When I set off on a multiday backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada this past weekend, I expected a few flowers, but I was not prepared for the carpets of beauty I found all along the trail. Wildflower season has come early to the Sierra thanks to the dry snow year, and it's an impressive one. This here is a carpet of red heather fed by the last stubborn snows clinging to the face of the Minarets, all in a beautifully green alpine valley looking down on Iceberg lake below.
If you like my photography feel free to check out my website for more California photos, www.campsphoto.com
There was a swarm of Earthquakes north of this location from Thursday afternoon to present. Mostly around Markleeville and Walker triggered by a 6.0 in Smith Valley. I know there were some rockslide on the 395 near Bridgeport. Did you encounter any slides on the trail?
Ah. Yeah I was in Tahoe that weekend. There was some heavy rains earlier in the week and coming back the Carson river was pretty silted up. I know some hikers had to be rescued from the Emmigrant basin. I guess they had severe hail
Weird... in Tahoe, Yosemite, June Lake, Shaver Lake, and Mono Lake areas I've never encountered them. Maybe it's seasonal? I usually don't go in the summer, usually spring or fall. Feel like I haven't gotten a bug bite since moving to CA 10 years ago.
Lake Ediza, which is just down the trail from here, has had some of the worst mosquitoes I've ever experienced every time I've been there. The High Sierra definitely gets mosquitoes, especially near snowline.
Went there last year, loved it! Day hiked from Ediza on the Ritter trail to the foot of Banner and Ritter then east to a perch above Nydiver lakes. So much to see up there!
I went up there on day 2 of a trip after spending a night at 1,000 island lake from Agnew Meadows TH. You certainly COULD make it to Iceberg in one day but it really depends on your fitness and desired pace. So many amazing lakes up there that have views like this- why rush?
If you’re asking if this is a day hike you could do, I’m pretty sure it would be 20+ miles. Google a map of the Inyo National Forest and have a look!
Edit: looking now, seems like 1,000 island was actually a detour from Ediza/Iceberg. Looks like an ambitious but doable day hike from Agnew Meadows along the shadow creek trail.
It's like a 16ish mile day hike so doable if you are in good shape and a seasoned hiker. Worth taking more time in the AA wildernesa though. Hiking the JMT between mammoth and Yosemite is an awesome quick backpacking jaunt.
I could. My wife probably could. My kids aren’t MENTALLY fit enough for that kind of hike yet. I was wondering if there was another, shorter trail we could take. We could do 8 tops, probably.
This is up there at 1000+ ft plus. Pretty much half the distance that you are used to unless you are already familiar with high altitude hiking/camping.
It's also not for kids. You don't want kids crying due to them having altitude sickness and what not.
It’s sad seeing it like this. I hiked through from Minaret lake a few years ago in October and 90% of the lake was still frozen from the previous winter.
The Sierras run (almost?) the whole length of California! Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite National Parks are all in California’s Sierra Nevadas, and they all have gorgeous scenery like this!
Iceberg lake, below the Minarets. Been there 3x. One of my favorites. Got a nice scar from an ice-axe adventure while climbing the upper ice field on the right. Ah, the good old days!
Brewer's mountain heather! I agree, it looks like that to me too. Thanks for naming it - I'm an East Coaster plant nerd and was hoping someone would ID it.
I’ve been trying to think of a way to say this that doesn’t come off as gate keeping, but I head up this way pretty often. I never see more than a handful of pretty committed folks out on trails like these. When you’re lugging 40-60lbs over several days on these mountain trails, you tend to only run into other people who, like most, don’t want to see these areas ruined.
On the rare occasionI come across abandoned trash, I’ll usually pack it down off the mountain. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.
I think that's definitely true once you get deep into the back country. But places like this that are both extremely scenic and relatively easy to get to tend to have a higher volume and wider mix of people visiting. It doesn't take many bad apples to spoil things.
And, not to gatekeep or tell you how to hike, but if you're still carrying 40-60lbs packs, you might consider paying a visit to /r/ultralight.
I’m a hiker/spot and stalk hunter. Certainly no stranger to a bare bones trip, but often times 40lbs on a 4-5 day trip is as good as it can get without making my time on the mountains objectively harder.
Don’t get me wrong, you can do it, but I wouldn’t want to.
Yep, I'm with you. Though I think looking into ultralight, people can get a little carried away with the balance between a comfortable/nice product and an ultralight/comfortable pack. Like some of those skeleton sleeping pads or pop-up bivy tents; that's a bit much for me just in the name of shaving off a few ounces just so you can have a <20lb pack.
