High Sierra Topix

Just a quick overnighter. Work and kids take most of my time, so quick trips are my MO these days. Bayview TH loop (Well, I actually had to park a half-mile north on 89 on the side of of the highway. It was BUSY in SLT and especially so around Emerald Bay/Camp Rich.).

I started up the 2,000 accent to Maggies (southern) Peak stopping at Granite Lake for a quick dip along the way. I then continued west on trail to Dicks Lake where I again went for a refreshing swim. I lingered here for a bit and explored the western shoreline before turning north and following the outlet stream to Fontanillis Lake. I passed a few lovely pools before reaching the lake and made camp in a tiny meadow above the lake near the waterfall inlet.

Of course, I then went for a swim and floated about for a good while. Soon enough the sun was falling behind the western ridge and shadows grew long. I tossed out a fly and within minutes had caught three nice brookies. I released the first two, but the third met its fate in my frying pan. I stayed up relatively late watching the galaxy unfold till I couldn't keep my eyes open and retreated to my bag. I slept really good.

Day 2 started around 7 a.m. with oatmeal cookies! and coffee. I packed up and worked my way towards the trail and then north to Middle Velma. At the trail intersection I headed down towards the lake to grab some water. I couldn't resist and went for a quick swim. A bit brisk, but the sun was in full force and warmed me up quickly. I worked my way up to the trail and headed east back to the way I came. I hiked a bit with a guy from Long Beach who had some really great stories and made it back down to the TH, then my truck, fairly quickly.

Another one in the books and while it was short, it was everything I needed. Thanks for reading.

Emerald Bay:


Granite Lake:


Near the top looking out over Lake Tahoe:




fun scramble:




Dicks Lake:




En route to Fontanillis Lake:




Fontanillis Lake:


Camp:




Dinner:


Fontanillis Lake in the morning:


F'nillis:




Above Eagle Lake:

Thanks for the report! Sounds like a fun trip. Love the shot of all the boats in Emerald Bay, too -- I've never seen it that busy before.

Nice pics. Glad you had clear skies and no smoke! Seemed like a great 1 nighter!

Thanks, guys.

Yeah, I've never seen so many boats in Emerald Bay either. It was a straight up zoo out there! 89 was a mess.

I really lucked out with the clear skies. All last week it was pretty hazy and people I spoke to said even Friday had a hint of it. Completely clear during my trip though.

Another one in the books and while it was short, it was everything I needed.

Yes, and on one of the most beautiful hikes in the Sierra Nevada. Seeing Lake Tahoe through the trees as you climb above Granite Lake is amazing.

Glad you had a great time!

Thanks for sharing. A nicely targeted trip for some Daddy Alone Time ®.

Wow that is a lot of boats! Great pictures and report. Thanks for sharing.

rightstar76 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 21, 2018 12:32 pm

Another one in the books and while it was short, it was everything I needed.

Yes, and on one of the most beautiful hikes in the Sierra Nevada. Seeing Lake Tahoe through the trees as you climb above Granite Lake is amazing.

About the mess on SR 89, hope you saw my earlier thread in the Campfire Forum on the online survey TRPA was taking for the SR 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan:
http://www.trpa.org/transportation/plan ... ment-plan/

The survey was extended to last Friday one day before you began your trip! I took the survey a few weeks ago and it asked about all the problems on SR 89 such as finding parking for backpacking along SR 89 and the awful traffic.

If you're going back for the day or another overnight this weekend, there will be people outside taking direct surveys from visitors. Not sure how to find them, but this might help:
http://southtahoenow.com/story/08/14/20 ... cial-sites

The more feedback TRPA gets the more likely something will be done. At least that's my hope.

Glad you had a great time!

Unfortunately, I didn't see your post about the TRPA survey. However, on my way home I stopped by the Taylor Creek visitor center and chatted with a volunteer about my woes with parking, traffic, etc. By the end of our conversation we had a small group around us all offering their own similar experience. Hopefully this was relayed to someone that matters. I'm happy to hear that they're looking at the issue.

Thanks again for taking the time to read/look through and the kind words, everyone.

Thanks for the report! How were the mosquitos up there this time of year? Thinking about heading up there this weekend, did you have a favorite lake?

No mosquitoes! I think Dicks is the most asthetic, but gets crowded quick. The back (west) side of Fontanillis was nice and quiet and the scenery isn’t that bad either.