Grouse Lakes Area, Tahoe NF
|
The Hunt for Loney Lake Grouse Lakes Area, Tahoe NF |
July 12, 2022
Just below the Grouse Ridge Campground is a compact basin containing about twenty lakes of various sizes. The area's main trails bypass the basin completely, and I never have explored any of it.
Today's primary goal, however, is to see whether there is a reasonable access down to Loney Lake, which lies well below the others. Although it seems to have a spectactular setting, including two creeks cascading into it, there is no established trail to the lake at is walled off by cliffs on three sides.
Sanford Lake is nearly 500 feet below
It already is quite warm out, but that's how it is around here nowadays.
This will be a down-then-up venture
Sierra Buttes in the distant skyline
There is but one trail into the basin, leading to the biggest lake.
I have not used this spur previously
This is a very long 3/10 of a mile
Approaching the lake
Downey Lake — #1
(Purdy's) Penstemon
Although the going is expected to be possibly tortuous from here, there should be some social trails to help me out. Right away, I find one of those heading southward; and within ten minutes I reach the next attraction.
Nice campsite at Lake #2
Whoa! What's that over in the corner of the camp?
One of the strangest anomalies I have encountered on a trail
That display is too unique to disturb, so I'll leave the little "game" for the next visitors.
Lake #2
Pressing on around the left of the lake, another ten minutes of scrambling beget a calm pond.
Nice reflection
My GPS is giving me some confusing pointers here, so I re-calibrate it and get back 'on track'. Ascending a talus slope reveals another watery entity just to the east.
Lake #3 is over there
Shortly beyond this point is a virtual dead-end at the rim of a deep canyon. I scramble up and down and around some, finally finding a spot that provides a good view southward.
Lakes #4 and #5 are way down there
Leichtlin's Mariposa Lilies are all over the place today
Jockeying for an even better viewpoint fails to improve the scene much.
Finally, I figure it out — I am looking right at Loney Lake! Or rather, a portion of it.
Loney Lake, #4, is the near one; Lake #5 is just beyond it
It looks as if there there might be no safe passage down there at all; in any case, I am disinclined to find out for several reasons. Little to no water is flowing in the two creeks feeding the lake, it is becoming even hotter out, and I am somewhat run down from my recent bout with Covid-19.
Even descending to the near bench might provide a view of the entirety of Loney Lake, but I'll save that for another time when I can share it. It is time to head back, and for the moment there is no option but to retrace my steps.
Back at the pond
Back at Lake #2
The King's Smooth Sandwort is quite small
Back at Downey Lake
Shasta Buckwheat
There is another nearby lake just above here, and it even lies in the direction of the
trailhead; so up the hill I go.
The going is steep, but not difficult
This alternate route is strewn with lilies
Thin Lobed Owl's Clover
Lunch time at Lake #6
This is the prettiest lake of the bunch, including the nice cliff on the far side
From here, there is yet another option to take in yet another previously unseen lake and continue over to Sanford Lake, and without significant extra mileage; yet I am just weary enough to opt for the mere 400 feet of remaining hot climb back to the trail and the car.
Still some climbing to do
§: Well, that was fun, and I guess I learned what I wanted to know —
that there is no good access to Loney Lake from Grouse Ridge. A better viewpoint
might be available from the high point south and east of the two lakes; getting over there
would be a challenge as well.
Judging from today's views, Loney Lake might be inaccessible from the south without
getting wet; perhaps that's why there is no trail! I do intend to venture up
Granite Creek from Interstate-80 next season, however, and see what happens.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality | |
| Adventure |  |
| Flowers | |