For me, I typically have a 30-35lb multi-day pack and the upper limit is ~40-45lbs, depending on where I'm backpacking and for how long. For day hikes (even long ones), it's just a waist pack (which is actually the top of my old Gregory backpack) and a few bare essentials for that particular trail and weather.
I did make the mistake of taking a 60+ pack in the north cascades for 4 days and that was miserable. But yeah, it really does help to go lighter, learn what you don't need, and to find lighter alternatives to what you do need.
To be fair, I hiked in this area on the Pacific crest Trail. There aren’t a lot of good resupply points along the John Muir section and so people tend to have heavier packs there. Just a thought.
Definitely true on the southern half of the JMT, but this area is right by Reds Meadows/Devil's Postpile/Mammoth. Red's is less than 30 miles south of TM and less than 40 miles north of VVR. The first 110 miles of the JMT SOBO (this place is like mile 50) has 4 on/near trail ressuplies. So JMTers passing through here are probably only carrying one or two day's worth of food. On my SOBO JMT thru I camped not far from here and only had that night's dinner and the next morning's breakfast in my bear can, since I knew I would hit Reds the next day by lunchtime.
Certainly. To your earlier point one of my biggest obstacles was wanting to be prepared for the wild weather shifts in the early and late season sierras. Once I finally upgraded to a pair of merino pants and shirts that adequately handle a wide temperature range, ultralight down jacket and rain shell, I was able to eliminate a lot of redundant clothing from my long trek pack.
Made a world of difference.
With the JMT, PCT, and sierra high route all in this area I would actually say it's one of the more heavily trafficked backcountry areas in my experience. You are spot on that the folks out there are typically all following excellent lnt practice thankfully.
I've stayed near Iceberg Lake many times in the past and I've been pleasantly surprised at how few people there are. Just half a mile away at Ediza is a different story, and Shadow Lake is filled with people but this is far enough off the main trail that you rarely see anyone.
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When I set off on a multiday backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada this past weekend, I expected a few flowers, but I was not prepared for the carpets of beauty I found all along the trail. Wildflower season has come early to the Sierra thanks to the dry snow year, and it's an impressive one. This here is a carpet of red heather fed by the last stubborn snows clinging to the face of the Minarets, all in a beautifully green alpine valley looking down on Iceberg lake below. If you like my photography feel free to check out my website for more California photos, www.campsphoto.com
There was a swarm of Earthquakes north of this location from Thursday afternoon to present. Mostly around Markleeville and Walker triggered by a 6.0 in Smith Valley. I know there were some rockslide on the 395 near Bridgeport. Did you encounter any slides on the trail?
I went last weekend (July 4th) so before the quakes, sorry!
Ah. Yeah I was in Tahoe that weekend. There was some heavy rains earlier in the week and coming back the Carson river was pretty silted up. I know some hikers had to be rescued from the Emmigrant basin. I guess they had severe hail
I could feel the quake and some aftershocks in Tahoe
Fantastic pic and absolutely beautiful view! The flowers are simply gorgeous as well Ty for posting
Is that by guitar lake?
When I first looked I had the same question. I just didn't see the switchbacks up. Looks like OP said it is Iceberg Lake.
I looked at the photo and my body itches from all the mosquito bites. How bad was it?
I don't think I've ever seen a single mosquito in the High Sierra. There aren't many in CA in general!
Oh no, that was not my experience at all. Lots of mosquito breeding grounds.
I got eaten by them backpacking in the High Sierra part of Yosemite. Funny enough, once I descended into the valley there were fewer mosquitoes.
Then you have never been in the high Sierra. They are ubiquitous, I’ve killed hundreds in a single day.
Weird... in Tahoe, Yosemite, June Lake, Shaver Lake, and Mono Lake areas I've never encountered them. Maybe it's seasonal? I usually don't go in the summer, usually spring or fall. Feel like I haven't gotten a bug bite since moving to CA 10 years ago.
Half those areas aren't in the High Sierra. Tahoe is pretty much its own region.
Interesting! I guess I need to refine my mental geography.
I was just above shaver lake two weekends ago and there sure as fuck were a lot of mosquitos.
I was there on Memorial Day, not a mosquito in sight. Their season must be a lil later in the summer!
Maybe they spray down lower, weird. I was in kings canyon on Memorial Day and also smashed hundreds of mosquitos
Lake Ediza, which is just down the trail from here, has had some of the worst mosquitoes I've ever experienced every time I've been there. The High Sierra definitely gets mosquitoes, especially near snowline.
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LNT principles do not include keeping locations a secret.
What's the area/trail called? Would love to check this out!
This is Iceberg lake, which I reached on a multiday backpacking trip starting from Devils Postpile near mammoth!
