Sept. 25, 2005 to October 2: Ebbetts Pass to South Lake Tahoe
For my last backpack of the season along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) I chose a section near Lake Tahoe, north of the remote High Sierra where I had left off earlier in the month. I picked this section due to its lower elevation and road crossings so that I'd be able to exit the hike more readily in case of a snowstorm.
My cousin, Tessie Fox, from Sacramento, was kind enough to drive me to the start at Ebbetts Pass (Peter Kirby at sign) at the crest of the narrow and winding Highway 4. (Surprisingly, this difficult pass was the first crossing of the Sierra Nevada by a white man -- Jedediah Smith in 1827.) As we parked we were entertained by the clanging of cowbells on nearby livestock grazing on the national forest, like a scene from "Heidi."
Tessie and I walked north on the PCT to an overlook of the area. To the south back across Ebbetts Pass were the peaks of the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, to be explored another day (Peter Kirby at the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness) to the north were the volcanic formations of the Mokelumne Wilderness, awaiting me (Peter Kirby and Mokelumne Wilderness.) Here are some photos of Tessie amidst the mountains around Ebbetts Pass: (Tessie and Tryon Peak) and (Tessie and Silver Peak.)
After thanking Tessie again for the long ride I headed off down the trail (Peter Kirby on the PCT.) Like in the past the first night out again on the PCT was a happy return home so to celebrate I set up camp at pretty Lake Sherrold underneath a towering volcanic plug (Lake Sherrold.) You may notice there is no blue sky in this picture, which I took the next morning. Ominously, grey storm clouds had arrived during the night.
It rained off and on during the day, as low fog rolled in and out through the valleys (Cloud on mountain.) Through the mist the landscape revealed bizarre volcanic shapes, inviting me to guess what they looked like: (Domed church); (Castle), and (Chimney.) Along the route I talked with three or four locals out deer hunting, who didn't seem to mind the cold and the wet. The unspoiled wilderness setting took me back in time; I fully expected to come on Jedediah Smith any moment!
Now miles inside the Mokelumne Wilderness (sign) I set up my tent on a high, forested ridge where I could watch the black clouds sweep in, with the incongruent sound of cowbells far below. That night was the most fierce storm of the whole PCT trip: there were sheets of rain, driving hail and thunder and lightening all around. At times the rain sounded like an approaching train; it would blast the tent and barrel on. It was exciting drama, with the happy ending that my gear performed wonderfully and I stayed dry and warm throughout the night. Here's the morning vista from the campsite with a dusting of snow on the peaks (Mountain post-storm.)
The next day eventually cleared and got warm. As I descended into the Blue Lakes country I got views back towards the high terrain where the storm had raged (Rocky ridge) and forward to the next mountain range (Distant peaks.) The Blue Lakes country is dotted with scenic ponds. My favorite was Lily Pond Lake, with its granite ledges (Lake 1) and tall fir forests (Lake II) reflecting on the black waters.
Amidst big trees in the Sierra Nevada hikers often notice a line on the tree trunks about ten to twenty feet up. Above it is an emerald-green growth called "wolf lichen;" below it is the brown tree trunk with no green growth (Tree trunk.) This line marks the depth of the snow. (The lichen does not damage the tree.)
There is a short section here where the PCT leaves the Mokelumne Wilderness and parallels the Blue Lakes road (and later re-enters the wilderness.) In this non-wilderness section, near Lost Lakes, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATV's) have been trespassing on the PCT and have converted the trail tread to a wide, littered and confusing track. I reported this to the Forest Service at Carson Pass and they promised to block motorized access to the PCT at this spot.
As the trail passed through the Blue Lakes country it offered peek-a-boo glimpses of Jeff Davis Peak through the trees (Volcanic plug.) Leaving the forest, the PCT made a steady, exposed ascent of a giant grassy ridge topped by "The Nipple." The peak kept me guessing; it didn't look like a nipple until I had hiked around it (The Nipple) but I imagine for those early trappers who named it even a suggestion was enough.
