Dale Matson
Click On Photographs To Enlarge
Hike Route
For more particulars on this annual hike see my posting from
2014 here:
This hike is about 9 miles round trip with about 2,000' of gain overall. This year, I
was surprised by the lack of snow on the trail that has a lot of shade. The
recent hike to Twin Lakes at about the same elevation nearby had more snow
around the trail and some snow on the trail. If you look carefully, you can see
a tree with a sign on it used for the snow survey at about 8,000’.
The Sierra
National Forest crew had already cleaned up the winter deadfalls and debris and
both trails were in good shape. This year I spotted fresh bear scat on the
trail. My son Ben, who had hiked ahead of me didn’t see the scat outbound and I
suspect the bear came along the trail between us.
At the time of
this writing there are still two seasonal creeks flowing across the trail for
water resupply if you have a means to filter or purify it. Of course, Nellie
Lake is also available for water if filtered or purified. The mosquitoes were
not too bad either but bring insect spray. Keep an eye on the signage at the
junction of the Kaiser Peak and Nellie Lake trails.
I have not
fished Nellie Lake but have seen fish strikes there. There are also nice camping
sites away from the lake. The overnight wilderness permits are available at the
junction of Highway 168 and Kaiser Pass Road before Huntington Lake.
These annual
hikes are warm ups for mid to late summer hikes and backpacking in the eastern
Sierra Nevada. Usually Kaiser Peak (10,300’) is the last of the early hikes. It
is a hike with 3,000’ of gain and about 12 miles round trip. Here is my 2016
trip report. If you can do this hike you are ready for an overnight in the
eastern Sierra.
Each annual trip
to Nellie Lake is different because of the weather and snow conditions. My
camera equipment also changes. This year, I used the Sony A7R3 (my best camera
yet) and the Sony 16-35 GM 2.8 lens.
Finally, the
outlet to Nellie Lake is Home Camp Creek which flows south into Huntington
Lake.
The Only Time Ben Was Behind Me
Snow Measurement Location
Bear Scat
Recently Cleared Part Of Trail
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