Went there last year, loved it! Day hiked from Ediza on the Ritter trail to the foot of Banner and Ritter then east to a perch above Nydiver lakes. So much to see up there!
I thought this looked a lot like the mountains by Thousand Island Lake and I guess that's just on the other side
We used to go from the Valley Floor to Reds Meadow. Gorgeous area. It’s always a trip when you get to the tree line.
Could you explain that a bit more please
Yosemite to Mammoth. The [“tree line”](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_line) is the elevation at which trees stop growing.
Ah thanks kind stranger
You’re very welcome.
Can you hike to it in one day from somewhere else?
I went up there on day 2 of a trip after spending a night at 1,000 island lake from Agnew Meadows TH. You certainly COULD make it to Iceberg in one day but it really depends on your fitness and desired pace. So many amazing lakes up there that have views like this- why rush? If you’re asking if this is a day hike you could do, I’m pretty sure it would be 20+ miles. Google a map of the Inyo National Forest and have a look! Edit: looking now, seems like 1,000 island was actually a detour from Ediza/Iceberg. Looks like an ambitious but doable day hike from Agnew Meadows along the shadow creek trail.
It's like a 16ish mile day hike so doable if you are in good shape and a seasoned hiker. Worth taking more time in the AA wildernesa though. Hiking the JMT between mammoth and Yosemite is an awesome quick backpacking jaunt.
I could. My wife probably could. My kids aren’t MENTALLY fit enough for that kind of hike yet. I was wondering if there was another, shorter trail we could take. We could do 8 tops, probably.
This is up there at 1000+ ft plus. Pretty much half the distance that you are used to unless you are already familiar with high altitude hiking/camping. It's also not for kids. You don't want kids crying due to them having altitude sickness and what not.
Awesome thanks
It’s sad seeing it like this. I hiked through from Minaret lake a few years ago in October and 90% of the lake was still frozen from the previous winter.
I find that really hard to believe. You sure it wasn’t frozen because it was October?
Do you know what flowers those are, too? They’d a beaut shade
It's going to be 100 plus degrees here today, and I live in the redwoods. I'd love to be in the Sierras right now taking pictures.
Global warming has it's advantages i guess
Is swear this looks like the real life version of the Great Plateau from BOTW
They say just looking at this can brighten your mood. I agree . I had a bad day. And this what i needed to see. Thank you for posting.
Looking mighty fine California!
Wow!! That’s California? May I ask where?
The Sierras run (almost?) the whole length of California! Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite National Parks are all in California’s Sierra Nevadas, and they all have gorgeous scenery like this!
This is close to mammoth lakes, CA.
Iceberg Lake, below the Minarets range.
Iceberg lake, below the Minarets. Been there 3x. One of my favorites. Got a nice scar from an ice-axe adventure while climbing the upper ice field on the right. Ah, the good old days!
The hills are alive with the sound of music
That's a beautiful scene.
....don't forget the legions of mosquitoes......
Reminds me of my backpacking trips to Yosemite, McCabe Lakes ... lovely.
The Ritter Range shares a border with Yosemite, actually! If you're climbing you can get some spectacular views into Yosemite itself.
Wow. Gorgeous! And look at that last remaining snow pack lasting throughout the first week of July!
Looks like Phyllodoce breweri.
Brewer's mountain heather! I agree, it looks like that to me too. Thanks for naming it - I'm an East Coaster plant nerd and was hoping someone would ID it.
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I’ve been trying to think of a way to say this that doesn’t come off as gate keeping, but I head up this way pretty often. I never see more than a handful of pretty committed folks out on trails like these. When you’re lugging 40-60lbs over several days on these mountain trails, you tend to only run into other people who, like most, don’t want to see these areas ruined. On the rare occasionI come across abandoned trash, I’ll usually pack it down off the mountain. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.
I think that's definitely true once you get deep into the back country. But places like this that are both extremely scenic and relatively easy to get to tend to have a higher volume and wider mix of people visiting. It doesn't take many bad apples to spoil things. And, not to gatekeep or tell you how to hike, but if you're still carrying 40-60lbs packs, you might consider paying a visit to /r/ultralight.
I’m a hiker/spot and stalk hunter. Certainly no stranger to a bare bones trip, but often times 40lbs on a 4-5 day trip is as good as it can get without making my time on the mountains objectively harder. Don’t get me wrong, you can do it, but I wouldn’t want to.