From the open slopes there were long views towards Round Top, in the middle of the photo, at over 10,000 feet one of the highest mountains in the area (Round Top.) Further, there were vistas down the canyon of Summit City Creek, with the standard U-shape of the valley from carved glacial action (Mountain valley.) Finally, the trail topped out at a saddle just below the massive bulk of Elephant's Back (Elephant's Back.) It had been a uphill but a thrilling trek along this open and long stretch of the Sierra crest.
My last night in the Mokelumne Wilderness was at scenic Frog Lake. After sunning awhile on smooth granite ledges I actually heated up enough to jump in and splash off the dirt and grime. In the soft light of the morning nearby mountains and lakeside trees reflected golden in the still waters (Frog Lake I) (Frog Lake II.) After a steep drop the PCT reached Carson Pass on Highway 88. At the parking lot there was a rustic information center staffed by two Forest Service volunteers. I signed the PCT register and reported on the condition of the trail.
This pass was first crossed by white explorers in 1844 -- IN THE WINTER -- led by mountain man Kit Carson. They ran out of food and ate what they could along the way, including their mules and dogs! The pass is also famous as the route of the legendary "Snowshoe" Thompson who carried mail across the Sierra Nevada year-round (Peter Kirby at Thompson monument.)
Climbing out of Carson Pass the PCT reached a lake on a grassy plateau with views back to Round Mountain (Pond and mountain.) I was now in the Meiss Meadows roadless area. The term, "roadless area," refers to a wild area that is eligible for wilderness due to its roadless and pristine character but has not been designated as wilderness by Congress. California has 4.2 million acres of these inventoried roadless areas on its twenty million acres of national forest. Our state's two senators -- Boxer and Feinstein -- have sponsored legislation that would preserve Meiss Meadows as wilderness but it has not been enacted yet.
As mentioned in an earlier journal, the Forest Service adopted a rule in the Clinton years that it would not build roads into roadless areas, thereby maintaining the wild character of almost sixty million acres of national forestland around the country. The public commented on the rule with support unprecedented in the history of action by any federal agency; literally millions of Americans wrote or testified in favor of the proposal.
Nonetheless, on May 5th of this year the Bush Administration -- in the person of Mark Rey, former lobbyist for the timber industry -- repealed the rule. The rule was replaced with a process that allows a Governor to petition the Forest Service to protect roadless area in their state, with no guarantee that the request will be honored. In California our Governor (despite his claim to be an environmentalist) has elected not to make such a request. Interestingly, our Attorney General (a Democrat) has joined a lawsuit with some other western states challenging the Bush repeal as illegal. Conservation groups, including The Wilderness Society, have also filed their own lawsuit. Stay tuned.
The PCT passes through a bowl of extensive, high-elevation meadows, after which the area is named (Meadows.) This includes the headwaters of the Upper Truckee River, an important water source for the clean Lake Tahoe (Forested meadow.) While here I also witnessed another benefit of an intact watershed. I came across five State Fish and Game workers wading in the Upper Truckee River with nets and electric shockers (Men in meadows.) They were shocking and removing non-native brook trout and replacing them with native cutthroat trout, in an effort to restore the area's ecological integrity. The project was successful, they told me. This all brought home to me the value of protected wilderness for sustaining healthy watersheds and fisheries.
The next day I reached beautiful, granite-rimmed Showers Lake, with lovely campsites sheltered by white pines, mountain hemlocks and lodgepole pines. I chatted with young people from two separate colleges out on backpack classes: an urban group, largely Black and Asian, from Contra Costa College in the East Bay; and a suburban-looking group from Sierra College, near Sacramento. How wonderful to go on a scenic backpack and get academic credit too! Both groups were led by science teachers so there was probably some natural history too in this ideal classroom.
Fall was in the air and splashes of color marked the change of season, like this red carpet of ground cover (Forest floor.) I rested in the sun underneath this stately mountain juniper as a cool breeze whistled past (Mountain juniper.) The PCT stairstepped down past granite cliffs towards a forested canyon. Around a bend suddenly Lake Tahoe came into view (Lake Tahoe.) In the vista the airport is in the mid-ground; the blocky casinos of South Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side appeared far away like tiny dice on the lakeshore.
