Hoover Wilderness
|
Conness Lakes Hoover Wilderness |
August 18, 2014
This is the day that I finally get to share one of my favorite places in the High Sierra. Even though I have written up this walk previously, I expect to come up with sufficient new material to be interesting.
Having driven up from the Bishop area with friends Gary and Sharon, we arrive
at the Saddlebag Lake Marina just in time to board the 9:30 taxi.
The next one would not have departed for another 45 minutes, and I might
have felt compelled to eat some hot cakes or something.
The $10 boat ride saves three miles of uninspiring walking
Our primary destination is off the standard basin loop trail. I opt to guide my companions beyond the normal cutoff point so that we can visit a few extra ponds. Gary the Photographer should like that.
Bypassing the traditional route beside Greenstone Lake
Leaving the trail here for a 600-foot climb
The ponds are waiting
Gary's big camera already is busy
Approaching the landmark waterfall
Those two guys are faster than we are
Below is the trail we could have taken
At the lip of the hanging valley
Five minutes' more walking gets us to Conness Lake #1.
Its turquoise color is a sure indicator of glacial flour suspended in the water.
Appraising the scene, Gary quips, "Is this the best you can do, Ted?"
Actually, I think we can do better; but first, there is the matter of
choosing whether to scramble up a steep 20-foot rock or detour around
it. Both Sharon and Gary have no problem with the challenge. This
is commendable; for the last time I was here, I watched a pair of much younger
men opt for the bunny route.
What remains of the Conness Glacier is right up there underneath
Mount Conness, 12590'
Lake #2
The reddish color is iron oxide in the earth
Now the three of us must negotiate a small talus pile; but our reward is
a slope of soft, green grass next to a lovely cascade. This is a
good-feeling place.
Entering Heidi-land
Sharon is anxious to forge ahead and see what's next
Without the glacier, there would be virtually no water here
This is why I go hiking
Ahead is a hundred-foot climb up a talus slope. At the end, we are scrambling right up the creek itself; but the going is relatively easy on many flat boulders.
This section would be more exciting if it were full of rushing water
There's an interesting cascade behind Lake #3 ⇔
It is suggested that a lunch break might be in order here, but to that end I implore the others to scale the big granite mound beside us to a more scenic vantage point. My companions trustingly comply, and they are not disappointed.
Gary dubs this "The best lunch stop ever", which makes my day
The easiest way off the rock bypasses tiny Lake #4 en route to the next tarn.
Lake #5
Lobb's Wild Buckwheat — the only flowers I would shoot today
I know that in order to view the remaining lake, it is necessary to climb yet another hill; so we do that.
Lake #6 hangs above Greenstone and Saddlebag
Now, a short walk directly toward the cliff begets what could well be the most
stunning viewpoint in the basin: North Peak overlooking Conness Lake #2:
Scenery doesn't come much better than this ⇔
Directly below is our path out of here — a chute heading right down to the basin floor. Some careful footing is in order, but the going is not difficult.
Sharon makes short work of the exit ramp
Finding a place to cross the water, we head up and over the hill on the far
side, into the next basin. To the north, diamond-shaped Excelsior
Mountain and its neighbor dominate the skyline.
"Rainbow Mountain" ⇔
Because the others had explored some of this particular area just a couple of weeks ago, we will not repeat it today.
A use trail that I had not found previously seems to be heading right down to the main loop trail; so we take it, and it does.
Steelhead Lake
Gary has developed a sizable blister due to a pre-existing condition.
With some time remaining, however, he is game for yet another off-trail
venture; so we head straight across the main pathway and up a grassy hillside.
Unnamed pond
Dikes can be most photogenic
My only remaining GPS batteries have inexplicably died, so I am guessing a bit now. After climbing somewhat more than was necessary, we finally can descend to the next objective:
Z Lake
Refilling the water bottles
This photo doesn't do justice to the colors
Now it remains only to continue eastward down to the other side of the loop trail. From here that is easily done.
One cannot take too many photos of Mount Dana, 13061'
Gary has spotted the trail, so there's no stopping him now
In fact, I would see only Gary's back for the remainder of the trek. He must be anxious to get home and nurse his foot.
Uniquely hued Hummingbird Lake is a world unto itself
I can see the boat taxi in the distance, but it is heading the other way.
It appears that we have some extra time after all — nearly half an
hour. Many folk already are waiting at the dock; yet it doesn't matter, because
we are guaranteed seats on the incoming 3:15 ferry. Then it's off to
Mammoth Lakes for some happy-hour mai tais. Gary's foot can wait
a bit longer.
Nearing the end of a wonderful outing
§: Well, I finally got a chance to share one of my Top-10
hikes when it wasn't snowbound. Earlier in the season, I might have
given it a top rating; flowers and green grasses do count for a lot with me.
This drought is a bitch.
My companions were most appreciative of the guide service, and for me it was so nice to walk with people who can take care of themselves and don't need to be coddled. Babysitting inexperienced or relatively unfit hikers has its rewards, but only in moderation.
In retrospect, since we did have some time to spare, I would like to have paused a bit to explore the environs of Hummingbird Lake. There always is next time, though; for I still have plenty of unfinished business in the superlative Twenty Lakes Basin.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Adventure | |
| Solitude | |
