Ted's Hiking World Smith Lake
East Humboldt Range, Nevada

July 31, 2012

I have embarked upon an unprecedented 18-day, 7-state hiking tour.  Day #1 consisted of a drive from Sacramento to Wells, Nevada, with a stop in Reno to visit my oldest sister.

Day #2 is not starting out well.  Ironically, my car battery seems to have died in this town which is half-dead itself.  Being right in front of my motel, however, it is most fortunate that this calamity has occurred in a relatively friendly location.

The battery terminal is quite dirty, but it also is eight years old; so after getting a jump-start from AAA, I opt to purchase a new battery at the local hardware store.  After installing it myself, my ostensibly repaired transportation is directed up the hill toward Angel Lake.

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The road to the trailhead

Angel Lake is a relative jewel in the desert, but only if one doesn't look at the ugly bare concrete dam that holds it in place.  That eyesore is eliminated by taking photographs from atop the offending structure.

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Angel Lake

Just below the campground, the Greys Lake trail begins by winding northward up the hillside away from the lake.  It already is pretty hot in the blazing sun, but the destination is not that far away.

At a trail junction I encounter a sign for Smith Lake, which is unexpected, because according to my research no official shortcut trail exists.  This addition to the system must be a fairly recent development.

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Getting started
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I'll go thataway

Online writers have suggested that the only existing real trail required hikers to circle around past Greys Lake, which would involve a lot of extra mileage.  They write about shortcutting up next to the fence that I can see to my left.  Now I won't have to worry about hunting and scrambling my way up the slope ahead.

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The trail becomes steeper
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Just ahead is a rough and even steeper section

The rough stuff doesn't last long; just over the top is the lake.

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Smith Lake

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Another jewel in the desert

Although virtually no water is flowing from the outlet now, there still are plenty of flowers around.

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Pink Geranium
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Rydberg's Penstemon

A hiker couple that I had passed earlier has arrived at the lake.  Being a romantic sort, I will leave the pair alone to enjoy these pristine surroundings.

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Starting back

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Fireweed

It being pretty hazy out there, the town where I began the day is barely visible.

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Overlooking Wells, Nevada

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Looking southeast
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Father and son backpackers

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Silky Aster
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Buckwheat

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Approaching Angel Lake

I made it before the sun ate me alive!  Now it remains to drive across the Salt Lake Desert and the Wasatch Mountains before day's end.

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Hiding among the paintbrush


§: Well, I did the obligatory hike in the eastern Ruby Mountains.  Albeit a pleasant walk, it was a bit too hot today.

Scenery *
Difficulty *
Personality *
Flowers *
Solitude *

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