Trip date: May 19-21, 2018 I had two back-to-back conferences in California on consecutive weeks (San Jose the first week and Lake Tahoe for the second week). At first I was a bit upset I would be gone for so long but when I realized I could sneak a trip to the northern Sierra's in between the two my outlook improved considerably. I only had three days for this trip and given the early season conditions, staying at lower elevations seemed smart. I settled on Desolation Wilderness area near the southern end of Lake Tahoe. I didn't really know what to expect snow-wise. I made a rough plan but I figured I would play it by ear once I got out there. Caltopo map here: caltopo.com/m/DJDP Day 1: TalusI started at the Echo Lake TH near South Lake Tahoe. From here it looked like snow would be minimal right? Right? Right after I hit the snow I noticed a big hill to my left and wondered what the views would be like at the top. This hill turned out to be called Keith's Dome. The original plan was just get a quick picture and return to the trail... Once I got up there I knew I was going to be following ridgeline after ridgeline. ![]() The whole day I got the feeling like I was walking on the moon. I'm not used to environments that are completely covered in rocks. I've never broken a stake by trying to pound it into the ground with a rock before. I guess there's a first time for everything. In the end, I just tied the guyline around a large rock; it worked pretty well. Day 2: SnowNext I'd pass over Mosquito Pass and eventually camp around Dicks Lake. Day 3: Scottish HighlandsThe next morning I woke up to heavy cloud cover and fog. Fortunately I had a GPS which would be helpful in navigating over Dicks Pass (which was now completely obscured--see photo below). I approve of the Sierras. I'll be back for sure.
2 Comments
David E.
6/8/2018 11:31:23 am
Truly an incredible trip. Exceptional photos especially day one with the sun and day 3 with the fog. From the satellite view I could see all the rocks and your patch of dirt. It was nice to see them up close. The rocks were really huge.
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Susan Kniebes
6/12/2018 01:45:11 pm
Looks like a very worthwhile trip! Take another look at that huge gray boulder that was cracked. It appears in the photo right before you "crossed the Rubicon" the 2nd time. Look on the right side of the boulder. Maybe I have too active of an imagination, but it looks kind of like a rock fellow leaning up against the flat part of the boulder. What do you think?
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