Ted's Hiking World Noble Lake
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

July 2, 2014

This interesting trailhead does double duty on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Hikers have a choice of wilderness areas — one on each side of the highway.  Having already done the northwest section, I will head southeast today.  The topo sheet shows that the trail to Noble Lake has been almost totally re-routed from its original location, probably because it was too steep by PCT standards (10% maximum gradient).

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Getting started

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The trail is quite mellow, so far

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This wash was created by a spring

The trail is leading persistently downhill, which of course means that there will be a lot of climbing on the return.  Oh, well.

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Silver Peak, 10772'
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Random lava formation

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Spectacular Peak 10082 in the distance is deserving of a name

I chat briefly with a passing backpacker, who volunteers that up in the 'orange' rocks the going is quite slippery.  I can hardly wait.

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There are plenty of flowers around today

Entering a verdant little canyon, I spot someone across the way sporting an umbrella.  At least he/she won't be getting a sunburn.

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Can you spot the hiker's umbrella?

At the creek the hiker is filling a water bottle.  Gee, that sure looks like a dress the person is wearing; so I presume that its occupant is a woman.  After delivering my second warning that the trail ahead is very slippery, she moves on.  I never do see her face.

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The watering hole

Taking this opportunity to refill my own water bottle, I'll not be running short of the precious fluid today, as I did three days ago over at Lakes Basin.

In the next canyon is another spring-fed creek with more water than the others.  Spotting something interesting upstream, I elect to postpone a closer look at it.

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I'll be back

My GPS says that I am but four-tenths of a mile from Noble Lake.  From here the trail begins to meander every which direction in typical PCT style.  After at least half a mile of roundabout going, I am no closer than before.  Then the trail starts uphill for real.

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Not that way...
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...this way

This is the slippery section that the others were talking about.  There is indeed a lot of loose gruss on the trail, and a bit of cliff-hugging is in order as well.

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Careful footing is in order here

Finally, my destination appears.  The lake has that less-than-photogenic olive-green cast that results from having a grassy bottom.

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Noble Lake and Tryon Peak, 9970'

Even though nothing else of particular interest may be immediately evident at a new location, it never hurts to do a little exploring.  In this case, there is a nice photo-op from the far end of the lake:

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An unexpected trilogy

I wander off the trail a bit to find a shady place to munch some gorp and contemplate my existence.  It is about as hot as expected, and the car is more than four miles away; but my convalescing arm is not bothering me a bit, and my legs feel fine.  Life is good.

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Looking north from my picnic spot

Now it is time to pay even closer attention to the trail surface as I slip and slide down the switchbacks.  Along the way a trio of women asks whether there are any cows at the lake, and they are pleased to learn that none are in evidence today.

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The dreaded 'orange section' cannot be avoided

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There is but a trickle from Noble Lake

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Sulfur-flower Buckwheat
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Noble Canyon Trail junction

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Lava land

I am back at the little waterfall, and it was worth the wait.  A hundred yards upstream, the afternoon sun now is highlighting a much nicer falls that was lost in the shade earlier.  Accessing that spot would involve just a minor effort, but I still am not up for any hands-on scrambling.

I do hate being so incapacitated; failing to get up-close and personal with the nicest spot on the trek just isn't right.

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Beautiful

The uphill slog continues unabated, seemingly forever; but music from my Walkman does mitigate the tedium.  Near the end I spot the only snowplant around today, and I can see the big flag atop Ebbetts Peak.

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Snowplant
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Ebbetts Peak, 9160'


§: I am glad that I finally did this walk.  Ebbetts Pass is nearly a 3-hour drive from home, so I don't venture up here much.  This up-and-down affair to a so-so destination is best done in earlier season, such as now, before the running water goes away.  In the heat of mid-summer, one could do much better elsewhere.

Scenery *
Difficulty *
Personality *
Solitude *

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