To the south we saw an endless wilderness of lakes and peaks that we have yet to explore! Emigrant Wilderness - granite dome summit hike. A Wilderness Permit is required for all overnight trips to the Emigrant, Carson-Iceberg, and Mokelumne Wilderness Areas. The Tuolumne Intrusive Suite is the youngest and most extensive, occupying about 1/3 of the parks area. night 5: Upper Relief Valley - took use trail to the east .2 miles north of the junction - nice wind kept the mosquitoes away most of the day, but they were fierce at dusk when the wind died. If you are comfortable with a little off trail hiking I highly recommend this one. Be sure to bring your camera. From this viewpoint, we traversed around the end of Upper Lewis Lake and continued to stunning Ridge Lake. Morning is my favorite time backpacking, the smell of coffee brewing and the warm cup heating cold hands, the darkness of night fading through deep blue, then orange and yellow, the heat of the first rays of sun as it crests the surrounding mountains, and the anticipation of the day ahead. Complete photo album here. The dome, completed in 1915, is the focal point of the Capitol building. There are also some extreme creek/river crossing as well that are to be expected in the early summer season. night 2: layover at summit creek (did a day trip up to ridge lake) Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail: Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake, PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Loop Trail, Disaster Creek Trail: Iceberg Meadow to Paradise Valley, PCT, Golden Canyon, Wolf Creek Pass, and Disaster Creek Loop, Relief Reservoir, Toejam Lake, Powell Lake. third day all the way back . We made this mistake and ended up hiking over that entire peak at the end of an already long day! This beautiful large granite and glass structure is located on a granite dome that is the highest point . Getting to the Polly Dome Lakes Trail Trailhead. We followed the conga line of lakes towards Granite Dome -- Iceland, Ridge, Sardella, Lewis. The map was made using a combination of techniques including remote sensing, climbing, and geochemistry. It is definitely a shared trail with horses, but not as bad as Rachel claims below. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 58 min to complete. There are roughly 35 individually defined plutons in the Yosemite area. The Summit Trail may close in wet weather. Youll save a heap of time cutting this corner. The creek cuts down layers of gently sloping granite, draining from Ridge Lake and Iceland Lake 1,200 feet above. Granite Dome was an amazing weekend destination, but it was pretty enough that I could easily have spent a few days in the vicinity. After exploring the lake's shore, retrace your footing along the path back to the trailhead. There are also minor amounts of various accessory minerals such as titanite and zircon. More adventurous folks can camp elsewhere on the Dome, exploring Iceland, Sardella, or Ridge Lake, taking an alternate route down to Upper Relief valley and following the trail back to Kennedy Meadows. Granite Dome is an immense granite massif with numerous micro-basins occupied by a series of stunning alpine lakes set amid granite slabs and cliffs. I couldnt tell whether there was an official trail to the dam but it wasnt too hard to get to. Beautiful backpacking trip; would have been 5 stars if it wasn't so unexpectedly long. In 1966, the residents voted to incorporate into the City of Granite Shoals. We found a similar route back down to our campsite just as a small rain storm hit. The named lakes of the region include theLewis Lakes (lower, middle, upper), Sardella Lake, Ridge Lake and Iceland Lake with a numerous other smaller tarns. Right after getting off the trail towards the lake, its so dramatic and beautiful. It would be a great area to make a multi-day trip out of. It's a four for me because the trail is not your normal trail and the horses do make it soft and sand at parts. I feel lucky that we as three 30-somethings in relatively good shape made it, but I can imagine this option could result in an emergency situation for others. Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The area up by Ridge Lake and Iceland Lake is bigger than I expected and would have been fun to explore if we had more time. Read through our Climbing Information before you come. Most of the granite in the Sierra Nevada Batholith was emplaced between 120 and 85 million years ago during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. We did this loop July 3-8. I think it would be a very long and tiring day to camp your first night at Ridge Lake. The double river crossing All trails suggested didn't seem ideal so I crossed right after the fork here (N38.235029 W119.722289. Serene Tenaya Lake comes into view one mile further - this is the largest lake in the southern 2/3 of the park and has an especially attractive setting next to a group of smooth, streaked granite domes and jagged peaks (see panorama). Granite Dome via Kennedy Meadows Trailhead and Ridge Lake. Looking forward to flowers in the meadows! The route is up a forested valley, over open granite slopes, through more woodland along the creek and into a flat area with various small ponds and lakes beneath 9,806 foot Polly Dome, from where a short hiker-made trail crosses to the shore of the main lake. This time a full month later in early July the lakes were mostly frozen; a testament to the unprecedented High Sierra snowpack received in the winter of 2017. Once you reach the exposed granite of Lembert Dome, there is no trail, so follow the easiest path up to catch panoramic views of Tuolumne Meadows and the surrounding mountain range. The scenery, rock formations and legends are magical, too! fierce mosquitos! Granite is most often formed where oceanic plates dive beneath continental plates in tectonic environments called subduction zones. MLS # RX-10882121 We made our way up steeper slabs to Middle Lewis Lake, the largest lake in the Granite Balconies region. