R06 TR: 7/24-7/30/2024, Crabtree TH to Letora and Emigrant Lakes

[Love the Sierra]

This trip was everything good in a backpacking trip! I had delayed my entry to avoid the worst of the heat wave and Emigrant, with the self-issued permits and no quota was the perfect destination. Jasmine Rose and I drove up late Tuesday and camped at the Crabtree TH. We got a nice, early start the next day. Total trip mileage was over 60 miles with over 8,500’ gain loss.
One quick apology, apparently I had a smudged lens so it is in all of the pictures. Sorry folks.

Day 1: Crabtree> Piute Lake
It was still hot and humid but enjoyable and the flowers were magnificent albeit it was steamy hot in the meadows. There had been a 70% chance of T-storms and the clouds began to come in when we were about 3 miles from Piute. We made a very fast, hard push for the lake, not wanting to repeat the Virginia Lake soaking. In the end, the rain never came and it was a restful night.

Day 2: Piute > Upper Buck Lake
Such a delightful, lovely trail! Mozzies were out, but not very bad, flowers cheered us on and the pretty lakes and forest were a joy. On the way, I saw a a beautiful white raptor. I looked it up when I got back and I am sure it was a Prairie Falcon. We made camp, explored around Buck, and took a quick dip in Lower Buck.

Day 3:
Upper Buck Lake > Letora Lake
I have never been to Letora and was excited to see it after so many folks have claimed it as their favorite lake. I had been debating doing the entire loop around Sachse Monument or just day hiking to Letora and Emigrant Lakes. I decided to do the layover days because, though temps were cooling, I imagined that it would still be exposed and very hot around the Sachse Monument.
Letora was as gorgeous as everyone has said. I was dying to climb around the granite and explore. However, clouds began rolling in and, though they were not extremely threatening, I was just so sick of storms, we headed out after a long lunch.
I WAS SO GLAD I HAD MADE IT A DAY HIKE AND LEFT WHEN I DID!!!! After we passed Cow Meadow Lake, we saw a bald eagle fish and then soar right overhead! It was a close, long view. WOW! How beautiful!!! I captured him as a small soaring image in a video so I will always remember.

We met a girl Scout troop at Cherry Creek and they shot our picture.

More gorgeous views!

Letora Lake

Cow Meadow Lake

Pretty Cherry Creek

More vast and gorgeous views

[Love the Sierra]

Day 4:
Upper Buck Lake > Emigrant Lake
The stars had been magnificent the night before and I had gotten up again when the moon rose to see it reflecting in Upper Buck Lake. It was cold and wonderful!
The next morning, I woke to frost. YES!!!! The day was clear and cool and everything wonderful in the mountains. Truly, the day was magic, in every sense of the word!!!
We enjoyed our stroll through Buck Meadow, relishing the flowers, the verdant meadow, the stunning granite formations and the blue creek. There was a perfect breeze and there were no mosquitos. I marveled, as always, at the trees and shrubs that manage to grow in the cracks in the granite cliffs. The beautiful forest with giant sugar pines and hemlocks was equally magnificent. Emigrant was stunning as always and we walked the entire length. After a long lunch, we headed back.

Sunning Buck Meadow

Junipers growing out of the granite

Both times, when I had been in this meadow, the lupins had put on a show. This time, they were spent and the yellow flowers had taken over.

Emigrant Lake

I have never seen this plant and have no idea what it is. The berries were the brightest red you can imagine.

[Love the Sierra]

Emigrant from the NE side

Back at Buck Lake

[Love the Sierra]

Day 5:
Upper Buck Lake > Lily Pad Lake
Another perfect day, clear and cool. I had treated my tent fly with $50 of Nikwax and seam sealer. Nevertheless, it soaked up the dew like a cotton rag and it weighed a ton when I packed up. SIGH, I really do not want to buy a new tent.
Every step that day was a joy. It was so good, that I began to sing and sang all the way to Lily Pad.
I ran into an interesting group of two couples, also hiking from Buck to Lily Pad and we leapfrogged all day. Their goal had been to swim as many Sierra lakes as they could find in 4 days. They were swimming 1/4-1/2 mile across each lake.

Lily Pad was truly a fascinating lake, teaming with life. I have never camped there before though I had passed it on many trips. I saw a swimming mountain garter snake, duck families and heard so many birds of various species that it was like an orchestra!

Goodbye Buck Lakes

Deer from the trail

Interesting insect on the aster

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Gem lake. The light on the lake was literally dancing in the breeze. Watching the small sparkling flashes was amazing and I shot a video of it.

So many views!!!

[Love the Sierra]

Day 6:
Lily Pad > Crabtree TH
Once again, a beautiful night of stars and the waning moon reflecting on the granite. The lily pads in the lake were green in the moonlight like the sun was shining on them.
We took a long walk around the lake before breakfast and I dawdled packing camp because I did not want to leave and have the trip end. But, finally, it was time to go. The way was delightful and beautiful and, once again, everything good in the mountains.
The highlight of the day was my golden eagle. He came soaring VERY close over us, circled and perched on a dead tree. He was there for so long that I got good pictures and a great look at him in the monocular! I have never seen a golden eagle, he was huge and so gorgeous!!!
We had a nice long lunch at Camp Lake and, then, it was time to say goodbye to the wilderness.

Lily Pad Lake, so much more than meets the eye when just walking past.

Jasmine Rose giving scale to the large Courtier Pine cones.

The Courtier pine that made those cones.

Lily Creek

Golden Eagle

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Duck at Camp lake

Camp Lake

[giantbrookie]

Nice. I guess things even out, what with all the difficulties of the Mammoth area trip the week before. To be do a trip to Emigrant in late July and avoid the most intense mosquito harassment for which it is famous for as well as avoiding warm temps (because Emigrant is significantly lower elevation than the Mammoth country trip). I can't believe you actually had morning frost at Buck L. I also figure the hiking would have been a breeze for you given you were only a week back from your Mammoth trip and no doubt in top condition. That's what I wish my schedule would accommodate: to do a week long (or longer) trip a week after another trip. I have nearly a month and a half between Thousand Island at the end of June/beginning of July and my planned 7-10 day (depends on how I feel on the trip) trip that leaves Aug 12. Next year I'll try to do the more sensible ramp up like this.

[Love the Sierra]

My whole life, I always put 4-6 weeks between trips. Last year, because of my and my daughter's work, I ended up with two back to back trips with only 3 days between. It was the best!!! I kept my acclimation, did not have to pack or tend to the gear, just replenished food, washed clothes and out I went.
It was so great, that I did it on purpose this year.

[Wandering Daisy]

Glad you had a good trip, yet I was looking forward to meeting you at the Meet-up. The loop around via Sachse Mtn is only worth the extra miles if you plan to spend some time at Huckleberry Lake. Your day-hike strategy was appropriate for your plans. Buck Lakes are one of my favorite places in Emigrant.

[balzaccom]

That's a great report. You hit so many of the top spots! And your enthusiasm is wonderful, Please post more!

[Love the Sierra]

Thanks WD and Balzaccom.
I wanted to meet you too WD and was so very disappointed to miss the meet up. If I had time to go out on another trip and catch those lovely magical days, I would have pushed through and joined you folks. However, I knew that, due to work, this would be it for the year and I needed it to be perfect and energizing, Also, that trip the week before had taken all of my patience for storms and excessive heat. Truth is, this year has been so terrible in so many ways, that I did not have a ton of patience for anything. During that Mammoth trip, I was having work nightmares every night. That was a first, nightmares on a backpack!! I just needed to be able to hike myself brainless, and I did in Emigrant.
Balzaccom, how I wish that I had more to post!!!