Echo Lake walk - June 2021

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In mid-June eight of us traveled to Echo Lake, at about 7,500 ft. This is a popular day hike as well as the main backpacker route to reach Lake Aloha, in Desolation Wilderness.   

Because of the walk's popularity we had to park a quarter mile from the lake, not a big deal. We enjoyed a 20-minute boat ride to the north end of the lake, where our four mile round-trip walk began. We probably saw a hundred other hikers/backpackers today.

On this walk, impressive scenery begins right away; the most prominent peak, Ralston Peak, was climbed by many of today's hikers, 11 years ago, on the NW side, which had a lot of vegetation and woods (not barren as seen here). 

When walking in Sierra Nevada granite, you come to appreciate the parts of the trail where it is easy, like in the third photo below, because you can look around & appreciate the surroundings. When the trail is rocky & uneven, as in the fourth photo, you have to watch each step because of ankle-twisting or tripping potential, technical walking.      

note - you can enlarge any part of a picture by left-clicking in and then out again. 

	Echo Lake boat taxi		~ 10:30am		Rich		hikers on the  trail
		Echo Lake		impact of extended drought years		Ralston Peak at 9,239 ft.
	lupine		paintbrush				downhill to Ralston Lake
						we had a brief visit

Not far from Ralston Lake is Tamarack Lake, where we enjoyed a water-side lunch. Although none of the hikers took a swim, a few had toes in the lake.      

	Karen & Linda		phlox maybe...		Dave, see note
		aquatic grass		lunch at Tamarack Lake

note - overcast light created too much contrast & Dave's face was so deep in shadow that I had to lighten the image so he could be seen. 

After lunch we had a downhill walk back to the boat dock. Rich was paying attention & called ahead for a taxi while we were still uphill from the Lake, where (we were told) the reception was better than at the dock. 

As a result, by the time w were back at the dock we only had to wait a few minutes and were the first to board.  

	Karen				R & L, see note		Ralston Peak from the boat dock
				last look at the mountain		on the boat taxi
			ye pay upon off-loading

note - again, uneven trail conditions made this a technical walk, but all of the hikers did well.

Upon returning to the vehicles it was warm, upper 80s maybe, today being a 107 deg. F day in Sacramento. 

All of us stopped in Pollock Pines on the drive back on hwy. 50 and had an enjoyable 4:00 pm dinner at the Burger Barn. The couple running that place are super-nice.    

It was another great day out walking in the Sierras.     

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