Ted's Hiking World Round Top Lake Loop
Mokelumne Wilderness

July 6, 2018

You guys were good sports today.  For my money, this was one of the best walks ever.

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Getting started

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Hamming it up

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On the Pacific Crest Trail, for a while *
Bypassing Frog Lake, for now

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Nice tree

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Garden #1 and Caples Lake

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Nice mountain

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Nice hat!

Until it blows away.

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This is more like it

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Approaching Winnemucca Lake

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Garden #2 is under there somewhere

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The problematical crossing

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Round Top, 10381'

The mountain actually does look round when viewed from the east.

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The task ahead

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Water, water everywhere

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I think I can, I think I can

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Woolly Sunflower & Alpine Aster *
Indian Paintbrush & Sierra Penstemon

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The Lineup

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Approaching Round Top Lake

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Pyramid Peak is 15 miles away

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Not another one!

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A nice lunch spot

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Spreading Phlox *
Silky Lupine

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Round Top Lake, 9365'

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The only beach

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Trying for the summit    ⇔

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Lake Tahoe is 18 miles distant

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Hawkins Peak is only 10 miles from here

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Returning from the overlook

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Hiker on Round Top Summit

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The only Sierra Primrose I saw today *
Crimson Columbine

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Back on the dreaded logs

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Red Mountain Heather

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Cosmetic interlude

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Garden of Eden

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Waterfall across the way

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Tarn #1

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Starting up the Jumbles

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Tarn #2 is back there

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"Why are you making us do this?"

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Continuation of Garden #3

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Just a few more boulders

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The hard work is finished

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Slendertube Skyrocket

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"Well, we survived that, Master.  Now what?"

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"'It's a cakewalk from here', he says"

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Perhaps we should try Elephants Back next time

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Busy burrowers

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Garden #4 — Lanceleaf Stonecrop mostly

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Also known as Spearleaf Stonecrop or Narrow-petaled Stonecrop

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Not many hikers venture over here, because they don't know

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Frog Lake

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This is why I go hiking

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Garden #5 — Stonecrop, Phlox, and Buckwheat

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Mountain Phlox *
Royal Penstemon

The closest online match I could find for that penstemon was, oddly enough, a photograph of my own taken nearby; so it's gotta be true.

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Mule's Ears *
Mountain Pride

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My app says 'Wavyleaf Paintbrush', but this one is different

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Starting down the officially abandoned original trail

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"Are you sure this is right?  We don't want to get 'lost' again"

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"Mumble, grumble"

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Now they're happy

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You can see the Woods Lake – Round Top Lake – Winnemucca Lake loop on the map; let's try that sometime.

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