Ted's Hiking World Loch Leven Lakes
Tahoe National Forest

August 2, 2022

In retrospect, I could have planned this outing rather better.  Thanks for making it so enjoyable despite the difficulties.  Also, I shot a lot more flowers than were anticipated.

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Getting started with Agnes, Eileen, Lori, and Nola

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Fireweed

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Unnamed pond

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Salmon Lake overview

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Great Western Paintbrush *
Aged Newberry's Penstemon

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Lots of dikes

Granite is magma that formed under the earth's surface, then hardened.  Cracks formed and later were filled by a lava flow that invariably was a lighter color.

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Mountain Pride *
Glaucous Checkerbloom

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Fringed False Hellebore

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Lower Loch Leven Lake

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Middle Loch Leven Lake

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The next photo exemplifies what I have been trying to say about 'atristic' cairns.  Would you rather see a beautiful lakeside scene, or something with a man-made pile of rocks in the middle?

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Cairns play an important role in route-finding; but this one serves only as an irritation

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Camper at Middle Lake

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Lunch time

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Aged Red Mountain Heather *
Bladder-senna

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Baby White Aster

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Does that spell "rIP", and if so, why?

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Heading for the high lake

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The exquisite Penstemon are this season's show-stoppers

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Unnamed pond in front of the Middle Lake

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High Loch Leven Lake

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Finding a way around the bog

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Alpine Lily *
Prickly Phlox

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Starting the rigorous cross-country segment

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This is as far as we get

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A shortcut back to the main trail

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What a sad state of affairs

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Lemmon's Catchfly *
Sierra Stonecrop

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Mount Rose Buckwheat *
Pennyroyal

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Back at Middle Loch Leven

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Nice pattern

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That was our lunch spot

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Tough trail segment

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The gang is all here at Lower Loch Leven

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The ones who opted not to swim

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The diminutive Bridges' Gilia also merit some attention

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Cushion Buckwheat *
Another Checkerbloom

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More Penstemon

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My companions are out of sight — a common occurrence

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Mountain Phacelia *
Pussy Paws

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Climbing Groundsel *
Yellow Bush Lupine

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It's pruning time

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More Hellebore *
Woolly Sunbonnet

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The Meadow Sweet normally are deep pink *
Sierra Willow

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A nifty reflection in the big pond

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There must be a better way

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Nearing the end

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Fireweed

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There still would have been plenty of work to do (dotted red line)

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