Carson-Iceberg Wilderness
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Sonora Pass PCT North Carson-Iceberg Wilderness |
August 10, 2016
Yesterday's unforgettable foray up to Kearsarge Pass will be a tough act to follow, but I must do something on my way home. After all these years I have yet to log a hike in the Sonora Pass area; this is the day.
Lots of Old-West history here ⇔
The Pacific Crest Trailhead is very nice, with picnic tables, a clean restroom, and shady places to park. I set out to the north, having no particular destination in mind. It crosses my mind that I might be able to scale the peak; but I believe that the best choice for that is from the Saint Mary's Pass Trail just to the west of here.
Sonora Peak, 11460'
Immediately I notice the trailside flowers. This route isn't going to be as bland as it might have been this far into the summer season.
Slendertube Skyrockets
Lemmon's Goldflower, I surmise
A solo woman backpacker has started out just ahead of me. Every time I stop for a photo, the distance between us increases.
She is on a mission
I should be visiting those rocks soon
Presently the woman stops to rest and adjust her heavy equipment. We exchange greetings, then I press on. Before long, though, she passes me for good while I am on my knees communing with the local flora.
Interesting rocks everywhere
On the ridge-top to my left, a woman is walking with a shovel to nowhere in particular. Hmmm.
There's no trail where she is
I spot a group lounging up the way. Perhaps they can shed some light on the shoveler's activity.
The solo woman says hello to those others, then moves on
The group proves to be a fivesome of trail maintenance workers The uniformed Forest Service leader is talking about local foxes. I mention the recent sighting of a red fox in Yosemite, which species had not been seen in the park for a hundred years. The ranger says that there are quite a few of them around now.
They are headed "a couple of miles farther" up the trail for the night
Interesting formations ahead
The Dardanelles rise in the smoky distance
Pennyroyal
Ragwort
Sulfur-flower Buckwheat
Heading for the big rock pile
Miss Backpacker already has arrived
Flowers line the trail
Sierra Bog Orchids
The reason for much of the greenery
It's not much, but it's beautiful
Looking back down the trail
Beside the rock pile
Almost immediately, the woman trail worker catches up to me. I tell her, "You walk fast". She replies, "It's my profession". Then she remarks that the next mile of trail is her favorite, it being scenic and mellow.
Two workers are ahead of me now
A couple of tiny patches of snow
Approaching a mini-pass
At the high point, the two workers have paused to rest. I stop as well.
"How much does your pack weigh?" "A lot, but it's mostly the food."
From here, there are some nice views in every direction:
White Mountain to the north
The Sweetwater Range in the east
Tower Peak and the Hoover Wilderness to the south
Sonora Peak is up there west of me
I can make out Highway-108 in the distance
Despite all the excitement incurred thus far, I have walked but two and a half miles. Thinking (incorrectly) that there would be little more to see by continuing northward, I start back.
The big rocks await me again
Presently I encounter the other two young workers. The woman is carrying a long metal bar, which is used for breaking rocks. I ask her what it weighs; she says about ten pounds. I heft it myself, concluding that ten pounds might be something of an underestimate.
I can just make out a sliver of the highway down there
Back at the rock pile, the ranger leader is resting some more;
so I chat with him some more. When he comments that the others
are so much stronger, and that he is triple their age, I respond that he
doesn't look so old. He says, "Yes, I'm 58". Of course,
I cannot resist retorting that I am 74, or quadruple their age!
Elk Thistle
Rose Thistle
Back at the creek, I spend some extra time with nature's gifts.
Monkeyflowers line the waterway
Paintbrush
Lupine
Ranger's Buttons
Sierra Penstemon
Rockfringe
Mariposa Lily
From here it's just a matter of getting down the hill.
The Mule Ears won't last much longer
I don't see the highway
A final look back
Still no sign of the road
One more little hill to climb
I meet just two other hikers on the trail. Finally:
I see a red car
Back on the road, I am treated to this spectacle:
You figure it out
§: This walk proved more enjoyable than had been
anticipated. The nice floral display and all the interesting
interaction with the trail workers added to the enjoyment.
I did screw up, though. A fairly short traverse beyond my stopping point would have provided a nice view of Wolf Creek Lake below the trail. In any case, three other hikes up here remain on my bucket list.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Flowers |  |
| Solitude | |
