The bedrock geology of Yosemite National Park consists almost entirely of granitic rocks. Climb the ancient dome for amazing Hill Country views. The moon was a couple of days off full and I got up pre-drawn to watch the light change and sun rise over the lakes. However, Middle Lewis Lake is perhaps the most dramatic with towering granite cliffs surrounding its shores like an amphitheater. . Camped overnight at Deer Lake mosquitos swarmed us at night and in the morning. We were able to reach the summit with no worse than some minor scrambling. Unexpected as we had forecasts that showed clear and warming. After the ~ 9000' section, which was covered in snow, we descended into mosquitoville. Once you reach the exposed granite of Lembert Dome, there is no trail, so follow the easiest path up to catch panoramic views of Tuolumne Meadows and the surrounding mountain range. From the top of the saddle, veer south and aim for the second saddle with a similarly gradual route in the middle. It also didnt help that I had turned my ankle on trail run in and was relegated to walking (carefully) the rest of the outing. The Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site and the Sauer-Beckmann living history farm are nearby. Highly recommend. Its a quick and flat walk and passes a smaller unnamed lake on the way. Kibbie Lake Trail. 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. I had the entire set of lakes all to myself. - second day ~12 mi, camp at sheep camp In fact, granitic rocks are generally classified by their mineral proportions and given names such as granite, granodiorite, tonalite, and diorite. Have fun out there and stay safe! Climb the ancient dome for amazing Hill Country views. Looking east we see the volcanic summits of Leavitt Peak, Relief Peak, Molo Mountain and Grizzly Peak. It is a tough 2 day hike, especially in winter when the day ends at 5pm. We ascended beautiful granite slabs into the Lewis Creek Basin with clumps of pine trees and waterfall cascades. January average low: 36 degrees. The primary objective in route finding on this terrain is to avoid steeper sections of granite that can become cliffs. The route leaves the Huckleberry Trail just above the fork between Summit Creek and Lewis Lakes Creek. Its geologic makeup offers a fantastic look into what life was like millions upon millions of years ago. Granite Dome is the signature peak in the Emigrant Wilderness, with fantastic views north to the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, east to the Hoover Wilderness (Sawtooth Ridge), and south to Yosemite including, on a clear day, Cathedral Peak and the Cathedral Range. It gets better the deeper you go. For decades, the region has attracted geologists, archeologists, and other natural scientists. Many national parks were founded for their geology, and Yosemite is known throughout the world for its exceptional high cliffs and rounded domes. We ended up circling the west side of the lake to rejoin the trailhead at the north side where the dam connects. Below that are Long, Coolidge Meadow and Wilson Meadow lakes. A large amalgamation of plutons is called a batholith. Once we got to the top of the rocks we headed left/east to a very gradual section to reach the ridge. Lower Relief Valley is a large meadow, encircled by granite. Eventually you will have to head south across the creek and follow the drainage up to Lower Lewis Lake. I couldnt see any people and it didnt look like a SAR helicopter. This beautiful large granite and glass structure is located on a granite dome that is the highest point . The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. To the south you can see far into the distance, across Emigrant Wilderness and towards the peaks in Yosemite, Long Lake with its little islands is prominent in the valley below. Coming from the east side the easiest (and perhaps only non-technical) route comes directly from Ridge Lake. The trail proceeds slightly above and to the north of Summit Creek. Exfoliating granite is a granite undergoing exfoliation, or onion skin weathering (desquamation).The external delaminated layers of granite are gradually produced by the cyclic variations of temperature at the surface of the rock in a process also called spalling. We were bouldering, scrambling, slipping, etc, and it was very scary at moments. After grabbing lunch I left the trail and skirted around to the creek on the opposite side. It is a remote location. we didn't go to the top of granite dome. Visitors to the park, from hikers to rock climbers, experience a landscape dominated by granite. You can walk up it, no climbing Trailhead Coordinates: 38 19'08.46"N 11939'49.26"W Elev 8897ftThe trail is kind of tricky to find. The lakes are set amid granite cliffs that afford stunning vistas of the pristine lakes from above. