Lake Eleanor and more

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balzaccom
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Lake Eleanor and more

Post by balzaccom »

It's always hard to pick the perfect destination for a spring hike---especially considering the weather we've been having over the past couple of months. So when we got a free day or two, we headed up to Sonora to visit an old friend...and take a look at a couple of hikes we've always wanted to take.

Saturday we started at Cherry Lake Dam and hiked over to Lake Eleanor. During the summer, this is a very short hike, because the road across the dam is open, and you can drive to within about a mile of Lake Eleanor. But the road was not open, and so the hike was closer to six or seven miles, round trip.

And while we knew a storm was brewing, we managed to miss any rain or snow on Saturday--just the way we planned it. Lake Eleanor is a great destination this time of year---because there AREN"T that many people willing to make the hike. Once the road over the dam opens, I imagine it gets pretty crowded. You can see our photos from the weekend here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/balzaccom/ ... ecrest2011#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And that night it snowed down to about 3,000 feet. So we woke up to three inches of snow on the ground at our friend's house...and a good excuse to explore her lovely area on foot. By the afternoon, the snow was pretty much gone from the lower elevations, so we drove up to Pinecrest Lake, where it was still snowing, and there was plenty of snow on the ground. That made for a beautiful hike...and we still had warm showers that night before bed!

Best of all. we've got a few more places to add to the list of things to explore the next time we head up into this area....which always seems to happen!
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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maverick
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Re: Lake Eleanor and more

Post by maverick »

Thanks Balzaccom for the TR, and pictures.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
Cross Country
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Re: Lake Eleanor and more

Post by Cross Country »

We went there in the late 70's and there was a cabin open for anyone to use. I don't suppose it's still there?
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Electra
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Re: Lake Eleanor and more

Post by Electra »

The cabin you mention must be the one at Fish Creek and it is typically closed to the public (at least it was about 5 years ago). The only other structure on the lake is the ranger station.

The lake is a great spot for canoe camping with some nice sandy beaches on the south shore.
Dan Braun
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windknot
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Re: Lake Eleanor and more

Post by windknot »

Thanks for the report and pictures! It's interesting how a simple metal gate can turn what is otherwise practically a roadside reservoir (believe Eleanor is a bit less than a mile from the closer jump-off point) into a long day hike, and also transforms an easy-to-reach lake like Kibbie into a 12+ mile backpack-only destination.
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