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. It is the predominant mountain in this area with a smattering of picturesque lakes that provide both excellent camping and fishing opportunities. The region is accessed via Kennedy Meadows off of the Sonora Pass Highway and includes a moderately steep trail to reach Relief Reservoir and beyond. There is usually some not too far from the summit all year round. Side trip from Lower Relief Valley to Iceland Lake was well worth it. Its a quick and flat walk and passes a smaller unnamed lake on the way. Theres been fantastic forest wildflowers under the canopy this year in the Santa Cruz Mountains #spottedatmidpen #santacruzmountains #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #westerntrillium #trilliumovatum #pacifictrillium, It appears winter is starting to loosen its grip on the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ridge Lake, on the same plateau as Iceland, is, to me, the prettiest lake in that area. Follow the ridgeline up and down several hills and false summits, through meadows, massive boulders and Joshua Tree-like columns and pillars till you find the summit and it's weird stagnant pools. The massive pink granite dome rising above Central Texas has drawn people for thousands of years. - third day ~10 mi, back to the free parking lot. A prime example is the Cathedral Peak Granodiorite, which has unusually large (up to 3 inches long) crystals of potassium feldspar that are thought to have formed through episodic heating and cooling of the magma. Pay close attention to topography or GPS and you should be able to maintain . We went during Memorial Day weekend expecting the trail to be mostly clear of snow, however there were parts where the trail disappeared under snow for miles. Pay close attention to topography or GPS and you should be able to maintain elevation from the saddle and wind around to an open area which leads straight to the lake. Different granites have unique chemical compositions that produce different mineral proportions. Lower Relief Valley is a large meadow, encircled by granite. The landscape of Yosemite National Park is a product of its unique geology, resulting from glacial erosion of the underlying granite. Absolutely love that area. The following links provide additional information on local conditions. Rock climbers must check in at park headquarters. Summary; Guest Rooms; Amenities; Location; Hotel Info; Reviews; View 31 Photos. Take a look at the page Granite Dome Day Hike for more detail on our route to the summit from this campsite. To protect this Natural Area, pets are only allowed in the designated day-use picnic areas, the campgrounds, and on the Loop Trail (pets are not allowed on any other trail). Overnight parking at the resort lot is $10/night and can be paid at the resort lobby. We had Ridge Lake all to ourselves as we set up base camp. You can buy wood for campfires at the park. From Highway 120 in Tuolumne Meadows, the trail for Cathedral Lakes follows the John Muir Trail (JMT) southwest through a lodgepole pine forest as it gains elevation en route to the Cathedral Range. The hike is very steep in certain areas, especially as you are making your final ascent to Deadman Lake. #dadadventures #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Ultra lush in the ancient Douglas Fir forest for a date run #spottedatmidpen #douglasfir #pseudotsugamenziesii #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, No shortage of giant trillium (Trillium chloropetalum) this year which are thriving in the moist conditions #gianttrillium #wildflowers #leavenotrace #recreateresponsibly #spottedatmidpen, #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #deer, Late afternoon light on the green slopes #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #santacruzmountains, Warriors plume fields #wildflowers #pedicularisdensiflora #leavenotrace #recreateresponsibly, Local friend #coyote #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Warm light on the layers #sunset #eveninglight #spottedatmidpen #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace, Green season is especially vibrant this year #spottedatmidpen #santacruzmountains #leavenotrace #recreateresponsibly, The Stanford campus and Dish lines up nicely with Mount Diablo from this spot in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was mostly dry in the morning but by afternoon it was wet and I had to carefully scoot across while keeping my feet sufficiently out of the water so the swift current would not pull me in! Several down trees and washouts. On the north side we could see Relief Reservoir and each of the lakes below: Iceland, Ridge, Sardella, and Lewis. I camped at the Kennedy Meadows Trailhead and set off early in the morning heading south and Saucer Meadow, where I departed . Overnight the wind died down and by morning the air was completely still. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. The initial hike out of Kennedy Meadows is notoriously hot, dusty, and covered in horse poo. There's a ton of waterfalls flowing from the mountain tops which was really pretty. For those wishing to visit the largest of the Polly Dome Lakes, look for an unofficial trail on the right (east) before a large granite outcropping. mark. 5 days/4 nights 40 miles* (more on that below) Route on Strava here. *This is where it gets intense. Granite Balconies. Camped overnight at Deer Lake mosquitos swarmed us at night and in the morning. This is the silica-rich magma that is often violently expelled from the large volcanos, like Mt. my first ever backpacking trip, made possible by hiking with two experienced friends. Mosaic of verdant grassland, oak woodland and coniferous Douglas fir and redwood forest #santacruzmountains #spring, Peaceful meadows #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace #meadows #conifers #santacruzmountains, This fascinating complex of redwoods has quite a story to tell. As a small rain storm hit route, it has towering granite mountains spectacular. As a small rain storm hit the double river crossing all trails suggested did seem. 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