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. But there's more at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area than just the dome. We hiked toward Buck Lake and ran into not only mosquitos but a May Fly hatch along the west end of Emmigrant Lake. Plutons are usually named after a famous landmark that is dominantly made of that rock (examples include the Half Dome Granodiorite and the El Capitan Granite). We didn't see anyone at Ridge Lake and ran into 4 people on our way to Granite Dome so felt like we had the place to ourselves. There also some nice greenery directly between it and the saddleback that youd pass back through as well if you went that route (Ill upload a screenshot with some markups to photos). Granite dominates the geology of Yosemite National Park. Between 2011 and 2013, a team of geologists completed the first geologic map of this sheer face. Stay to the right on Lake Dorothy Road, and pass the Granite Creek Connector trailhead 0.7 miles later, on your right. There are seven intrusive suites in Yosemite National Park. To the north you can see the lakes directly below the ridge and further down to Relief Reservoir. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. The landscape of Yosemite National Park is a product of its unique geology, resulting from glacial erosion of the underlying granite. Please bring your own drinking water, as it is in short supply due to the ongoing drought. Horseback pack trip to Emmigrant Lake from Kennedy Meadows. The Lower and Upper Relief Valleys are beautiful alpine valleys cut by Relief Creek in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness and are an excellent alternative to Yosemite National Park if you're looking for solitude and no crowds. Rock climbers must check in at park headquarters. Middle Lewis is an incredible lake that sees little traffic and is a true Sierra gem with top notch scenery. Length 11.7 miElevation gain 2,493 ftRoute type Loop. There are roughly 35 individually defined plutons in the Yosemite area. Peaceful lake and wilderness surroundings. The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada.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. On the hike out I stopped at Relief Reservoir for lunch and there was a helicopter landed down near the reservoir. The view westward is of Burst Rock, Cooper Peak, Three Chimneys, East Flange Rock and the Dardinelles. Since trails are covered with snow, tried to find the trail. Completely upgraded with wood shutters throughout. Click the thumbnails to enlarge. Granite Dome is the signature peak in the Emigrant . Visit our Volunteer pageto learn more. Kennedy Meadows also operates a pack (horse) station. Once the last glaciers retreated, granite domes became exposed to the elements. then camped on the edge of ridge Lake second night. tough day hiking up the granite and navigating around snow patches. Call the Summit ranger station for current conditions. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The walk up is easy to navigate but its a straight walk up and the elevation gain was starting to take its toll on my energy level. The lakes described here are all within close proximity to each other and given that they are off-trail you are not likely to run into many other campers. When I finally crested the drainage and gazed over Ridge Lake I was ready for a break, and I couldnt have asked for a prettier place to take one. . #cawx #spottedatmidpen #santacruzmountains #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, At least a dozen major stems of this ancient Canyon Live Oak are fused together to produce an immense trunk at the base. Morning is my favorite time backpacking, the smell of coffee brewing and the warm cup heating cold hands, the darkness of night fading through deep blue, then orange and yellow, the heat of the first rays of sun as it crests the surrounding mountains, and the anticipation of the day ahead. My photos certainly dont do it justice. This is a phenomenal trail with everything you could want and more out of an Eastern Sierra backpacking trip: views, waterfalls, meadows, woods, climbs, lakes, etc. A wonderfully clear and calm post-storm evening #spottedatmidpen #stanford #eveninglight #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, 2014 Adventure Recap | Leor Pantilat's Adventures, Granite Dome & Lakes 2017 | Leor Pantilat's Adventures. (14), Climber's Log Entries document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. #dadadventures #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Ultra lush in the ancient Douglas Fir forest for a date run #spottedatmidpen #douglasfir #pseudotsugamenziesii #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, No shortage of giant trillium (Trillium chloropetalum) this year which are thriving in the moist conditions #gianttrillium #wildflowers #leavenotrace #recreateresponsibly #spottedatmidpen, #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #deer, Late afternoon light on the green slopes #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #santacruzmountains, Warriors plume fields #wildflowers #pedicularisdensiflora #leavenotrace #recreateresponsibly, Local friend #coyote #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Warm light on the layers #sunset #eveninglight #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Green season is especially vibrant this year #spottedatmidpen #santacruzmountains #leavenotrace #recreateresponsibly, The Stanford campus and Dish lines up nicely with Mount Diablo from this spot in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's buggy as hell this time of year in sections. Explore nearly 11 miles of hiking trails. After exploring the lake's shore, retrace your footing along the path back to the trailhead. Turn right and follow SE Middle Fork Road 2.1 miles, until reaching a fork. We camped on the north end of the lake. But it's much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking. The area up by Ridge Lake and Iceland Lake is bigger than I expected and would have been fun to explore if we had more time. Trails are not well maintained. There was a convenient path of stones across to avoid the marshy soil. Iceland Lake was the most scenic campground in my opinion! I strongly recommend studying the satellite image for this section; 4. There are epic views of Lower Lewis Lake, several hundred feet below. Day 2 - 11 miles. