Trip report Mokelumne Wilderness June 28-30

[Vickster]

Started Friday evening at the Granite Lake trail head (tip when heading down Kit Carson Road to trail head, veer left at awkward fork with tree in middle of road, there are no signs that I could see to tell you this). Got on the trail around 5. In general I found the trails in this area more difficult to follow than other places I have hike (Trinty Alp, Marble Mountains, Snow Mountain, Inyo, Yosemite, Sierra, Kings Canyon, John Muir...) I may have also been psyching myself out more because this was my first solo hike ever. Trails weren't beat in as much and things just weren't as clear. Got off trail after Granite Lake on a ducked trail that started sending me down back toward Silver Lake....no good. After that snaffu got to Hidden Lake just as the mosquitoes were really pouring in. The lake is nice some good craggy rocks to look at.

Saturday I took Granite Lake trail to Allen Camp trail to the OHV road. Excellent views of Silver Lake from the ridge before you hit the OHV road. After a few minutes on the OHV road you go by Allen Camp which is a falling down log cabin on the edge of a gorgeous meadow. No signs to explain the historical context which is always the case for every single dilapidated cabin I have seen in the backcountry. Too bad, I would love to know! Took the Munson Meadow cut off trail up to the Squaw Ridge OHV road which I took north to the Bebee Lake trailhead. Saw a group of 5 people on dirt bikes but otherwise thankfully didn't see any other vehicles on these OHV stretches. Bebee Lake trail drops you into an EPIC meadow once you get down to it hang a left (there is some other trail that goes off to the right) and head over the small saddle where you get dropped into a wooded decent. The trail out of the meadow disapears a few times...I took a bearing and looked to where it pointed me on the ridge ahead and you can kind of tell where the saddle is anyways. At this point I lost the correct trail and followed the drainage and some cairns down to what I thought was Bebee Lake. I was enjoy a late morning snack when a guy hollered from the granite behind me and after chatting for a second he informed me that Bebee Lake was actually just west over the granite he had came from. I was at some unnamed ponds that drain down into lower Bebee Lake which is very obvious had I taken more time looking at my map. Bebee Lake is pretty awesome, may be the best looking lake of the trip. From here I took a bearing to get to Black Rock Lake which went off really well! Only took about an hour and my bearing was such that I ended up in the saddle just above Black Rock so I could see it and great views of Mokulemne peak too! I was planning to camp here but since I didn't get lost on the cross country portion and actually made good time (and the mosquitoes were bad!) I pressed on to Cole Creek Lakes. The trail in/out of Black Rock is hard to follow a lot of it you can't see at all....there are cairins and blazes on the trees thank goodness even then it wasn't always easy. The ridge between the beginning of Black Rock Lake Trail and Cole Creek Lakes trail has some nice views and a good breeze where the mosquitoes seemed absent. I only went to the first Cole Creek Lake, it's nice with lots of good sites and a good view if you go up on the granite on the west side. The trail from there to Long Lake was pretty easy to follow. I camped on the very far end of Long Lake by the two man made dams because it turns to rock and there's nice views.

Sunday I took Munson Meadow Trail (saw a bear near the most southern Cole Creek Lake (pond??) where the trail cuts right sharply and you walk along the creek) all the way back to the OHV road and Allen Camp Trail and then I went to Allen Camp (this was the easiest and so maybe most used section of trail on the trip) and then took the Minkalo trail back to the Granite Lake trail head where I parked. Once you get into Plasse just walk all the way to the end of both parking lots (past the store) and look for a pedestrian bridge across a stream ford on your right. You will have to walk through a camp ground....just stay to the left and after the horse meadow on your left you will see a sign for the trail. This trail also disappeared a few times but since you are skirting the lake it's no big deal.

I think that about does it! I still prefer Emigrant Wilderness but anything Sierra is a good time!

EDIT 2/2014- I have got a couple private inquires about photos and I forgot to post them so I will now:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriaja ... 005705916/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the photo below is Black Rock lake and Mokelumne Peak as seen from the cross-country approach from Beebee Lake to the east.

[Vaca Russ]

Vickster,

Thank you for posting a report about an area of the Sierra rarely discussed on HST. I have not been here but after your report I think I would like to explore the area. The drive doesn't seem to be that long.

Too bad you don't fish! Getting a fishing report would be nice. I guess I have to get up there and test the waters.

Congratulations on seeing a bear! I haven't seen a bear in years. Did you get a picture? I have never been fast enough to photogragh a bear.

So, besides the mountain bikers you only saw one other guy? That sounds like the wilderness solitude I enjoy. I was up at Lyons lake in Deso at the same time. There were 15 people camped there at that little lake!

I hear you about wanting to know more about old cabins. Sport and I were recently camping at Camp McCloud in the White Mountains. We looked for information on the web about the camp but couldn't find any.

Please post some pictures when you get the film developed. I (and probably others) are very interested in this area.

Thanks again for the report and keep them coming!

-Russ

[maverick]

Hi Vickster,

Sounds like you had quite a first time solo, congratulations! Thank you for sharing
you experience with your fellow members. About the cabins:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/eldor ... width=full" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;