Granite Lake - July '26 

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On the last Saturday in July, five of us enjoyed walking near beautiful Silver Lake, on Hwy 88, up around 7,500 ft. This area has lofty peaks of volcanic origin, and, vast granite outcroppings lower down. 

Max & Maryam met Jean, Kathy & me at the trailhead, not far from Kit Carson Lodge. It was mostly an uphill walk to the lakes. 

Shot Rock Vista - on the drive up hwy. 88, just after Mormon Emigrant Road connects, and, about 15 minutes before arrival, we pulled off at this familiar restroom & scenic overlook at 7,600 ft.  

from Shot Rock parking area

looking south, see note

looking uphill (east)

note - After stopping here for years (since the 90s) while coming or going on camping or day-hike trips, Rich and I once pondered an ad-lib walk through this impressive open-face granite terrain. Finally, in 2008, a group of 10 of us hopped over the wall at the scenic overlook, dropped into the Tragedy Springs drainage area, and then climbed up through the granite hillside. Eventually two separate groups (Rich leading the main group & Geno leading a smaller bunch) made it to the distant ridge, but we were about a quarter-mile apart (and in radio contact).  It was a good day out and going trail-less appealed to me.  

Granite & Hidden Lakes trail - in a few miles of uphill waking in the granite, we saw three lakes, the last & largest being Granite Lake, where we stopped for lunch.   

	in the mountains !		Sierra granite		volcanic Thunder  Mtn. (9,400 ft.), see note 1
		Silver Lake (& Red Lake Peak at right)		the group
			small lake		pine tree at Granite Lake
		Granite Lake cont'd.		Sierra crest to the east
	bonsai pine at lunch spot

note 1 - on the other (or eastern) side of Thunder Mtn. are a cluster of black diamond runs at Kirkwood Ski Resort.

Granite Lake turned out to be shallow and from where we had lunch the lake was murky and no one wanted to put their feet in.  But across the lake a family was on a rock outcropping extending into the lake and when the kids tried to swim it looked maybe two feet deep. They also had a nice little sandy beach to themselves.  

On the walk back....

	Maryam, Kathy, & Jean		corn lily meadow		Pinemat manzanita, growing in bark
		the rock garden		Kathy (in shade) & Jean on the return walk

On AllTrails, this is the Granite & Hidden Lakes Trail, 7.1 miles & 685 ft. of gain. We never got to Hidden Lake, instead stopping at Granite Lake for lunch, as mentioned, and then we walked another mile or so uphill, for a total of 5.5 miles & 450 ft. of gain (based on the Alltrails profile) 

We turned around just as it was beginning to get warm, whereas for most of the walk we had enjoyed cooling breezes (and mountain conifer aromas). The air up here makes it all worth it !!

Plant ID is via Picture This. 

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