It’s not pure silence i long for; just the silencing of the ever present ‘schedule’ we experience in our every day lives. Darrin was all set up. We sat on the back porch sipping on some Corona’s with lime and caught up. The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, USA. We hit the trail by 10:15.  The rest of the hike was a downhill descent to our camp at Piute Lake.  “And this mountain doesn’t look as bad as the last one.”.  In about 40 minutes we were standing on its shoreline. Tonight 21 Dec Lake Isabella.  He made his way over to me and began negotiations; “So if we make it to Piute Meadows how far is that?” he asked. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. This section of the trail was such a delight to walk along that i think i smiled the entire way.  The nearest access to this lake is over 11 miles away; a thought that lingers in the back of your mind as you explore the back country. Frank and I had been talking about making a backpacking trip happen for years, and now of all times on such short notice I cannot believe it happened even though we’ve gone and returned already. Box 3403 Sonora, CA 95370, All content property of Aspen Meadow Pack Station, Site created and maintained by Big Sand Designs, LLC.  Days we didn’t have; but days i would love to have. From the Crabtree trailhead, one option is a 14-mile hike to Camp Lake, Piute Meadow and Grouse Lake. Some are wide, classic mountain lakes while others are quiet, little gems hidden away in the forest. The fish was amazing, and the two he caught were more than we could eat that night even after our long day of hiking. The fires last September squashed our original plans of hiking the Thousand Island Lake loop, so I spent hours trying to find a last minute, ... Lily Pad Lake Piute Lake Our camp at Gem Lake. I could see that Darrin was staring at him as well, a look of confusion on his face.  But again, we pushed on. 06/27/2009 - Emigrant Wilderness - Leopold Lake Where do I start with this trip? The lake is nearly 2 miles long with good camping on either end. by jaypliny. As I entered his office it was wall to wall gear. Frank continued his conversation with himself; “But I can call them and reschedule. It was a moment of silence and solitude. Sitting on the shores of Long Lake, 8,700′ above sea level, it was still early. “Alright!” Darrin said cheering his pops on. “I’ll be happy if I get to bed by midnight tonight!”. Good productivity, but no spawning areas. After helping him get it cleaned up i asked him; “So did you get a nap in your hammock today?”, “No!” he replied.   I think he had gotten used to the elevation, his pack was much lighter, and it is of course an easier hike out, though we still had a few climbs to conquer. Emigrant Lake was much larger than any of the lakes I visited the day before. As we distributed the weight, we found cans of V8 in his pack. Frank was limping badly at this point. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. After our bellies were full and we were all nice and hydrated, the question was posed; “What do you think dad? If we get as far as Piute Lake (8 mi, timed 4 to 5 hours by different pace hikers), we should be still on track to reach Huckleberry next day. Franks tendency to bring more than he needs can be quite hysterical. I tried to get him to tell his clients he’d be there when he pleased and they’d just have to deal – but he felt that was not the most professional approach.  a little more than a mile and we’ll be at the lake. An Unlikely Trip Has a fair population of rainbows 8 to 14 inches.  It was kind of a quiet morning – but Frank hadn’t slept well since his mattress had gone flat. Piute Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness. Spent the last night at Fremont Lake in a howling gale, with the ... 60 mile, solo circuit ... mostly on the PCT southbound, with a plan of returning to the same trailhead from Upper Piute … Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head; “Hey Frank, wanna go backpacking?” I asked him. “After 12” he said in a groggy voice. Our six-day on- and off-trail journey to remote lakes of the Emigrant Wilderness traverses a glacially sculpted landscape with broad granite expanses, rushing mountain streams and deep canyons. -Wood Lake. Alpenglow above Camp at Piute Lake. Frank always talks about laying around in his hammock.  “Think he’ll nap in his hammock?” i asked back. Gem Lake was a gorgeous spot with tons of good spot to camp. Small, alpine, glacial, granitoid lake with turf strips around most of the lake margins. My goal is to make it there in one afternoon and spend the entire next day just exploring the lakes. ( Log Out /  The Hike: Piute Lake (Emigrant Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains) Trailhead: Crabtree (In and out with lollipop loop) Duration: 3 days 2 nights. Length: 16 miles (13 additional miles for the day hike) These two were very energetic, but well behaved. -Lower Buck Lake Darrin, Frank and i went item by item through his three packs and removed the unnecessary items. The Buck Lakes are amazing. One Day, Eight Lakes  I figured we’d just wait and see how he felt after we stopped for a bit and re-energized with some food. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from April until October.  