In recent years trail activists have completed a route that encircles the lake, the popular "Tahoe Rim Trail." This section of the PCT joins the Tahoe Rim Trail (Sign) and stays with it through the upcoming Desolation Wilderness. As the trail approached the highway I reflected on the suitability of the Meiss Meadows area for wilderness; based on my hike across the area I agreed with the two CA senators that it should be designated. It would provide a key protected link for the PCT between the Mokelumne and Desolation Wildernesses. Most importantly, wilderness designation would preserve a popular area rich in watershed, wildlife, scenic and recreational values.
At Highway 50, the PCT arrived at the parking lot for Echo Summit. This parking lot doubles as a "Sno-Park," (Sign) where the State clears off the snow through the entire winter so folks can use this as a base for snowshoeing, crosscountry skiing and other snow play. Users pay $5 a day for the parking. Thus, this is a great year-round springboard for the PCT, either north or south. Trail magic also materialized quickly as I caught my first ride from a camper about to leave the parking lot.
Trail magic helped all through the day as I hitchiked around the west shore of Lake Tahoe to get back to my car at Donner Pass, the next road up on the PCT. My luckiest ride was the last with a fellow by the name of Bill Gurwell, on his way home from a gathering of long-distance hikers. What a companion! He had also hiked most of the PCT. He was kind enough to take me out of his way directly to my car. Here he is against the gorgeous backdrop of Donner Lake, just below Donner Pass. (Bill and Donner Lake.) He is so dedicated to quality, lightweight gear he makes his own tents and ponchos. E-mail him at bgurwell@hotmail.com or call at (509) 943-7374 and ask for his flyers.
On my way back to the Bay area I stopped for a stay at the charming town of Auburn in the Sierra foothills (Sign.) It started as a boom-town in the gold rush of the 1840's, as marked by this memorial near its center (Statue of Miner.) Auburn has kept intact its old downtown and courthouse and is much fun to explore on foot. Like so many towns in the Sierra Nevada it's also appealing due to its closeness to wild rivers, majestic scenery and rugged horse and hiking trails, including the PCT. The treasure in these hills is no longer the minerals or trees to be extracted but the wild beauty to be preserved.
My cousin, Tessie Fox, from Sacramento, was kind enough to drive me to the start at Ebbetts Pass (Peter Kirby at sign) at the crest of the narrow and winding Highway 4. (Surprisingly, this difficult pass was the first crossing of the Sierra Nevada by a white man -- Jedediah Smith in 1827.) As we parked we were entertained by the clanging of cowbells on nearby livestock grazing on the national forest, like a scene from "Heidi."
Tessie and I walked north on the PCT to an overlook of the area. To the south back across Ebbetts Pass were the peaks of the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, to be explored another day (Peter Kirby at the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness) to the north were the volcanic formations of the Mokelumne Wilderness, awaiting me (Peter Kirby and Mokelumne Wilderness.) Here are some photos of Tessie amidst the mountains around Ebbetts Pass: (Tessie and Tryon Peak) and (Tessie and Silver Peak.)
After thanking Tessie again for the long ride I headed off down the trail (Peter Kirby on the PCT.) Like in the past the first night out again on the PCT was a happy return home so to celebrate I set up camp at pretty Lake Sherrold underneath a towering volcanic plug (Lake Sherrold.) You may notice there is no blue sky in this picture, which I took the next morning. Ominously, grey storm clouds had arrived during the night.
It rained off and on during the day, as low fog rolled in and out through the valleys (Cloud on mountain.) Through the mist the landscape revealed bizarre volcanic shapes, inviting me to guess what they looked like: (Domed church); (Castle), and (Chimney.) Along the route I talked with three or four locals out deer hunting, who didn't seem to mind the cold and the wet. The unspoiled wilderness setting took me back in time; I fully expected to come on Jedediah Smith any moment!
