Ansel Adams Wilderness
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Gem Lake Ansel Adams Wilderness |
July 13, 2011
My sister Margaret is camping at June Lake with a women's hiking group based
in Carson City. I am staying with her for a couple of days in order to check
out some of the area's trails. The other six women, all well-educated
and mostly older than I, have welcomed me into their company.
So it's off to the Rush Creek Trailhead adjacent to the Silver Lake Pack Station. We are on the trail by 9 a.m. in perfect weather.
.
Plenty of flowers are in evidence right away.
Bruneau Mariposa Lily
Sulphur Flower Buckwheat
Woods' Rose
Mule's Ears
The creek is full
Beaked Penstemon
Mountain Pennyroyal
The trail parallels the highway for quite a ways as it ascends the hillside, in order to keep the route from being too steep.
Silver Lake
The trail is quite rough in places
Just after entering the Ansel Adams Wilderness, the group stops for a breather.
Judy, Margaret, Christy, Teri, Kathleen, Karen, and Gail
Ahead is a profile of Rush Creek Falls, which cannot be seen to full advantage. When viewed from the highway they are quite spectacular as they plunge over the cliff many hundreds of feet above, seemingly out of nowhere.
Rush Creek Falls
Another cascade above the trail
Compact Phacelia
Anderson Thistle
At one point the trail has been reinforced by some concrete work. Pawprints made while the mixture was still wet could be those of a dog, or something bigger.
A bear? Or mountain lion?
The creek is the trail
A lovely cascade tumbles down from the right. I venture a drink of water from this creek, perhaps imprudently.
Are there any mules up there?
Stopping to photograph the roses
Paintbrush
An unusual structure comes into view — a small set of tracks running all the way up the hillside. This tramway was used in the construction of the hydroelectric facilities above us, back in the early 1900s. Its rails, lifts, and cars were purchased from a defunct mine at Bodie. This first section of tramway, some 4,800 feet long, runs from Silver Lake up to Agnew Lake, with a rise in elevation of 1,250 feet.
The tracks look functional; I wonder whether they still are used
The trail switchbacks across the tracks a couple of times. Because I am not not liking the roughness of the trail anyway, I opt to try the inviting 'stairs'. This move gets me to the next crossing ahead of the others. It also leaves me more out of breath than the others.
Taking the stairs looks like fun
The climb was longer than expected
From here, the track ascends less steeply. All but the two laggards of
the group elect to join me in continuing up the built-in stairway.
With just a couple of rest stops, our initial goal is achieved.
The pack catches up
My idea catches on
Approaching the dam
Agnew Lake
The lake was named after Theodore C. Agnew, a miner who settled this area in 1877. He lived in Agnew Meadows, near Mammoth, and assisted the newly formed Yosemite National Park with environmental efforts, by preventing sheepherders from driving their stock through the nearby lands into the park. In 1895 Agnew received commendations from Captain Alexander Rogers, acting Superintendent of Yosemite, within a letter to the Secretary of the Interior.
Another tramway leads to the Gem Lake Dam ⇔
During the construction, materials brought up here by tram were transferred onto barges and floated across Agnew Lake to the start of the second tramway, which is 1,600 feet long with a climb of 560 feet.
Leaving the others below
Teri, the group leader and eldest member, is stopping here, having climbed
1,300 feet of fairly steep and rough trail. Few people her age could
have made it this far. Several others of the group elect to follow suit and
break for lunch.
My sister has forged ahead, however, toward Gem Lake. Despite a relatively exhausting outing yesterday in Yosemite's Tenaya Canyon, I will press on as well. Two others of the group follow me up the trail briefly, then change their minds.
The steep Clark Lake Trail crosses the talus slope below
Carson Peak, 10908' ⇔
It is windier up here as I approach a minor summit
Another hiker tells me that the upcoming view is wonderful, and that she
can't wait for me to see it. Suddenly the scene unfolds before me, and
the woman's assessment is accurate. It is quite beautiful here.
Only about one-fourth of the entire lake actually is in view, however.
Gem Lake, and Mount Lyell in the distance — Yosemite's
highest at 13120' ⇔
Margaret is down at lakeshore removing her boots, so I join her and do the same. Although the two blisters I developed yesterday have not been bothering me, it never hurts to give the old feet a break.
Rest stop
Colorful rocks meet prickly phlox
It's time to head back. We have ventured far enough for today.
A final look behind me
Agnew Lake is more than 500 feet below
Mountain Pride
Brewer's Monkeyflowers
Sierra Stonecrop is a personal favorite
An inviting pool on Rush Creek
The cascade disappears, then reappears
Whisker Brush
Chaparral Nightshade
Back at the Agnew Lake Dam, we find that the others already have departed. Margaret and I opt to take the stairs down, at least to the next trail crossing.
The dam is only one foot thick at the top
These steps are easily the best way to go
At the big cascade, we run into the rest of the gang. These women move right along, however. I find that it is all I can do to keep up and stop for photos as well.
Interesting rocks
The cascade is beautiful
A look back at the trail and the tramway. ⇔
Mountain Aster
Aspen Onion
This unusual hole in a tree trunk was unnoticed on the way up
A maze in the meadow
The trailhead comes into view
A reappearance of the aspen grove signals that the end is near.
§: What a rewarding outing! Great company, great scenery,
and a bit of history. To incur a true wilderness experience, however,
one would need to hike beyond the hydroelectric facilities, toward Thousand
Island Lake and the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails.
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| Solitude |  |