The first time we went car camping with him and Linda, we went for three days. We returned to my driveway to pick up the gear that had fallen out – and by 6:00 AM sharp we were officially on the way. This is a popular trailhead in the Emigrant Wilderness, offering a straight shot into the heart country and passing by a maximum number of lakes. 45 to 51 at 8000 feet. He had gotten off of work and stopped in just to say hello.  The only noise was the water as it lightly lapped from time to time against it’s granite shore, and the birds as they sang their favorite songs. Frank, though, was still working on his. ... High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. I contacted a couple people who I knew could do the hike without a problem. I was expecting there to be people around but there was no one.  Let’s do it again. Emigrant Wilderness is in Stanislaus National Forest, North of Yosemite.  “For my Bloody marys!”  he responded. Gem Lake was a relatively popular destination and we could only assume that the pack was stolen by a large animal looking for food the previous summer. He could have been as late as he wanted – I was just jazzed to be going at all – and impressed by his dedication. The Wire Lake Trail leaves the Relief Valley Trail at a signpost that is only 0.1 miles west of the Long Lake Trail. We stopped for a few on the shores of the lake and filled up on water. Day 8: (Letoro Lake to Piute Lake) Leaving Letoro Lake, we climb up to Wood Lake, then down Buck Meadow Creek to a trail heading north to Gem Lake, where we will stop for lunch. Fair camping sites, ample firewood, limited stock feed. Has a fair population of rainbows 8 to 14 inches. In the fall of 1852, the Clark-Skidmore party was the first emigrant group to travel the West Walker From the south, the wilderness is accessible from Cherry Lake, along the border with Yosemite National Park. He started thinking aloud between sips of beer as he looked up at the leaves of the trees in my backyard; “Oh man I have clients lined up.” he said. Frank was quick to drop his pack and jump in. By 9:00 PM we were in Russian River telling Chyanne of our many adventures, enjoying beer and pizza, and most of all, the fellowship. Not an easy trek by any means, but it’s splendor is sure to offset the difficulty. Truth be told, during this spring and summer my pack has been ready to go on a three day trip at a moments notice. Trailhead: Crabtree (In and out with lollipop loop)  I don’t even remember or fly or mosquito pestering my skin or buzzing my ears. Other than stopping to take some pictures, we moved on.  Yet again in less than a mile we had another lake to visit; Deer Lake. -Upper Buck Lake 3-day spectacular Emigrant Wilderness backpacking loop. Other Hikers Encountered: many – but just in passing. Frank was getting tired though. Change ), Emigrant Wilderness/ Crabtree Trailhead(6.29.15). 3 days, 2 nights.  In a last minute effort before returning to full time work this summer, I felt it necessary to squeeze in one more backpacking trip. As we carried west along the trail it appeared to be more of a river than a lake. However, more often than not the challenge of backpacking isn’t the trail itself, the challenge is getting to the trailhead at all, especially if it’s a midweek trip. It is an elongated area that extends northeast about 25 miles (40 km) in length and up to 15 miles (24 km) in width. Gem Lake Loop, Emigrant Wilderness.  We dropped down into Lily Creek not too long after the lake. Sleep System: my favorite set up – Hennessy Hammock w/ Big Agnes Air Core Pad (very slightly filled for insulation) in the sleeve of Chy’s Big Agnes Encampment 15 bag  It was a great night. I could see he was limping, but he was still spry as ever. 17.6 He had organized everything, filled every possible water container with clean water, and caught fresh dinner. “This upcoming Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.” I explained. Emigrant Lake - Key Facts. ( Log Out /  Wednesday, May 27th. Difficulty – Intermediate to Strenuous Best Time – Summer through Fall Special Conditions – High water in creeks, mosquitoes in early summer, popular. Once we got down to the meadows and sat by Piute Creek, we had some good snacks.  As we sat on the shore of the lake we watched the clouds pass, either as we looked up at them or at their reflection in the lake. As we hiked toward the inlet of Jewelry Lake we were impressed by the inlet streams and meadows. After some more easy hiking, we arrived at what became one of our favorite lakes of the trip; Deer Lake. Sunny. “HEY GUYS!” he exclaimed as he walked over and gave us hugs. Leading Bubo and Dakota in front of the pack. “Are you sure you should go with your foot like that?” i asked him. After 15 minutes or so we were on our way again.  The rowdy crowd definitely took away from the otherwise wonderful lake scene. “Long time no see!”. ~14 miles. The lake is nearly 2 miles long with good camping on either end. “Probably!” he said with a half laugh. backpacks, day packs, sleeping bags and mattresses, enough knives to start a small knife shop, antique ropes, egg holders of all sizes and from different points in history, pots and pans, hammocks, a fishing tackle box large enough to hold one of each piece of tackle from Fishing World Warehouse, three fishing poles, and that was all just one wall!  