Hoover Wilderness
|
Conness Lakes Hoover Wilderness |
September 23, 2012
Two years ago I started out on this hike with my sister (Hike #96), but was stymied by inclement weather. Last year, friend David and I were able to access only the first of the Conness Lakes due to excessive snowpack (Hike #129). Today, there will be no such issues.
The route starts beside Greenstone Lake
You can read about this area on
(Hike #180)
The water flow could be greater, but the fall is pretty nice anyway
The well-used trail is easy to track. Just to the right of the falls is an unexpectedly tricky section. Perhaps an easier choice is available, but I am okay with this one.
This semi-tough spot might have been avoidable
Entering the Conness Lakes Basin predictably takes my breath away:
Lake #1 and Mount Conness, 12589'
Gee, I already have gotten my money's worth in terms of scenery, and this loop is just getting started.
Looking back at Lake #2
Opting for the trail on the north side of the lakes, it suddenly
dead-ends at a big granite outcropping. I could detour
up and around the problem area, I suppose, but scrambling directly up
the slab doesn't look too bad either; so I do that. The only
issue is to avoid slipping on a couple of key footholds.
Climbing straight up works for me (the passage on the
right does not work at all)
One lake is but a foot higher than the other
After scaling this big rock, it is necessary to go right back down in
order to continue. Doing that is a bit problematical, because the
scenery is so drop-dead gorgeous that there are tears in my eyes.
This is why I go hiking
Three lakes are hidden from view back there, but not for long.
Where there is a glacier, there is running water
Circling around to the right of the nice cascade, it is necessary to scramble through a boulder field where that water is flowing. This little patch provides unexpectedly pleasant hopping from one big flat stone to another.
This is exciting
The talus are friendly here
Lake #3
On the hillside behind the lake is a relatively uncommon sight —
that of a cascade emerging from underneath the scree.
Amazing
Above Lake #3 is a big rocky slope, above which is yet another lake.
I really should make that 500-foot effort, but the prevailing
strong breeze is not encouraging me. I resolve to do that next time.
Below are the first hikers I have seen in the basin today
Following that couple around to the left, I encounter the next watery attractions:
Lakes #4 and #5
A nifty passage up to better views
The top of this big slab provides one of the finest panoramas I ever have seen. By walking around up here, I can view all the area I have just visited, as well as most of the Conness Glacier.
Lake #3 reprise
No one seems to be challenging the summit at this time
Lake #4 below the glacier
For my "Unusual Trees" collection
From here it would be a virtual stroll back to the basin proper; but I must scale the next hill, because there is more to see.
Lake #5 reprise
A very tan gentleman with some white in his beard approaches me. Admitting to being somewhat lost, he wants to climb Mount Conness, but has been given conflicting instructions. When I tell him about the popular approach from the Sawmill Campground, he decides to ascend the nearby ridge to have a look around, because it "isn't far".
Well, far or not, that plan involves several hundred feet of difficult scrambling. Although I admire the man's dedication and envy his stamina, I don't know whether this venture will work out for him today, and I don't know whether to call him Iron Man or Crazy Man. At the very least, he qualifies as Unprepared Man.
Discombobulated Man will check out the other side of the mountain
Below me is the final lake on the basin loop.
From left to right: Lake #1, Saddlebag Lake, Lake #6
Right in front of me, however, is a stunning view of North Peak and Lake #2.
Words fail me
A quarter-mile away on the far side of that lake, an interesting drama is unfolding. Two male hikers are approaching the rock where I opted to brave a scramble up the slab:
Between the lakes
Approaching Obstacle Rock
"Ill check it out"
"Nope. Let's go around"
While those guys pursue their quest for safe passage, I hunt for a way down off this perch. Presently, a convenient conduit appears.
A natural stairway
Secret Lake is over there at left-center, but I'm not
quite high enough to see it
Meanwhile, the two men are finding their detour more complicated than had been thought.
"We have to go around this one, too"
"You're almost there"
Hey, they made it without incident, and that's what counts. But what now? The day is young. There is plenty of time to head over and revisit more of the Twenty Lakes.
Crossing between #1 and #2
Whoa! What's this? A thoughtful note in a waterproof baggie explains the contraption as an ongoing survey of the area's permafrost. The black thingies on the post are temperature sensors, and there are more of them on the other side. As snow accumulates here, temperatures are recorded at different depths, providing key data for the study.
Your tax dollars at work
As I leave one river drainage for another, a couple of parting shots are in order:
Farewell to the Conness Lakes
Below the visible snow pack is a rock glacier —
frozen snow underneath the dirt
As the next scene unfolds, I must pause to wipe my eyes once again.
Excelsior Peak overlooks Cascade Lake, Steelhead Lake, and others
Off to the east is the alternate personality of Twenty Lakes Basin with its less alpine, more arid look and feel.
Unnamed pond and the Tioga Crest
North Peak sports a private glacier
Over that ridge is Upper McCabe Lake in Yosemite, the stuff of a future hike
A convenient waterfront passage over Potter Lake
At lakeshore I discover something that blows me away. A sprig of
white mountain heather is blooming just as if it were mid-June. This
early-season plant normally withers away to a brownish-orange
by now, like the others in the photograph. John Muir would be especially
pleased, as this was his favorite flower.
White Mountain Heather
Mountain Laurel
The main trail is close at hand now. I will head over there and consider my options.
It's a bit of a scramble from here
Steelhead Lake
Fifty minutes remain before the next boat taxi arrives. With time enough
for a little exploration, I branch out across the shale toward Z Lake.
Another no-name pond
Z Lake
Because time is beginning to run short now, I head straight back toward the trail.
Everyone is heading for the 2:45 boat
My reservation actually is for the 3:45 taxi, but I should have no trouble catching an earlier ride. In fact, I am the first one to reach the dock, just as the boat rounds the corner in the distance.
Saddlebag Lake and Mount Dana
Awaiting departure
I seem to have finished the walk just in time, because some weather is moving in.
There might be a little rain later
§: Today I said hello to thirteen lakes on my tenth different access
to the Hoover Wilderness. Every time I visit the Twenty Lakes Basin,
I depart with a renewed respect for the wonders of nature. In particular,
life doesn't get much better than during a tour of the Conness Lakes.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Adventure |  |
| Solitude | |
Dear Readers,
I hope that you never weary of my effusive praise of the Tioga Pass area and
Yosemite high-country; for in my opinion the combination of unbeatable
scenery, moderate elevations, super climate, and great accessibility make this
the 'sweet spot' of the Sierra Nevada. As far as I am concerned, a finer
hiking complex does not exist, and I feel utterly privileged to live nearby.
