Desolation Wilderness, CA

[Klas Eklof]

Desolation Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest, California.
July 4,5,6, 2008.

Long July 4th weekend vacation, just a relaxing trip to get out of town. Not pushing the boundaries of ultralight or ultramilage or ultraanything.
This was supposed to be my cool-down from running the Western States 100, which was cancelled last weekend due to fires. Instead I was fresh and itching to run.

Climbed from Twin Bridges (6,100’), up Horsetail Falls, and camped 2 nights at Toem Lake (7,650’). Clear and dry weather, low 40’s at night and high 80’s in the day.

Horsetail Falls from below:

The steep scramble next to the falls:

View over the falls:

Top of the falls:

Duo at Toem:

Special pictures, just for Dave T:

[Dave T]

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[Tony Wong]

Klas,

Thank you for posting those pictures.

Amazing blue sky with the granite.

-Tony

[George Matthews]

Fantastic! Is the blue sky enhanced? Looks good.

[Rick Dreher]

Great photos and nice trip Klas, you really hit the weather perfectly!

After this week's brutal heat, most of those remaining snow patches will probably be gone as well.

[Dave T]

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[Klas Eklof]

on a scale of 1 to 10,
where 1 = no bugs
and 10 = alaskan man-eater swarms of murder,
I'd rate the conditions last weekend to be a 3.

During the day, we brushed a few away but generally had very few problems and no protection or chemicals required, the light breeze seemsed to help too.
During the evenings, they were present and hungry.
One reason we took the Duo was for bug sanctuary.
If, for example, we had taken a tarp or bivy, a headnet would not have been weight wasted.

Have a great trip.

[Dylan Taylor]

at the end of last fall i did that trip into dessy wilderness up through eagle falls. that is a fun route– i thought it like a class 2 scramble at the crux. i did it solo and went astray a few times but ultimately made it up without any major problems. i posted a trip report back then:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=10354

its cool to note the major difference in the water level of lake aloha between late last fall and early summer (now). the water is obviously much higher now.

but i am surprised at the snowpack– nothing! compare that with the other post of the southern cascades. its like night and day.

anyway, dave im up for that route you expressed interest in– the death march or some such– going over the peaks of the crystal range. let me know when you are going to do that and i will try to make it up for the trip.

im doing 100 miles on the tahoe rim trail in a week and half. thanks for the updates via pics on the trail conditions.

cant wait!

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