Now miles inside the Mokelumne Wilderness (sign) I set up my tent on a high, forested ridge where I could watch the black clouds sweep in, with the incongruent sound of cowbells far below. That night was the most fierce storm of the whole PCT trip: there were sheets of rain, driving hail and thunder and lightening all around. At times the rain sounded like an approaching train; it would blast the tent and barrel on. It was exciting drama, with the happy ending that my gear performed wonderfully and I stayed dry and warm throughout the night. Here's the morning vista from the campsite with a dusting of snow on the peaks (Mountain post-storm.)
The next day eventually cleared and got warm. As I descended into the Blue Lakes country I got views back towards the high terrain where the storm had raged (Rocky ridge) and forward to the next mountain range (Distant peaks.) The Blue Lakes country is dotted with scenic ponds. My favorite was Lily Pond Lake, with its granite ledges (Lake 1) and tall fir forests (Lake II) reflecting on the black waters.
Amidst big trees in the Sierra Nevada hikers often notice a line on the tree trunks about ten to twenty feet up. Above it is an emerald-green growth called "wolf lichen;" below it is the brown tree trunk with no green growth (Tree trunk.) This line marks the depth of the snow. (The lichen does not damage the tree.)
There is a short section here where the PCT leaves the Mokelumne Wilderness and parallels the Blue Lakes road (and later re-enters the wilderness.) In this non-wilderness section, near Lost Lakes, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATV's) have been trespassing on the PCT and have converted the trail tread to a wide, littered and confusing track. I reported this to the Forest Service at Carson Pass and they promised to block motorized access to the PCT at this spot.
As the trail passed through the Blue Lakes country it offered peek-a-boo glimpses of Jeff Davis Peak through the trees (Volcanic plug.) Leaving the forest, the PCT made a steady, exposed ascent of a giant grassy ridge topped by "The Nipple." The peak kept me guessing; it didn't look like a nipple until I had hiked around it (The Nipple) but I imagine for those early trappers who named it even a suggestion was enough.
From the open slopes there were long views towards Round Top, in the middle of the photo, at over 10,000 feet one of the highest mountains in the area (Round Top.) Further, there were vistas down the canyon of Summit City Creek, with the standard U-shape of the valley from carved glacial action (Mountain valley.) Finally, the trail topped out at a saddle just below the massive bulk of Elephant's Back (Elephant's Back.) It had been a uphill but a thrilling trek along this open and long stretch of the Sierra crest.
My last night in the Mokelumne Wilderness was at scenic Frog Lake. After sunning awhile on smooth granite ledges I actually heated up enough to jump in and splash off the dirt and grime. In the soft light of the morning nearby mountains and lakeside trees reflected golden in the still waters (Frog Lake I) (Frog Lake II.) After a steep drop the PCT reached Carson Pass on Highway 88. At the parking lot there was a rustic information center staffed by two Forest Service volunteers. I signed the PCT register and reported on the condition of the trail.
This pass was first crossed by white explorers in 1844 -- IN THE WINTER -- led by mountain man Kit Carson. They ran out of food and ate what they could along the way, including their mules and dogs! The pass is also famous as the route of the legendary "Snowshoe" Thompson who carried mail across the Sierra Nevada year-round (Peter Kirby at Thompson monument.)
Climbing out of Carson Pass the PCT reached a lake on a grassy plateau with views back to Round Mountain (Pond and mountain.) I was now in the Meiss Meadows roadless area. The term, "roadless area," refers to a wild area that is eligible for wilderness due to its roadless and pristine character but has not been designated as wilderness by Congress. California has 4.2 million acres of these inventoried roadless areas on its twenty million acres of national forest. Our state's two senators -- Boxer and Feinstein -- have sponsored legislation that would preserve Meiss Meadows as wilderness but it has not been enacted yet.
As mentioned in an earlier journal, the Forest Service adopted a rule in the Clinton years that it would not build roads into roadless areas, thereby maintaining the wild character of almost sixty million acres of national forestland around the country. The public commented on the rule with support unprecedented in the history of action by any federal agency; literally millions of Americans wrote or testified in favor of the proposal.
