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Second Lunch spot
Picture from Frank |
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| Morning Meadow beyond turnoff to Summit Lake |
Six of us parked on the Castle Valley stub road and cross-countried over to the PCT behind the I-80 rest stop. From there we left the PTC at the Warren Lake Trail. We were doing the same hike around the two peaks that we had done last year except in reverse. We hiked up to the pass below Frog Lake overlook and down into the bowl that is home to Warren, Paradise, and Devil's Oven Lakes, stopping for lunch before the steeper descent. Crossing quite a few streams at the bottom, we were thankful we didn't have to cross wherever it was that they converged as we could hear roaring water down the valley. Flowers, green bushes, and bird sound were abundant in the valley. After several wet crossings, we headed steeply up the other side and along the edge of the cirque under Castle, and then Basin Peaks. There were quite a few slippery snow-bank areas and no evidence of any hikers the whole time we were in the cirque. Snow footprints, if there were any, had disappeared. Finding where the trail emerged from the snow was sometimes tricky. At one point the water was running with such force out of the snow bank, that we decided to try John's new mini water filter and re-fill our water supplies. A couple of people didn't bother with the filter as we figured just why it would have giardia in the first place. The snow bank was high on the mountain and probably pretty pristine.
We stopped for a second lunch at the overlook on the other side of the cirque where we ate lunch last year. The view of the valley was magically stunning with its twisted trees, lakes, and surrounding rocky outcroppings under the higher peaks. Heading back through the heather, we lost the trail completely and divided into two groups - one headed for the trail coming off of Basin, and the other headed down to the PCT. We met up again a short while later where the two converged.
Once on the PCT, we started meeting thru hikers. They seem pretty plentiful and we figured that in a few weeks we would be seeing a huge amount of them. They are largely quite young, although we did meet an older fellow. Most were solo hikers and appeared to have more equipment than the ones we met last week. Peter Grubb Hut is re-opened and looks great. Inside were two more hikers.
We saw quite a few flowers in high elevation boggy areas which I mis-identified as Camas Lilies. They were Sierra Lewisia or Bitterroot. We saw Skyrocket, Stickseed, Wallflower, Shooting Star, Mule's Ears, Lupines, etc.
We had hiked about 12 miles with about a 2400 ft. elevation gain.
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| Bitterroot |
Wednesday hiking day, we drove up to Packer Pass to hike the PCT back to the campground. We had reckoned the hike would be about 11 miles with a large elevation drop. But it was 12.5 miles in searing heat on a sun-exposed steep and sliding slope down to switch backs in a shaded forest. We crossed highway 49, went on to see Love Falls, and headed back to camp. That part of the hike should have been lopped off by parking a car at 49 where the PCT crosses it. By the time we arrived back at camp and gone back to fetch the car on Packer Pass, we were so bushed that one of us looked at her avocado, thought it too hard to cut up, and fell asleep for the night. The rest of us quickly showered, ate a little something, and sacked out. That trail was beautiful when we could look up from the treacherous footing. Even the shale we had to walk on was beautiful in its color and its musical notes - orangey browns, green brush, an occasional tree, and black Sierra Buttes rising above us at all times.
The next day we decided to take it easier. When we discovered we could still walk, we climbed up a beautiful access trail to the PCT from the campground, and headed south. The hike was through beautiful wooded areas with occasional views to the Buttes. At one bridge over Haypress Creek were purple CA Milkweed, Pussy Paws, and a yellow flower on which butterflies were feasting. A lovely sight. We hiked to Milton Creek and had lunch on rocks in the stream by the bridge. Later that day we drove up to Big Spring Garden and were the only ones there besides a bevy of gardeners putting out flats of Cosmos. We walked around and took in the Giverny feel. If you have $3,500,000, you can buy it.
Six of the 8:30 group decided to explore arriving at Penner by an alternate route. We parked at Carr-Feeley, hiked up to Island Lake, but then went cross country toward Fall Creek Mountain, passing Hidden Lake. We went over the shoulder of Fall Creek Mountain and followed the ridge all the way to Penner. The new views of familiar peaks and lakes. There are lots of very small lakes sprinkled along this route. The going can get pretty rough as you rock-hop and slide or bushwhack through Manzanita. Up and down we trekked through rock gardens of gorgeous warm-colored rocks with wildflowers (mostly Phlox, Penstemon, Pussy Paws, and Mountain Jewelflower blooming around us. 
Seven of us braved the road up to the back door and to our surprise, the road turned out to be better than last year. Even though we were early the phlox were in full bloom. The lush green meadows of corn lilies were not yet ready to bloom. The catfish still inhabited Salmon Lake and Bufflehead Ducks in habited Loch Leven. We hiked about 7 miles with about a 1K elevation gain. 
Next week the 8:30 group might camp at Wild Plum and hike Wednesday some where up by Gold Lakes. 
