternoon thundershowers occur periodically and nighttime temperatures could dip below freezing anytime. Until then, the trail had been well-maintained. I still had almost 11 miles to the car, so I conjured an ibuprofen and acetaminophen cocktail to get me going. I had to abandon my plan to keep hiking up North Fork Cherry Creek toward the upper Emigrant Lakes. It is an elongated area that extends northeast about 25 miles (40 km) in length and up to 15 miles (24 km) in width. Suddenly, I saw a big trout come up for a bite. The last climb up to the trailhead offered a new landscape of volcanic rock and bright-yellow aspen. I planned a 3-night trip to Emigrant Wilderness to fish Emigrant Lake and some smaller lakes. A small stream that flowed through the field had frozen overnight. Time-lapse of Ridge Lake at Emigrant Wilderness. It was still near freezing when I started my backpacking trip. The trail passed through a pleasant pine forest. Emigrant Lake: 140 acres at 8827' elevation, about 15 miles from the trailhead. I passed through some of the most impressive granite landscapes of the whole trip. When I got to the West side of the lake, I was disappointed to notice that it was a shallow, swampy lake. Emigrant Wilderness is in Stanislaus National Forest, North of Yosemite. After a warm breakfast and a large cup of coffee, I headed toward Emigrant Lake. This lake holds stunning views and sits just under the sheer walls of Granite Dome. But the impact was forceful enough to cause a big bruise and my foot to swell up. It's not a fishing lake, but it can have spectacular sunsets and offers good swimming. [1], Following the discovery of gold in 1848, large numbers of miners and settlers came to the Sierra and the native cultures quickly declined. To the north you can see the lakes directly below the ridge and further down to Relief Reservoir. This time it was around Emigrant Wilderness, to a series of lakes for which there is no trail, only sloping slabs of granite and a topo map to guide us. They greeted me with a surprised “hello, human!” Clearly, they hadn’t seen others in a while either. It was the last few weeks of trout season, so I also wanted to bring my fly fishing gear. But it’s much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking. Camping, there would be a wet and cold ordeal. Precipitation averages 50 inches (1,300 mm) annually, 80% of it in the form of snow. Elevations range from below 5,000 feet (1,500 m) near Cherry Reservoir to 11,570 feet (3,527 m) at Leavitt Peak, but the elevation range of most of the popular areas is 7,500 to 9,000 feet (2,300 to 2,700 m). Some are wide, classic mountain lakes while others are quiet, little gems hidden away in the forest. Every step I took on my left foot resulted in a stabbing pain near my heel. At this point, it had been over two full days since I’d seen another person, and over a day since I’d even seen a footprint. From the south, the wilderness is accessible from Cherry Lake, along the border with Yosemite National Park. They were uniformly lovely. Fortunately, the other end of the lake was much more suitable for camping. Along the way we found a smoldering fire in a large log and extinguished it .. apparently someone had built their campfire against the log and not put it fully out. Because of that, I brought 2 sleeping pads and my 10-degree sleeping bag. A Wilderness Permit is required for every party camping overnight in the Emigrant Wilderness. The trail consisted of loose rocks ranging from the size of a grape to a football. I planned to camp at Wood Lake. Exposure Ridge Lake Emigrant Wilderness Published 2014-09-10 21:53:09 UTC Story by Kyle Frost Emigrant Wilderness. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. My 12-foot rod bent as the line whizzed through the water. In September–October 1852, the Clark-Skidmore party became the first emigrant group to travel the West Walker route over Emigrant Pass, continuing through a portion of the present-day Emigrant Wilderness. Nice Pics Paul! I think Gem and Jewelry lakes would also have made good campsites. Member. I pulled out the barbless hook, snapped a quick picture, and released it. A decision by the Stanislaus National Forest to compromise and leave some dams to naturally deteriorate while allowing maintenance of others was overturned in court in 2006, reigniting some of the controversy. The Trail to Deer Lake Wildflowers, Panoramic Views, Tranquil Lakes. Our six-day on- and off-trail journey to remote lakes of the Emigrant Wilderness traverses a glacially sculpted landscape with broad granite expanses, rushing mountain streams and deep canyons. Many other trails criss-cross the Emigrant Wilderness, from Leavitt Meadow on the East side, Kennedy Meadow on the West side, and other trailheads. Cherry Lake Dam gate to Cherry Lake, Kibbie Ridge, and Lake Eleanor opens from April 1-December 15. Our first clue was the more than fifty cars at the trailhead. The most recent groups were the Sierra Miwok of the western slope and Piute of the Great Basin. What time of year did you go? The weather station was at 7,200 ft, so I needed to prepare for 4-8 degrees colder at the elevation I would be at. The lake is nearly 2 miles long with good camping on either end. I stood and watched the lake for a few minutes. Most of the 11 miles were downhill. Since there are no trailhead quotas limiting the number of people who may enter each trailhead in the Emigrant Wilderness (except Kibbie Ridge/Lake), you do not need to reserve your permit ahead of time unless you are picking it up after hours. This trail goes by Camp Lake and Crabtree Camp. I picked up my Emigrant Wilderness permit at the Summit Ranger Station right after it opened at 8:30 am. Aug 29, 2012 at 7:54 pm #1907425. chris Nelson. 5-star camping at Upper Buck Lake. Part of Granite Dome visible on left side. Any nice spots to camp prior (Camp Lake or other?)? Looking south from Granite Dome peak, Long Lake is visible in the distance. What was your experience? And we were not alone. Start at Crabtree Trailhead.Day 1: Camp Lake, Piute Lake, Gem Lake, Jewelry Lake, Deer Lake, Buck Lakes. This area is entirely within Tuolumne County, California and is approximately 140 miles (230 km) east of San Francisco, California and 50 miles (80 km) south of Lake Tahoe. From Sonora Pass in the north, the Pacific Crest Trail follows a scenic route at the east edge of the Emigrant Wilderness along the high ridge past Leavitt Peak, turns further east from Kennedy Canyon to Bond Pass, and then heads south down Jack Main Canyon. The temperature had gone from freezing to summer in the hour I had been on the trail. I stopped at Camp Lake to fill up on water and layer down. I found a cliff overlooking the lake with a fire ring and a sheltered spot for my sleeping pad. Activities in Emigrant Wilderness include hiking, swimming, fishing and hunting. The trail followed the edge of a large meadow on the Northside of Upper Buck Lake. Since 1975, 18 small dams in the Emigrant Wilderness have been the source of an unresolved political debate. There were a lot of fallen trees that had thankfully been cleared off the trail. I also hiked to Deer Lake in one day but that was 20 years ago and I was super weary when I got there. But Ridge Lake and its companion were full of fish, as was Summit Creek.) I planned for a short first day, stopping either at Jewelry Lake or Deer Lake. The Emigrant is most easily accessible from Hwy 108, with many visitors entering from near Pinecrest Lake or Kennedy Meadows. It offers a much higher starting point than the nearby trailheads of Crabtree(7100ft) and Bell Meadows(6500ft). Gaps in the trees offered occasional glimpses of granite cliffs and the views ahead. Hi, just talked to a friend who says trying to reach Buck Lake on day one is really ambitious. The lake is considered a premier destination for the Emigrant Wilderness. Day 2: Emigrant Lake, Maxwell Lake, Huckleberry Lake, Letora Lake, Cow Meadow Lake, Wood Lake.Day 3: Buck Meadow, Grouse Lake, Pine Valley, Crabtree Trailhead. Can be reached either by continuing west after the first saddle in the high country easily accessible from Cherry Dam... 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