Nonetheless, on May 5th of this year the Bush Administration -- in the person of Mark Rey, former lobbyist for the timber industry -- repealed the rule. The rule was replaced with a process that allows a Governor to petition the Forest Service to protect roadless area in their state, with no guarantee that the request will be honored. In California our Governor (despite his claim to be an environmentalist) has elected not to make such a request. Interestingly, our Attorney General (a Democrat) has joined a lawsuit with some other western states challenging the Bush repeal as illegal. Conservation groups, including The Wilderness Society, have also filed their own lawsuit. Stay tuned.
The PCT passes through a bowl of extensive, high-elevation meadows, after which the area is named (Meadows.) This includes the headwaters of the Upper Truckee River, an important water source for the clean Lake Tahoe (Forested meadow.) While here I also witnessed another benefit of an intact watershed. I came across five State Fish and Game workers wading in the Upper Truckee River with nets and electric shockers (Men in meadows.) They were shocking and removing non-native brook trout and replacing them with native cutthroat trout, in an effort to restore the area's ecological integrity. The project was successful, they told me. This all brought home to me the value of protected wilderness for sustaining healthy watersheds and fisheries.
The next day I reached beautiful, granite-rimmed Showers Lake, with lovely campsites sheltered by white pines, mountain hemlocks and lodgepole pines. I chatted with young people from two separate colleges out on backpack classes: an urban group, largely Black and Asian, from Contra Costa College in the East Bay; and a suburban-looking group from Sierra College, near Sacramento. How wonderful to go on a scenic backpack and get academic credit too! Both groups were led by science teachers so there was probably some natural history too in this ideal classroom.
Fall was in the air and splashes of color marked the change of season, like this red carpet of ground cover (Forest floor.) I rested in the sun underneath this stately mountain juniper as a cool breeze whistled past (Mountain juniper.) The PCT stairstepped down past granite cliffs towards a forested canyon. Around a bend suddenly Lake Tahoe came into view (Lake Tahoe.) In the vista the airport is in the mid-ground; the blocky casinos of South Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side appeared far away like tiny dice on the lakeshore.
In recent years trail activists have completed a route that encircles the lake, the popular "Tahoe Rim Trail." This section of the PCT joins the Tahoe Rim Trail (Sign) and stays with it through the upcoming Desolation Wilderness. As the trail approached the highway I reflected on the suitability of the Meiss Meadows area for wilderness; based on my hike across the area I agreed with the two CA senators that it should be designated. It would provide a key protected link for the PCT between the Mokelumne and Desolation Wildernesses. Most importantly, wilderness designation would preserve a popular area rich in watershed, wildlife, scenic and recreational values.
At Highway 50, the PCT arrived at the parking lot for Echo Summit. This parking lot doubles as a "Sno-Park," (Sign) where the State clears off the snow through the entire winter so folks can use this as a base for snowshoeing, crosscountry skiing and other snow play. Users pay $5 a day for the parking. Thus, this is a great year-round springboard for the PCT, either north or south. Trail magic also materialized quickly as I caught my first ride from a camper about to leave the parking lot.
Trail magic helped all through the day as I hitchiked around the west shore of Lake Tahoe to get back to my car at Donner Pass, the next road up on the PCT. My luckiest ride was the last with a fellow by the name of Bill Gurwell, on his way home from a gathering of long-distance hikers. What a companion! He had also hiked most of the PCT. He was kind enough to take me out of his way directly to my car. Here he is against the gorgeous backdrop of Donner Lake, just below Donner Pass. (Bill and Donner Lake.) He is so dedicated to quality, lightweight gear he makes his own tents and ponchos. E-mail him at bgurwell@hotmail.com or call at (509) 943-7374 and ask for his flyers.
On my way back to the Bay area I stopped for a stay at the charming town of Auburn in the Sierra foothills (Sign.) It started as a boom-town in the gold rush of the 1840's, as marked by this memorial near its center (Statue of Miner.) Auburn has kept intact its old downtown and courthouse and is much fun to explore on foot. Like so many towns in the Sierra Nevada it's also appealing due to its closeness to wild rivers, majestic scenery and rugged horse and hiking trails, including the PCT. The treasure in these hills is no longer the minerals or trees to be extracted but the wild beauty to be preserved.
posted by peterkirby at
5:44 PM
