Desolation Bound this weekend

“Headin' up to Desolation Wilderness this weekend and hoping to summit Pyramid Peak from the SW. Anyone been up there in the last couple weekends? How's the snowpack?”

“How's the bugs?”

“How's Dunk?”

“Hey have a good one Dunk. I'm headed north to Goat Rocks this weekend.”

“Hey Dunk, when you say from the SW are you talking about Hwy 50? I'm looking to do Pyramid from Lake Sylvia later this summer as a tuneup for Shasta.

I scoped out the Sylvia side as best I could a couple weeks ago on a day hike and there didn't appear to be much snow at all. If you're climbing a south facing route I would expect to see even less.

Good luck, I hope you post a report.”

“Just decided to head up towards the Sierras this weekend...unfortunately I am bringing along a friend who is more of a day hiker than a backpacker.

any advice on a good car camping (gulp) spot with good day hikes?

Is the Desolation area accessible in that way?”

“bongo, yes you can dayhike into Desolation from carcamp spots. Consider Wrights Lake as your camp and a number of trails from there. I went up to Twin Lakes a month or so ago and didn't have too much trouble finding the trail even though allot of ducks were missing and the granite doesn't reveal trails that well without them. Wrights is just one way in, there are other similar opportunities all around, including the Lake Tahoe Basin where some people from this board just did a multi day trip after car camping at Sugar Pine, I think.

I hope you have a great time!”

“Thanks for the advice rockbuck.

What's the permit situation like? am I screwed if I just head up there (should I make reservations is my question). And, what's the crowd like at Wright's?

Looks like a great place.”

“Bongo, dayhike permits are no problem, you can pick them up from the little box at each trailhead. The quota system only comes into play if you want to stay overnight in Desolation. Wrights Lake is not part of the DW and when I was there about three weeks ago there was hardly anybody there and there are allot of car camp sites but, that was before the official start of summer so you might want to see if you can reserve a spot just in case.

There's good hiking there...why if didn't just get back from a 4 day trip I'd probably be going there myself.”

“Sunshine, I'm doin' good but busy having just moved. I've got no home internet connection yet and it looks like I'm gonna hafta bring the computer to the doctors.

rockbuck, Lk Sylvia is the intended starting point, this early in the season I was a bit concerned about getting to the ridgeline south of Lake Sylvia. From there, I expect little in the way of snow.”

“Dunk, I'm glad you posted that your not "connected" right now. Lookingglass just e-mailed you. We will be coming to California again & we will be staying in Pacific Grove like last time.

We wondered if you were available for a hike on July 14th for Mt. Tam or July 15th for Julia Pheiffer park, the one with the falls that empties out on to the beach. Actually, I am up for ideas too.”

“LH, I did get the message from LG, I can still do all my doin's online just not from home. I might be able to join you that weekend but might suggest something other the Mt Tam. Tam can get HOTTTTT! in the summer. Maybe y'all would like to visit the Sierras?”

“Rockbuck, many thanks on the info for wright's lake. We went up this weekend and had a great time.

Left Berkeley around 7:30am on Saturday, got up to the campground around 11:00am and got a really nice secluded spot (well at least for a car camp ground). Amazing how some folks consider a 100 yard walk too far away to set up camp.

Hiked the Rockbound pass trail--perfect weather the whole trip and a great view from the top of the pass.

The only problem with the whole experience was the bug feeding frenzy around 6pm...thank god we remembered the bug spray!

What a great area, and so close...looks like I am a Sierra convert...”

“Haven't been there since Mem Day, but you can go to the Desolation trip report thread for links to pics. The only really tough time with snow was on the north side of Dick's Pass...obliterated trail for, what? Mile and a half maybe? Lots of postholing there.

Have fun! I'd love to go back there.”

“Alright Bongo, glad it worked out and you had a great time!

I did my quiet weekend at home now I'm ready to get out again, just may head up there for quick overnighter next weekend. Thanks for the info on the bug situation. I swear, I'll take bears and lions over bugs any day.”

“Just secured a permit for BowlderSon and I to go into Lake Sylvia this Saturday. We will try to get up to Pyramid Peak on Sunday AM. If anyone happens to be in the area, stop by our Half Dome and say HI!”