I’ll devise a way. There were MANY people here. Emigrant Gap, Blue Canyon Nyack Airport, CA; Highest Pressure 1029.8 hPa Pagosa Springs, ... Today 21 Dec Lake Isabella. I hopped into the passenger seat and we were off. ... Piute Meadow, Grouse Lake, and Pine Valley. It was also filled with mosquitoes, enough that our stay in this little canyon didn’t last long. After a good hearty laugh together, and a few sighs of relief, we hit the trail at about noon.  It wouldn’t take more than an hour and a half to get back.  As we started the climb out, we were greeted to the wilderness by two marmots.  “These are so heavy!”, Frank laughed. Emigrant Wilderness, located south of Hwy.  Here on this lake during this day; there was no schedule. “I dunno.” i responded. Some of the stairways were more like cobblestone paths. I stopped in at his place Friday to see his gear, as he had text to inform me he pulled all of his backpacking stuff out of the garage. Launching Rockets on the Playa. “No way man.” i said in agreement with Darrin. We agreed that rendezvousing at 4:30 AM was the best plan, so Chy and I headed home.  We were surrounded by sprawling granite cliff formations in the distance, and gorgeous forest and patches of lush grass and wildflowers.  I could say nothing about this as i had six lbs of beer in my own pack. This is … The more we climbed the more vast the scenery became. After a month of unemployment i was able to find a good job. I explained my idea about Smith and Morris lake and we agreed that it would be too much to do as Frank has only backpacked a couple of times in his life in the past – each one a learning experience in pack weight. So the story goes – the difficulty is always getting to the trailhead. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account.  About 13 miles and 1100′ gain for the day in 7 hours – counting a stop at each lake. The Emigrant is most easily accessible from Hwy 108, with many visitors entering from the popular nearby Pinecrest Lake or Kennedy Meadows.  I pulled out my traditional Salami and Cheese, thinking it was luxurious. Eventually we completed a lollipop loop that put us back at Gem lake.  And if he needed to stop at the meadows so be it. “I had 4:30 on my brain when I went to bed so I set my alarm for 4:30 instead of 3:30!”, “What time did you make it to bed?” I asked. The Crabtree Trailhead I was not expecting much for wildflowers on this trip, but from what i saw in the parking lot there would be many.  At least 15 if not more. Tentative d The Department of Fish and Game estimates that 42 lakes in this basin have rainbows, 28 have brookies, 6 have goldens, 2 have rainbows and brookies and 1 … -Gem Lake I really enjoyed reading this and seeing the pictures.  I was intrigued by the endless granite landscape that sprawled out in all directions. A beautiful trail that crosses Piute Lake, Piute Meadow, Lily Lake, and Camp Lake along rolling terrain with a nice final section into the Crabtree Trailhead on the western edge of Emigrant Wilderness. Fortunately, however, this is not the end of the story, It’s just the beginning.  Darrin and i shouted in victory as we picked our campsite. Sure enough at 5:30 AM Frank and Darrin showed up. So I had all but given up on the trip.  Darrin pulled out smoked oysters – also luxurious and delicious.  I took about 5 lbs, and Derrin took about the same if not more, maybe closer to 10. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Fair camping sites, ample firewood, limited stock feed.  I think that despite his most sincere efforts, his pack ended up being about 50 lbs – much of which was food.  8 miles and a 1600′ climb – limping the whole way. We had been moving rather quickly at this point for about 4 miles. As soon as I get home from a trip the clothes are washed and repacked, fuel restocked, and food resupplied. Good productivity, but no spawning areas. ... Day 1: Camp Lake, Piute Lake, Gem Lake, Jewelry Lake, Deer Lake, Buck Lakes.  If the ever increasing beauty of this wilderness was any indication of what the rest of the hike would be like, i was ready to see it. Enjoy a layover day to relax or explore the expansive panoramas and pristine lakes (including a rare Sierra lake with a wide sandy beach), each with its own unique beauty. The trail offers a multitude of breathers from climbing, and even we stopped running from mosquitoes long enough to enjoy the views at Camp Lake and a Marmot at Piute Lake.  Our camp was quiet and glorious. We started talk of making it back to town for some Russian River brew and pizza to celebrate our survival. If that was the end of the story, I’d be happy.  Much nicer than the overcast day we had on our hike in. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account.  We headed eastward on the trail and cut north cross country to Long Lake.  It didn’t solve Franks foot pain, but seemed to help some. The trailhead doubles as a camp where those heading into the Emigrant Wilderness can spend the night before beginning their trek.  With life being so busy if you don’t make it happen, it simply doesn’t happen. Ben could not make it.  It was filled with lush greenery and flowers.  Frank made all the bloody marys he had left, Darrin made sure we all had our share of his whiskey, and the both of them helped me finish my beer.  