Ansel Adams Wilderness
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Parker Lake Ansel Adams Wilderness |
July 14, 2011
Yesterday's hike up Rush Creek with seven women will be a bit difficult to top; but I must do something on my way home from June Lakes, where I have been hanging out with my sister Margaret the Camper.
The road to the trailhead
At 9 a.m., the temperature is a perfect 55°. Margaret's two little dogs
will accompany us today, on a two-for-one leash.
Wilderness boundary
Almost immediately, both of us begin photographing a lot of flowers; for they are all over the place.
Buckwheat and Paintbrush
Sticky Cinquefoil
Spreading Phlox
Mule's Ears
After a moderate climb for the first half-mile, the route levels out as it passes through thickets and groves.
Into the black forest
Encountering flowers in an arid environment somehow is more satisfying than finding them elsewhere. If I stop to shoot them all, however, I'll never finish this walk.
Royal Penstemon
Yarrow
Aspen grove
Each of us has stopped for so many photo-ops that the dogs have nothing left to contribute to the sagebrush.
Spreading Daisy
Western Blue Flag Iris
Almost before we know it, we have arrived at the lake, where a few mosquitoes force us to apply some repellent.
Parker Lake
Parker Creek Cascade and Kuna Peak, 13008'
The northern shore
The best feature of this cirque is the distant cascade, which the camera brings into perspective only at maximum zoom.
This cascade is visible from US-395 northbound ⇔
Margaret and her mutts
Heading back, we follow a usage trail beside the creek, discovering new flower types along the way.
White Twincrest Onion
Crimson Columbine
Alpine Aster
Red-seeded Dandelion
The creek is both unkempt and orderly
Not everyone honors the purity of the wilderness, as is evidenced by the poor aspen tree that has the misfortune of being located right next to the trail.
The eastward views are awe-inspiring, because the ever-interesting Mono Lake dominates the landscape.
The oldest lake in North America
Some of Margaret's women's group had indicated that they would be hiking here today. Here come a couple of them now; and after a greeting, there they go.
The two women press on
About ten minutes later, we run into another pair from the women's hiking group. They had originally intended to walk around Grant Lake, but we are not surprised that that plan was abandoned. Only a fisher could love Grant Lake, which is not the least bit scenic.
More of the group appear
The older dog has decided to call it quits, so Margaret must carry it. She is accustomed to that, however; and we haven't far to go anyway.
Negit and Pahoa Islands are both in view
More flowers see us to the end of our journey.
Leichtlin's Mariposa Lily
Bruneau Mariposa Lily
As we approach the trailhead, the Mono Craters loom across the valley.
There is a move to rename them as Mono Domes, even though some of the
twenty-seven formations in the chain are, in fact, craters. Go figure.
End of the line
§: This trail exemplifies why I make so many summer pilgrimages
to the Eastern Sierra. Although it might not sound like mom's prize
recipe to the uninitiated, the combination of sage, aspens, and pines is
powerful medicine. Add in a couple dozen flower varieties, a babbling
brook, a pretty lake, and a beautiful cascade, and mom would be
hard-pressed to top this one.
Or perhaps I am just biased, having incurred my formative years in the
shadow of these mountains — among the sage, and the aspens,
and the pines. In any case, I'm still thinking about how good it felt
on this trail today.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Flowers | |
| Solitude | |
