The least visited lake.

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Cross Country
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The least visited lake.

Post by Cross Country »

Where is the least visited lake below 11,000 feet (no tarns). Some people don't like barren looking places (above 11K), but almost everyone knows several to many places that they like below 11K. This isn't about which elevation you think is best. This is about which lake is the least visited.

The winner will be the lake(s) that no one claims to have visited (preferably camped at), not one seen from a distance.

I nominate the lake north of Windy Ridge, close to Horseshoe Lakes, out of Kings Canyon, up the Copper Creek trail. If I'm not mistaken no one writing on HST claims to have been there.

When someone nominates a lake I would hope that if someone else has been there that they make an entry to that effect. That should help us perspectively.
Last edited by Cross Country on Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by SSSdave »

I can guess you were expecting others to post about timberline country lakes like those up in high ridgeline basins. But guess what?

You wrote no tarns, but not ponds. A tarn is a higher elevation type of pond. There are a fair number of no name ponds down in mid forest elevations in fir forests where snow fall is heavy and some are in locations no one would have any reason to bother visiting. Usually they are rather shallow and boring. Some are the size of small lakes. Glaciated granite mixed forest areas like Emigrant Basin have hundreds. A few well visited ones are behind Pothole Dome. If one inspects topo maps you will find some that are not likely to ever be visited because they are well away from trails and would be unpleasant to bother reaching. Here are 3 southwest of Swamp Lake:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.93025,-119.82874&z=14&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And not many miles away these two bodies of waters west of Richardson Peak are true no name lakes:

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=38.08171,-119.70471&z=15&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Years ago a few adventurous fishermen would have checked them out but today given the fact they are likely barren of fish, even fishermen would not have reason to go way out of the way to reach that basin. Actually for the non fishermen photographer or naturalists, it would be an excellent choice.

Actually I have been to many such places because that is what I have been doing for 4 deacdes. Going places others ignore. Some I'd just as soon keep my lips closed about. Giantbrookie has a similar interest and likely has seen a few probably only we two have found.
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TehipiteTom
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by TehipiteTom »

Cross Country wrote:I nominate the lake north of Windy Ridge, close to Horseshoe Lakes, out of Kings Canyon, up the Copper Creek trail. If I'm not mistaken no one writing on HST claims to have been there.
I have a feeling someone has written about that one, but I'm not sure. It is awfully close to the High Route, so...

Couple random nominations: Laurel Creek basin (southeast of Mineral King), and Lake 10463 just inside the KCNP boundary at the northern tip of the LeConte Divide, are pretty remote & obscure. But given how well-traveled the people here are, I sure wouldn't bet against someone having been to both of those.
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Below 11,000, not a "tarn" which I take to mean not a little pond, and a lake that I have camped at, elimitates many of my remote locations. Here is what is left:

Lake at 10,600 (the upper of a set of lakes) 1 mi. NE of Finger Peak, in the Goddard Creek drainage
Lake 9797 just a few miles farther down the Goddard Creek drainage
Ladder Lake
Big Moccasin Lake
Lost Lakes SW of Koip Crest
Penninusla Lake 2 mi SE of Huckleberry Lake

The 11,000 foot limitation has cut out everything in Ionian Basin, most of the lakes in the upper Kern River, Keweah Basin lakes, Lakes on the upper part of George Creek (lake below Vacation Pass). I have day hiked to even less used lakes, but did not camp there.
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by ndwoods »

I've not been to that lake, but have been to the tarn on Windy Ridge!:)

Ok, you didn't claim it has to be in the Sierra....how about Lake of the Island in the Marble Mountains? If you've been there...I am sure there was noone else there. I am also sure you are a glutten for punishment! It was beautiful tho...:)
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by Cross Country »

So far, there have been some of good responses. I've been to the 3 lakes SW of Swamp and lake 10600 NE of Finger Peak, and 9797 and Ladder Lake and Big Moccasin and Peninsula.
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by mokelumnekid »

One criteria might be bodies of water that are self sustaining- have water year round regardless of size? In any event I know of some that I won't call out, but that are freakishly easy to get to but not on the way to anywhere, no trail access anywhere near by, but easy cross country walking between Hwy. 88 and say, the Stanislaus drainage. What makes that weird is that much of it is cow country- but in the glaciated areas with no forage, sizable nooks and crannies exist with small lakes (not just melt ponds) that are very difficult to see unless you stumble into them.

I only bring this area up as it is usually off the radar screen of HST folks (sometimes for good reason). Other than that I'm not much of a lake person as I don't fish, and they tend to be buggy.
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by giantbrookie »

Here are a few:
The lakes of Red Spur (no fish, but what a remote and beautiful place)
"George L." (DFG name, unnamed on maps) (on E side of Vacation Pass, George Creek drainage): haven't been there but have wanted to
Basin downstream of Tunemah (multiple gorgeous lakes), but I'd imagine the next sub-basin to the south is even less frequently visited (didn't go there)
That big island-studded lake NW of the Dumbbell Lakes (probably my favorite fishless lake)
Hester L., N of Ladder L. (never been there)
The "Emerald Staircase" (downstream of Little Bear L., Yosemite). Multiple lakes and one really nice one. Easier to reach than Edyth, but even less visited.
Lost Lake, Bucks Lake Wilderness (Feather River country)
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I have camped at George Lake, but it does not qualify because it is above 11,000 feet. Get rid of that requirement and I could add a dozen more lakes! I have camped at Tunemah and hiked the lower lakes, but did not camp at them. I vote that we get rid of the 11,000-foot requirement!

There are many reasons for a lake not to be visited; no fish, unnamed, difficult to get to or inconsequential and ugly. I have found Google Maps a useful tool to avoid the inconsquential and ugly.

I doubt there are any lakes that are totally undiscovered. There ARE several small lakes that I have come across that are not shown on the map. For example, the bench between Red Pass and the Middle Fork of Kings had many lakes on it when I was there two years ago. None are on the map.

The most interesting lake I ever camped at is in the Wind Rivers. It is an unnamed LARGE lake that sits at the top of the Grasshopper Glacier. In the 1990's it sprung a huge leak, melted through the glacier and flash flooded, and emptied the lake! On Google Maps, I see that it has refilled. I hope to check it out this summer.
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Re: The least visited lake.

Post by SSSdave »

Cross Country wrote:So far, there have been some of good responses. I've been to the 3 lakes SW of Swamp ...
Hmmm you are undoubtedly referring to the 3 ponds just west of Swamp Lake. A fair number of people have been there so that is no big deal.

No what I was referring to is 1) the big swampy pond at 5240+ about 2000 feet south of point 5788 (south of Swamp Lake) and 2) the inverted U shaped swampy pond at elevation 3960+ feet 1.7 miles south on the wall of the canyon. Note there are actually two other ponds higher up on those canyon wall benches on the old 15 minute topo that just show as marshy areas on the 7.5m. No doubt a few people have been to the pond at 5240+ because that is just a modest meander off from the North Mountain Lookout trail but I'd bet the pond at 3960+ has never been visited because there would be no reason to unless one was looking for mountain lions.
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