Carson Pass to Lake Winnemucca

This is the ninth of a series of posts detailing hikes and walks I undertook in the course of a road trip in July 2016 that spanned 9 days and 3 states: CA, OR and NV (the last very transiently).

Date: July 9, 2016
Location: Mokelumne Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest, Alpine County, CA

Finally, the last day of my road trip had arrived. The previous day I had driven from Chester, CA along Highway 89 (with a detour over the Gold Lake Highway which traverses the absolutely gorgeous Lake Basin Recreation Area) and into Lake Tahoe, with a drive along the east shore (which also constituted my brief foray in NV on this trip) before checking into my hotel in South Lake Tahoe, CA.

I woke up and got about the day in a much more leisurely manner, and had breakfast on my hotel room balcony with a lovely view of Lake Tahoe (only slightly marred by the foreground of traffic on Lake Tahoe Blvd). And then it was time to head out for what I hoped would be a fitting scenic drive (and potential short hike) to mark the culmination of a very memorable road trip.

To say that I was not disappointed would be an understatement; both the drive and the hike can only be described in superlatives, and the latter even overshadowed the Castle/Heart Lake hike in terms of scenic payoff.

I started out around 10:00 a.m. and got off to a less-than-pleasant start by deciding to fill up at the gas station almost next door, which was experiencing a veritable traffic jam. After incurring the inevitable delay, I was finally off to Carson Pass, arriving a little before 11:30. The parking lot was packed, but luckily for me a car pulled put to leave just then. Note that there is a USD 5.00 parking fee here (with self-registration), but federal interagency passes are valid; so I was able to use my America the Beautiful pass.

I still had a 4 hour drive to the Bay Area ahead of me. Keeping this in mind, I had researched possible hikes in the preceding days, and fixed upon the one to Lake Winnemucca as it offered much supposed scenic beauty with relatively small exertion, and the additional possibility of a shortened version by just hiking up to Frog Lake - a smaller lake en route.

Informational sign about the PCT

What makes Carson Pass even more interesting is that the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) passes through here, and one might encounter through-hikers. Indeed, I noticed that the folks parked a couple of spaces away from me seemed to be an elderly couple who were there to meet a somewhat emaciated through-hiker, likely their son, and they were sending him off on the rest of his journey with lots of hugs.

Carson Pass Information Center

After confirming with the ranger at the Carson Pass Information Center that my pass was valid here, I set out, still thinking that I would probably just hike up to Frog Lake. The initial 15 minutes or so were not terribly spectacular as the trail was making its way through trees. There was a somewhat stagnant pond near the trailhead, and there were also informational signs about the Mokelumne Wilderness (permits required for overnight camping). 

After a bit, the trail started ascending to open areas with shrubbery and sparse twisted pines - evidence of the brutality of winters here - and the scenery started to become increasingly interesting. In a short while, a signpost announced a side-trail to Frog Lake,  which turned out to be just a few paces away. And what a lovely little lake it is...with pristine water and peaceful surroundings!

The clear waters of Frog Lake

Frog Lake, looking in the direction I came from

I now had to decide whether to turn back or continue to Lake Winnemucca. The loveliness around me made it an easy choice. I would be home that day, and would have the next day (Sunday) to rejuvenate before going back to work. No need to overthink what was anyway a fairly moderate hike, despite the high elevation. I continued to Lake Winnemucca.

As the trail headed on, sweeping vistas opened up, revealing vast expanses of mountains and the open sky, and also what looked like a large lake in the distance, which I believe was Caples Lake.

Panoramic view from the trail, with Caples Lake nestled in the distance

Close-up of what I believe is Caples Lake (I drove past it later).

The trail had very little elevation change in the latter part...mostly minor undulations as it made its way across rock-riddled terrain. There were also patches of lovely wildflowers, even though peak wildflower season was still a few weeks away.

Approaching Lake Winnemucca...the peak in view is called Round Top

And then Lake Winnemucca came into view, an initial small glimpse of its deep blue-green water gradually expanding to reveal the entirety of its boulder-riddled banks.

Round Top towers over Lake Winnemucca..what a sublime view

I appropriated a lake-side flat rock that had just been vacated by a pair of hikers, and sat by the lake, taking in the beauty of the moment. I also used the opportunity to dip my toes in the water, which was fairly cold, unsurprisingly.

Close-up of Round Top

This red ridge formed a striking background to the greenish waters of Lake Winnemucca

However, I did have a long drive ahead of me, and hence could not linger too long. Soon, it was time to go. As I headed back, I dawdled another several minutes, taking as many photos as I could. It was around 1:30 p.m. when I actually got underway, still stopping regularly en route to take photographs.

What an expansive sense of space and freedom this view evokes

I found the color gradations in this view especially subtle yet striking

My 17-40mm lens @17mm produced an almost fisheye effect here

At approximately 2:30 p.m. I was back at the trailhead, exhilarated and glad that I had decided to insert this hike into my itinerary, and looking forward to what the remaining few hours of this road trip would reveal to me.