Boulder Lake, Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

Iceberg Wilderness! Even the name of this place evokes thoughts of icy adventure and strange new non-sexual feelings! Oh the joy. Oh indeed. We started out from Iceberg meadow and headed a few miles into the junction to Boulder Lake for a quick one-nighter in July! Come, gaze upon my pictures and wonder how someone so dim-witted could operate a digital camera. I am as baffled as you, new friend! Enjoy!

I didn't take my camera out of my bag until we reached camp. Sucks for you!

Meadow near the Lake.

How to make murky water palatable: Strain with hanky. Use iodine tincture. Immediately regret not buying a water filtration system. Drink your disgusting iodine mud water.

Lake, duh.

Strange underwater plant. Me and this plant had some serious bonding time.

I studied my backpacking partner, Aaron for quite some time from atop this rock.

More trees and rocks. Who knew!

Route #1: not going to happen.

Route #2: Unexpected cliff.

Route #3: 8 foot bushes.

So close, but we had to give up and start over.

Route #4: defeated. Aaron remains optimistic.

The exact moment of our defeat. At this point, we could continue no longer.

These bugs were all over the place. They tasted like bugs.

Granite Dome, Emigrant Wilderness

Welcome again, wilderness friends! This past month I have been cursed and blessed with many splendid trips to the Sierras. My merry group of 6 adventurers ventured from Kennedy Meadows towards Relief Reservoir towards our destination of Granite Dome in the great Emigrant Wilderness. In a moment of regrettable angst, I called Emigrant "Yosemite's ugly cousin" or something less PC. I hereby retract my statement, as seen in this set of pics. My set of pictures starts from Relief and ends at Granite Dome as we hiked in late on the first day and low light makes not for great pictures. Enjoy!

Getting out of the Relief Basin

After the trail met the river, we started up this route across many an ill placed granite rock.

Charlie is the mountain champion.

Adam and Jon in disbelief once reaching the top of our climb. Splendid job!

One more saddle to cross before our camp.

Microcosm splendor.

Our lake and camp below Granite dome.

Golden tent of glory.

Kurtz is a man. A wilderness man. He made pizza.

Yet another fine example of a "trail"

Adam grabbing his junk.

Diving board.

Ascending to Granite Dome.

The southward view towards Kennedy.

The path of least resistance? Whatever.

Some kind of lake thing on the way up to Granite Dome.

Although we can never know for certain, I suspect this was the reason my trail runners were soaking wet.

False summit #4.

At the top, a bountiful scene emerged!

Nature!

View from the top.

There's our campsite! ... somewhere down there.

It wouldn't come out of the ground. Oh well.

Pondering the climb. The climb was hard.

Shaun is getting a little too close to the edge.

The campsite, expanded.

Made it back down! Fish that lake.

Nature is full of trees and junk.

Lunch break.

This tree is DOPE. Na, it's just like every other tree.