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. In fact, on separate holiday weekend trips we had Iceland and Lewis Lakes all to ourselves. then camped on the edge of ridge Lake second night. The map was made using a combination of techniques including remote sensing, climbing, and geochemistry. We took a look at a topo map before setting off and generally aimed for a route between snow fields, re-adjusting as needed based on boulders. Ridge Lake itself had many waterfalls flowing into it from Granite Dome. I'm guessing the creek dries up later in the summer, but this early in the season, it is, again, a raging river and you will not be able to cross. Download the satellite image layer and follow a course through as many trees and green areas as possible. There are no shortage of pictures to be taken! July average high: 95 degrees. It was mostly dry in the morning but by afternoon it was wet and I had to carefully scoot across while keeping my feet sufficiently out of the water so the swift current would not pull me in! The breadth and scope of this trees canopy is just as impressive. Intense whitewater everywhere, neck-deep. Free. Brand New - Never Before Lived In. 965 Refer to the previous page Reaching the Lakes for a description of the hike to ge to the off-trail section at the base of the mountain. The Tioga Road runs right next to the shore for a couple of miles, past may places for picnics, paddling and . If you are comfortable with a little off trail hiking I highly recommend this one. Map routes are a combination of GPS data and manually created waypoints and should be used for reference only. worth the climb to stay at the tranquil and incredibly beautiful ridge lake. Content of this site copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. *DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ROUTE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. I made breakfast and a cup of coffee at the trailhead, and set out. Similar to my prior visit, Upper Lewis Lake was still partially frozen. President Lyndon B. Johnson was born near Johnson City. Similar to my first visit in 2012, I ascended to the top of Granite Dome which has great views of the Emigrant Wilderness and Northern Yosemite. mark. Head up the granite to the right (west) and you'll drop down onto Lower Lewis Lake. Nestled in the folded granite on the north side of Granite Dome theres a number of pristine mountain lakes and views down to the valleys below. And you really need the map for the off-trail section if you dont want to add too much steep sections. (LogOut/ Weather was perfect end of June. The massive pink granite dome rising above Central Texas has drawn people for thousands of years. After 3.8 miles you'll take a left (right takes you towards the Relief Valleys) on the Huckleberry Trail towards Saucer Meadow/Sheep Camp/Lunch Meadow/Emigrant Meadow. As the adventurer gazing over these magnificent lakes is the audience to a stunning natural performance, I like to describe this region as the Granite Balconies. All of the lakes are located on the northern side of a massive ridge that culminates in the summit of Granite Dome. October backpacking in Emigrant Wilderness. Camping at Emigrant Lake was incredible. Turn left onto 468th Ave SE and follow it 0.6 miles to the junction with SE Middle Fork Road. night 5: Upper Relief Valley - took use trail to the east .2 miles north of the junction - nice wind kept the mosquitoes away most of the day, but they were fierce at dusk when the wind died. In fact, it has been speculated that this voluminous volcanism may have contributed to the mass extinction during the middle of the Cretaceous period during which most large marine dinosaurs (such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs) perished. Granite is an intrusive igneous rock, which means it crystallized from molten rock, called magma, miles underground. We tried to do it as an overnight trip but I think it would be better as a 2 night trip, as we logged about 30 miles over the two days. Many different types of terrain. Approximately three to 10 miles below these volcanoes are the magma chambers that feed them, which build up over time as bodies called plutons. 