TR Crabtree to Gem Lake
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 6:42 pm
I know that this has been covered before but…
Had the chance to get out for a short overnighter last weekend (July 5/6). This was my first backpack in my new backyard (Emigrant Wilderness). I was so excited to get out that I awoke at 4:00AM got dressed and headed to Crabtree TH. The problem with that was that I needed to pick up a coup[le of things at the store on my way, but with the trail head only about an hour from my house and the store not opening until 6 I was left with time on my hands. So I pulled off of the 108 near Cold Springs and watched the sun come up.
As you can see, I was so excited to hit the trail I couldn’t really wait for the sun, so at 5:52 I booked it off to the store and at 7:00 was on the trail. I was in fact in such a hurry to get on the trail that I failed to deet up. This was not necessarily a bad thing as the blood-suckers only got to me when I stopped.
I made it past this very buggy pond…
and on to Camp Lake (2.6 miles and close to 500 ft. gain) in about an hour.
Leaving Camp Lake. I dropped off to Lily Creek at around 7300 ft. Here is a shot of the creek as you drop down.
From there I climbed the 700 ft. in 1.5 miles to the un-named lake half way between Camp Lake and Piute Meadow.
The climb was tough (at least for me), but there were many wildflowers to brighten things up.
Finally topped out and headed down the 430 ft. to Piute Meadow.
Then it was time to climb the 430 ft back to cross into the drainage for the west fork of Cherry Creek and Piute Lake. To be honest I was really beginning to run out of steam but as usua,l the wildflowers made things a little more bearable.
Thankfully, it is only about a 200 ft. loss in elevation getting back down to Piute Lake.
This is a very nice lake and I was tempted to bail on my plan to make Gem (another 1.5 miles and 450 ft. gain), but the three young couples camped there pushed me on. Thankfully, there were still plenty of distractions along the way…
To be Continued….
Had the chance to get out for a short overnighter last weekend (July 5/6). This was my first backpack in my new backyard (Emigrant Wilderness). I was so excited to get out that I awoke at 4:00AM got dressed and headed to Crabtree TH. The problem with that was that I needed to pick up a coup[le of things at the store on my way, but with the trail head only about an hour from my house and the store not opening until 6 I was left with time on my hands. So I pulled off of the 108 near Cold Springs and watched the sun come up.
As you can see, I was so excited to hit the trail I couldn’t really wait for the sun, so at 5:52 I booked it off to the store and at 7:00 was on the trail. I was in fact in such a hurry to get on the trail that I failed to deet up. This was not necessarily a bad thing as the blood-suckers only got to me when I stopped.
I made it past this very buggy pond…
and on to Camp Lake (2.6 miles and close to 500 ft. gain) in about an hour.
Leaving Camp Lake. I dropped off to Lily Creek at around 7300 ft. Here is a shot of the creek as you drop down.
From there I climbed the 700 ft. in 1.5 miles to the un-named lake half way between Camp Lake and Piute Meadow.
The climb was tough (at least for me), but there were many wildflowers to brighten things up.
Finally topped out and headed down the 430 ft. to Piute Meadow.
Then it was time to climb the 430 ft back to cross into the drainage for the west fork of Cherry Creek and Piute Lake. To be honest I was really beginning to run out of steam but as usua,l the wildflowers made things a little more bearable.
Thankfully, it is only about a 200 ft. loss in elevation getting back down to Piute Lake.
This is a very nice lake and I was tempted to bail on my plan to make Gem (another 1.5 miles and 450 ft. gain), but the three young couples camped there pushed me on. Thankfully, there were still plenty of distractions along the way…
To be Continued….