Darrin had no objections, so we headed back down the cross country route we had just climbed up, and continued east on the trail toward Buck Lakes. There is a wealth of lakes spread out among the 100,000 acre of this pristine wilderness.  We again sat on the shore and soaked up the splendor that saturated the landscape around us. ( Log Out /  He held the fish up for us – it was a beauty! Pack Weight Pre-Beer: 28 LBS From short overnight fast-packing getaways to a week-long trek with a loaded pack, the 113,000-acre Emigrant Wilderness may not be as popular as Yosemite, but it is definitely worth the trip. I will never forget how Frank limped for 8 miles in pain just to sit down on a log and, rather than complain or express even the slightest bit of negativity, simply say in all sincerity; Thank you all for making the trip happen. It took me all of fifteen minutes to prep for the trip once I got home Friday evening from Russian River. Contains rainbows and brookies, some in trophy size. We're going to drive up Friday AM to the Crabtree Trailhead. As we were getting our packs ready i noticed that Frank had three packs ready to go. Emigrant Wilderness is located between Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas. When we left at 9pm he had added his sleeping mattress… and nothing else. But he wanted to go again as he had learned from a few mistakes.  Even now i am not sure how he made it. No need to register, buy now! We got to the lake at about 7pm.  “I brought vodka and celery too.”. We all laughed. Darrin explained that he had just gotten back from his first backpacking trip, and that it could have gone better. -Deer Lake Fri, Jul 14, 2017, 7:00 AM: July 13:The 3 people going decided yesterday we would change this trip back to Emigrant Wilderness. 17.6  He was ecstatic! The fact he made it at all was a testimate to how badly he wanted to go, and how loyal he is to making his ‘yes’ mean ‘yes’. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. “That doesn’t make any sense at all.” i said. The following morning at 4:30 AM I was standing alone in my driveway; both myself and my pack ready to go. All in agreement, we settled up and headed in our own directions to prepare for the journey. I was up and out of my hammock by 8am sharp and boiling water for my coffee. I was pushing for Gem lake as our day one destination, but Frank talked me down to Piute lake – 8 miles from the trailhead rather than 9.5. Relieved of a little weight, Frank was ready to move on to ever higher ground.  For those three days Frank had the shell of his long-bed truck packed from bed to ceiling! When I left he had the goal of keeping his pack at 45 lbs – a big improvement from the last time he attempted backpacking when he packed a whopping 75 lbs! As Frank topped the last hill, I saw that he was using a walking stick – but using it more like a crutch. The Trail to Deer Lake Wildflowers, Panoramic Views, Tranquil Lakes. A beautiful trail that crosses Piute Lake, Piute Meadow, Lily Lake, and Camp Lake along rolling terrain with a nice final section into the Crabtree Trailhead on the western edge of Emigrant Wilderness. onuruno.e 2 years, 7 months ago onuruno.e 2 years, 7 months ago Emigrant loop. Once on it again, we followed the trail through a swampy areas to the east of the lake and discovered a great campsite a little north of the lake. We were armed and ready to go with 4 maps, 3 compasses and a GPS. The backpacking community on YouTube has helped me so much, and I thought it would be good to give back by making a video of the Emigrant Wilderness.  Darrin and i slept great but i was groggy from sleeping in until 8am…  i never sleep that late. Sunday night, the night before we were supposed to leave town at 4:30 AM, I stopped in to see how Frank’s and Darrin’s preparation was progressing. I thought to myself “Great, Franks not going to make it either.” But Franks outlook on clients turned out to be vastly different than Ben’s. By 5:15 AM Linda text me back: “Frank is like Armageddon.” she wrote in her text. “Let’s just make it there and take a rest before making any decisions.” I said. ~10 miles. “Your clients will be ok?” I asked in shock. 3 days, 2 nights. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. “What are these for?” Darrin asked.  We weren’t ready to head back to camp yet; it was only four/ four and a half miles away and all downhill. My camp above Piute Lake had a 360 degree view of the sky and scenery. Mailing Address:P.O. When we arrived at 8pm his pack was still empty.  So we walked out on some rock outcroppings on the western shore of Deer Lake and sat as we soaked-in our surroundings.  “Not happening.  There was a full camouflage tarp, an assortment of jackets and coats, a seventeen gallon water container, a five pound bag of rope, and more that i cannot remember. “I think so.” Frank continued, “I’m pretty sure backpacking will be the best thing for it.” and laughed. Aspen Meadow Pack Station operates in the Stanislaus National Forest and Emigrant Wilderness under permit from theU.S. Deer Lake rests deep in the Emigrant Wilderness amidst dozens of other lakes, each one as scenic and inviting as the next. I got the map out and looked at a 8 mile round trip that would get us to Gem Lake, Jewelry Lake, Deer Lake, and the southern edge of Long Lake via an off trail route, after which we would return the way we came. 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