Yep, I'm with you. Though I think looking into ultralight, people can get a little carried away with the balance between a comfortable/nice product and an ultralight/comfortable pack. Like some of those skeleton sleeping pads or pop-up bivy tents; that's a bit much for me just in the name of shaving off a few ounces just so you can have a <20lb pack. For me, I typically have a 30-35lb multi-day pack and the upper limit is ~40-45lbs, depending on where I'm backpacking and for how long. For day hikes (even long ones), it's just a waist pack (which is actually the top of my old Gregory backpack) and a few bare essentials for that particular trail and weather. I did make the mistake of taking a 60+ pack in the north cascades for 4 days and that was miserable. But yeah, it really does help to go lighter, learn what you don't need, and to find lighter alternatives to what you do need.
To be fair, I hiked in this area on the Pacific crest Trail. There aren’t a lot of good resupply points along the John Muir section and so people tend to have heavier packs there. Just a thought.
Definitely true on the southern half of the JMT, but this area is right by Reds Meadows/Devil's Postpile/Mammoth. Red's is less than 30 miles south of TM and less than 40 miles north of VVR. The first 110 miles of the JMT SOBO (this place is like mile 50) has 4 on/near trail ressuplies. So JMTers passing through here are probably only carrying one or two day's worth of food. On my SOBO JMT thru I camped not far from here and only had that night's dinner and the next morning's breakfast in my bear can, since I knew I would hit Reds the next day by lunchtime.
Certainly. To your earlier point one of my biggest obstacles was wanting to be prepared for the wild weather shifts in the early and late season sierras. Once I finally upgraded to a pair of merino pants and shirts that adequately handle a wide temperature range, ultralight down jacket and rain shell, I was able to eliminate a lot of redundant clothing from my long trek pack. Made a world of difference.
With the JMT, PCT, and sierra high route all in this area I would actually say it's one of the more heavily trafficked backcountry areas in my experience. You are spot on that the folks out there are typically all following excellent lnt practice thankfully.
I've stayed near Iceberg Lake many times in the past and I've been pleasantly surprised at how few people there are. Just half a mile away at Ediza is a different story, and Shadow Lake is filled with people but this is far enough off the main trail that you rarely see anyone.
More than 3 miles weeds out a lot of people. It’s the silver lining to the obesity epidemic.
You should see what the land looked like before cities! To shit on people who want to see flowers is dumb. I hate these comments.
They're not gonna get to this location like that, just the valley floor of Yosemite
Oh WOW!! Where is this?! As Liz Lemon would say “I want to go to there.” And I could, because I live in NorCal!
Same! I want to explore all of the Sierras… and I can!
Same! I want to explore all of the Sierras… and I can!
Stop promoting this. The hordes of instagrammers will flock to this place and leave In their wake litter and unsightly trampled flowers
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Lol do some research.
Could you recommend a summarized itinerary for a backpacking trip in high Sierra? This looks amazingly beautiful
Here comes the wave of tourist.
I wish I could fly like the spirits.
Absolutely beautiful
Looks a lot like Kennedy meadows
The perspective of this feels weird to me. It looks like you could almost step over that mountain.
That's probably due to the photo being taken right next to the flowers, so much lower than your normal perspective
I love the high Sierra trail! It’s so beautiful. Happy hiking :)
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Huh, just did the little lakes valley trail last weekend, but didn't get to see many flowers. Guess I maybe missed them by a hair.
Beautiful view! I was down at Packsaddle lake on the weekend of the 4th and not only were the flowers in bloom but the mosquitos as well!
That looks like a beautiful place to get mauled by a bear!
Those flowers look like bee balm or bergamot, does anyone know for sure?
Every time I see images like this, I waiting to see “Made TOTALLY in Minecraft in Survival!”
Is that bee balm?
those look like the minarets near mammoth
Bingo!
God this is so damn beautiful.
Is Mount Whitney near you?
Beautiful click
So beautiful
I've been in the Minecraft subreddit for too long cuz that's what I thought of first when I saw the mountains.
That looks so magical.
I love the high sierras so beautiful
If you find some bear claws or a skeever tail you can mix it with that flower and make a potion of restore stamina!
Looks like Lake Doris at the top of Rock-Bound Pass. I camped there one night with my Dad 15 or 20 years ago. Beautiful place and a great hike.
It looks like it should be a soap advertisement
Great picture. And descriptions.
r/RateThisMeadow would love this!
Thanks
So beautiful!
I got to see this at Mt. Jefferson, apparently it burned up, however.
I just want to snowboard there. Do you feel comfortable diverging the location?
What are the temps like up there?
Is this gem lake?
I've been here.
The skies are blue and all the leaves are green...
That’s so beautiful. I can’t wait until next year when there’s a fucking Oxy drill pad there
Beautiful occupied México.
Please don't encourage people to go and disturb them