September 9th Dicks Lake to Little Round Top

A clear and very chilly morning. Frost crunched beneath my feet as I neared the top of Dicks Pass, where a broad swath of treeless ground offers some impressive views back towards Dicks Lake, Fontanillis Lake and the Eldorado Forest Wilderness. At 9,174 feet, it's the highest point on the trail so far. Dropping down the other side of the pass I entered an area of breathtaking beauty---Desolation Wilderness, the most visited wilderness in the United States, a land of lakes and granite massifs with miles of trail to get to them all. While still high up on the switchbacks, I took the opportunity to fill up my water bottle at a spring. The water was so cold, I could manage only a few sips. At Heather Lake I saw a familiar face coming towards me. It was Giraffe, a hiker I had met on the shoulder of Mt. Adams in Washington when I was hiking with Steve and Kristen He had said back then that we might see him again in the Sierras and sure enough I was. We chatted briefly about our progress on the trail and I passed along the news that Steve and Kristen had left the trail in Etna to go rock climbing. Their 2010 thru-hike was over. We wished each other luck and parted ways. Quite a few people were camped near Aloha Lake, which is one of the largest and I'd say the most visually stunning in this region. It wasn't until I neared Tamarack Lake that I started running into groups of day hikers. Most of them passed with a courteous hello, but some among the larger groups could judge by looking at me (hopefully not smelling me-Ha!) that I was not your average day hiker. Their curiosity roused, the questions soon followed. I found in general that the men's reaction was one of respect and admiration, whereas that of the women was one more borne out of motherly concern. "Are you eating enough?" being one of the most common questions after I informed them of what I was doing. One of the questions, "Are you having fun?", is a tough one to answer. I mean the trail is not a carnival ride at Knotts Berry Farm. My response is that I know I'm having some unforgettable experiences, seeing some of this county's most incredible scenery, but 30 mile days in my estimation don't fit the convential sense of the word "fun". Am I enjoying myself? Yes, most definitely! As much as I enjoyed their interest, I had to cut things a bit short as the post office at Echo Lake is only open for a few select hours each day. After collecting my package there, I went outside to the picnic table to see what Tonya had been able to cram inside the bear can, a required back country item from here to Kennedy Meadows. It took a little time to reorganize the way I packed things to accommodate its volume and weight, but in the end I was satisfied with the outcome. Struck up a conversation with Brad, a northbound section hiker, and a ranger who was going into Desolation Wilderness to check permits. Topics were mainly associated with trail usage and equipment. During the chat, I'm afraid I overindulged in a box of chocolate chip cookies, so when it came time to get back on the trail, my stomache felt like it sometimes does after going for seconds on Thanksgiving. Ugh! Anyway, I'm off to Tuolomne Meadows. Oh, Yeah!

Susie Lake

Heather Lake

Aloha Lake--Desolation Wilderness

24 Miles