“Have fun. We're headed up to the Oregon coast for a reunion. Are you on the NorthCA_Hiking Yahoo group? Some of those folks were just up at Desolation last weekend and posted photo links. They said lots of wildflowers.”

“Oooo, nice! No, I'm not on that group - I'll check it out.... I just posted something for you on the Half Dome thread a minute ago re: the JMT....”

“Here's a link, hopefully. That hyperlink thing doesn't like me. There are a lot of close-by, weekend trips with this group and some kids.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthCA_Hiking/?yguid=200244658”

“Thanks wannabp - the link worked. You're practically a hacker!”

“Yep, that was David and Theresa and I who were up there last weekend. It is so gorgeous right now - just the right amount of water and the wildflowers are peaking. Watch out for the mosquitoes though - they were nonexistant during the day, but came out in armies at dusk.
Pictures are on my site, www.calipidder.com. :)”

“Thanks for the pics, calipidder! I've been to Twin Lakes a couple of times - it's great! I like to set up my tent so I have a view of that waterfall out my door....

I tried to get songbyrd to hike with us this weekend, but she's "busy"....

I saw your Y-meadow Lake pics, too. I was a little above there on July 4th weekend, scrambling up to Granite Lake from Lilypad Lake out of Crabtree (the road to the Gianelli trailhead was still closed by snow).

Hi to David!”

“Hey Bowlderdude, I'll be in that general area as well. If you see a solo BPer with a Granite Gear VT pack, say hello - I'll keep a lookout for you guys!

I went up Mt.Ralston trail over July 4 weekend, here are my pic's, you can see how much snow was still there! I'm guessing it's almost all gone now though given the weather around here.
http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=551899440&security=nWVQkR
last edited: 7/25/06 11:50:51 AM”

“Excellent, wanderer! We'll keep our eyes peeled....”

“Have fun Bowlders! Give us some TR & pics when you return.

Today is packing day at the Flip's here in Easky. We leave tomorrow on the longest trip of the year for us. I'm sooooo exhausted from the heat!

Have fun!”

“TR will be posted Monday, fer sure! Where ya headed, flipster?”

“Trinity Alps. Horse packing so I'll have some beer and carbinated beverage going. Fried fish and hushpuppies baby.

Hey this isn't the correct thread but you'll be interested in this. My niece Jess made the girls age 9-12 fastpitch softball Cottonwood Allstar team. They lost yesterday in Martinez to Gilroy. They finished 3rd in the state. To get there they won tournaments in Anderson, Eureka, and Chico. Pretty proud of her right about now.”

“Hi Marty

You two have a great time this weekend..I have done Pyramid from Sylvia Lake twice before & one time from Rocky canyon.
If you have time the two lakes above Sylvia are really cool to check out.
I hope the mosquitoes won't be to bad at Sylvia for you
Have fun..I will look forward on your beautiful pictures.

Wanderer, Beautiful pictures of your hike to Ralston..I always love the view from up there. Did you go see cup Lake?
Theflip I love the Trinity Alps! I was born and raised in Arcata, so it was fairly close for me to get there..It is a beautiful area :)”

“Thanks, M.I.T.! For the route up Pyramid, did you go up past the 2 lakes you mentioned to the ridge, then turn right up to the peak? Or did you go around to the southeast side of the peak and come up that way? It looks like you could even make a loop of it....”

“Marty..Hope you get this...don't know if you have left already. I did not hike to Pyramid from those two lakes...Don't know for sure how that would be.

I would go like you had planned starting from Sylvia....and then see what the route looks like from Pyramid down to those two lakes...you can see them from the summit. And if it looks safe you could then make it a loop to those lakes and back down to Sylvia. The second time I did pyramid from Sylvia..we went down a little different way..we started heading back down the same way, but then dropped down off the ridge above where you would normally drop back down....that way dropped us off above Sylvia and below those lakes..like in between, that way was okay we did cliff out a few times, but just looked for another way down.
I don't know if this will help..but thought I would post again.
You two have a safe and fun trip..the weather looks pretty good for the two days...Sunday a bit better”

“Thanks, M.I.T.!! We're not leaving until early AM tomorrow (Saturday)....”