Photo Friday: Into the Mountains

I don't seem to be doing too well at blog posts just now--I don't have any books to review (I don't do a lot of thoughtful reading while hiking and traveling, and I've been sick and/or busy since getting home), so I guess I'm down to my weekly photo posts! 

I'm making good progress through the pictures from my back-to-back trips into California's Sierra Nevada mountains, so we'll start today with the backpacking trip into the Desolation Wilderness. 

I drove down to CA the last week of August, to collect my daughter and a friend for a 3-night backpack into the Desolation Wilderness (west of Lake Tahoe). This would be the friend's first backpacking trip. I'm referring to the girls as K and L, to preserve their privacy.

 We started from the Twin Lakes TH at Wrights Lake a bit after noon, having waited out a rainstorm that actually ended as forecast.

Inlet stream for Wrights Lake

We meandered along the flats for a time, then climbed rather quickly to the granite slabs so characteristic of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

K and L enjoy a snack break. Despite the lingering clouds, it wasn't cold.

Most of the afternoon was a matter of a gradual climb to Rockbound Pass, through a variety of landscapes.

Around Maud Lake.

Contemplating the final climb (to the left-hand low point).

K on the final approach.

Finally reached the top--some 1700' of climbing from the trailhead--and were happy to see Doris Lake not at all far below.

We'd received a tip about camping near the outlet, so we'd be heading to the far side of the lake.

Home, sweet home.

 
At the end of the afternoon, though it remained chilly, the clouds cleared just enough for a nice bit of sunset. We hiked about 6 miles (and those 1700+ feet up) after lunch.

In the morning we had an even better sunrise, though again with clouds. As is my wont, I rose early to see what kind of sunrise photography I could manage.

Golden morning light through breaks in the clouds.

I had planned a very easy route through the north end of the Wilderness, but K & L really wanted to see Lake Aloha, which is undeniably the scenic hotspot for the area. We thus devised a plan I truly cannot recommend (especially with a first-time backpacker), which involved an off-trail traverse on our third day. So we headed out and down (and back up) to Aloha. 

Leaving the lake. The post in the middle of the picture is our trail junction. It didn't look like too many people took our route--the trail was in places overgrown and not much worn.

We dropped about a thousand feet, then started walking up the Rubicon Trail (along the Rubicon River, which wasn't running very much) through what I think of as the benign Sierra--forest and open meadows, at about 7500', gradually climbing towards 8400' Mosquito Pass.

As usual, the last bit of the climb to the pass got steeper, though the trail was very well graded and not difficult.

Back among the granite.

The climb also afforded us a chance to consider our planned route, which looked good from this side.

We would traverse from the left skyline across to the low points on the right. That part worked out even better than it looked.

Pretty Clyde Lake tucked in below the pass.

Mosquito Pass. There weren't any--one reason I like to backpack in August and September!

Looking back to the north from the pass.

Once over the pass, we dropped a short distance to Lake Aloha. There was a brisk wind blowing, so we went hunting a sheltered camp--and found one.

Aloha Lake. Water levels were very low, making it even more a tangle of inlets and peninsulas than usual!

Tucked in between the rocks and the trees. The wind went over the top and left us in peace, mostly.

We took a little walk around to the eastern edge of the lake to see what we could see, and the wind nearly blew us away! After that, back to camp and enjoy the scenery from our sheltered spot! 

During the day the clouds had cleared completely, so sunset was more a line on the horizon and a general color in the air. 

 As a special treat, we had a moonrise! Full moon, so not great stargazing.

 This day was a bit over 5 miles with packs, and another 1 3/4 for our explorations after making camp. 

As this post is getting long and I'm already late posting, I'll leave us here! Come back next week to see how the rest of the trip went (and for lots of pictures of sunrise and morning light over the lake).

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 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2026 

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