Category: alpine

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

In 2008 I linked to John Fedac’s Tahoe Rim trip report:

… Hands down the best TRT leg is the 35 miles between Barker Pass to Echo Lake in the Desolation Wilderness over Dicks Pass. (With a side trip to summit Mt Tallac for its unparalleled Tahoe view) …

This summer I finally got the chance to walk a couple of days out of Tahoe myself.

Desolation Wilderness is a 63,690-acre (257.7 km2) federally protected wilderness area located along the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, just southwest of Lake Tahoe …

… a popular backpacking destination, with much barren rocky terrain at the edge of the tree line: it has extensive areas of bare granite. …

Fedak and I dropped my vehicle at the Echo Lakes Trailhead. Then he drove me to pay for my overnight Wilderness Permit.

Finally, after some consideration of how much time I had, he recommended I start at Bayview trailhead.

The weather was terrific, so, the day I was there, everyone was scrambling Dick’s Peak as a side trip.

I left a Summit Stone.

The view was terrific. But I spent most of my time trying to capture photos of the dozens of butterflies blown up top.

I camped that night at Gilmore Lake campground for easy access to Mt Tallac. The lake is only 1400ft (427m) below the summit.

I sprinted that ascent, in any case, early next morning … pursued by hordes of mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are bad here. At some lakes. Some times. I got a bit unlucky. These were the first mosquitoes I’ve ever seen during many hiking trips in California.

Fedak had warned me. So I had a head net.

The highlight of my trip was the section passing Lake Aloha, a stunning glacier carved granite basin.

Here’s Pyramid Peak, the highest point in Desolation.

I finished here at Echo Lakes Trailhead.

A superb day hike is catching the boat. Romping around Aloha. And returning same day, either catching the boat back to your vehicle … Or walking the last bit, time and energy allowing.

See the rest of my photos from this 2 day hike.

Thanks John Fedak. 🙂

Check his annotated photo trip reports at Fedak.net.

Lovin’ it.

The trailhead is out of Big Pine, California, in the eastern Sierras.

Starting at high elevation, you have many good choices of Big Pine Canyon Trails including South Fork Trail, Baker Creek Trail, North Fork Trail to Palisade Glacier.

But I chose to do a lollypop loop of the Lakes.

First, Second, Third, Fourth. With a short detour up to Fifth Lake.

Then looped back via Black Lake, the prettiest section of all.

That was at least 10mi. At least 3000ft of elevation gain.

This area is very popular with fishermen. Rock climbers. And overnight (permit required) backpackers. It’s a bit long for day hikers.

Dudes ride this trail.

Lesson learned = try to get off the trail downhill. Otherwise the beasts fear you may fall down on top of them.

Look for the cabin originally built by actor Lon Chaney. 🙂

The best web page I found on the trip is posted by American S.W.

If it’s scorching hot in the valley, this is a good choice, the trail surprisingly shaded for a hike so high up.

Recommended. No permit nor fee required for day hikers.

see more of my photos from this day hike