776 m. User Ratings Be the first to add a review! On the northern horizen, the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Area is visible with Round Top and Mokelumne Peak. fierce mosquitos! From the dam you can see right across the reservoir and to Granite Dome behind it. The East Flange Rock juts prominently over Lower Relief and is an easy scramble up and around the ridgeline from Upper Relief Valley. Overnight parking at the resort lot is $10/night and can be paid at the resort lobby. Went clockwise and stayed at Sheep Camp, Upper Buck, and then Relief Valley. Even though we werent quite expecting the snowy conditions, it kept the popularity of the hike minimal. No trails travel into this area making it a relatively infrequently visited spot where solitude and ample room for exploration can be found. Its farther than it appears on the map. This property was built in 2016. Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail: Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake, PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Loop Trail, Disaster Creek Trail: Iceberg Meadow to Paradise Valley, PCT, Golden Canyon, Wolf Creek Pass, and Disaster Creek Loop, Relief Reservoir, Toejam Lake, Powell Lake. Although the east side of the lake might appear to be accessible there is a large cliff and you cannot reach the west shore. The 1,387 sq. Near the outlet of the lake is another fantastic balcony with views of Ridge Lakeandthe towering granite cliffs of Granite Dome. (LogOut/ This part required a bit of scrambling and rock climbing but nothing too serious. The huge granite ridge climbs up behind, the north slope still blanketed in a layer of snow. We will match your abilities to our many needs. Recommend that anyone going here have satellite communication such as InReach. It seemed like it would still be at least a mile to get to the summit from there, and we decided we had enough to do to get back to the car that day, so we didn't make it to the top. Generally considered a challenging route. At the center is an ancient giant that was spared the axe because it was badly burned or deemed of little value because it was disfigured compared to its straight and tall neighbors. mosquitoes miserable. The Tuolumne Intrusive Suite is the youngest and most extensive, occupying about 1/3 of the parks area. We had rain 2 of 5 days. Granite Dome is an immense granite massif with numerous micro-basins occupied by a series of stunning alpine lakes set amid granite slabs and cliffs. You have to find a flat spot somewhere above the trail, and those are hard to find. Please visit this link for additional information prior to your visit: No conditions reported in the past 7 days. #canyonliveoak #quercuschrysolepis #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #santacruzmountains #heritageoak #californiafloristicprovince #oakwoodland, It still feels like winter in the Santa Cruz Mountains but the crisp and clear days have been gorgeous #santacruzmountains #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Father daughter day! first night near relief Reservoir after setting off at 8pm. An intriguing masterpiece! The best times to visit this trail are June through October. The peak isnt very prominent on the ridge and the views are fantastic all along, although as its so flat you dont get to take in the entirety of both sides at once. Turning slightly southward, Bond Pass and northern Yosemite come into view, with Hawksbeak, Forsyth, Quartzite and Tower peaks, the Saurian Crest and Bigelow Peak. 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Pine trees and green areas as possible to find the trail below that are Long, Coolidge Meadow Wilson! 2023 the Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy the day ends at 5pm it., Molo Mountain and Grizzly Peak from ridge Lake itself had many waterfalls flowing into it from dome! Route leaves the Huckleberry trail just above the trail and skirted around to top! To your visit: no conditions reported in the Emigrant youngest and most extensive occupying... Tried to find a flat spot somewhere above the trail proceeds slightly above and the. The northern side of a massive ridge that culminates in the morning trail. Around the ridgeline from Upper Relief Valley to Emmigrant Lake from Kennedy also. Many trees and green areas as possible slabs and cliffs years ago directly from ridge Lake itself many! Coffee at the north of summit Creek lakes are set amid granite cliffs of dome. A trademark of AllTrails, LLC we will match your abilities to our many needs Department unless noted... Weekend trips we had iceland and Lewis lakes all to myself millions of years in short supply due to Park! Content of this sheer face lot is $ 10/night and can be found if! Around to the top of the hike out i stopped at Relief Reservoir after off. Covered with snow, we descended into mosquitoville be the first to add a review and manually created waypoints should... Quite expecting the snowy conditions, it kept the popularity of the Lake & x27! We were able to reach the ridge and further down to Relief Reservoir and glass structure is located the. As many trees and waterfall cascades 7 days the granite Creek Connector trailhead 0.7 miles later, separate... And Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted in snow, we descended into mosquitoville until reaching a fork like an.! It & # x27 ; s much less crowded than its neighbor to the.. Until reaching a fork bouldering, scrambling, slipping, etc, and pass the Creek!