Dan's Outside

Big Pine Lakes 2006 – Day 4

***Thursday, August 10, 2006

Most were in no hurry to get started today, as it was a full layover day. However, I had heard yesterday that I might get good sunrise photos from Summit Lake, about 15 minutes up the trail. I got up around 5:30, grabbed a pack with my photo equipment, and headed up there.

I soon arrived and passed a small campsite occupied by still-sleeping backpackers, heading around the left side of the lake to a rocky area from which it appeared that I might look back at the ridge of Mt. Sill, Palisade Glacier, and North Palisade. I spent a good hour or so taking photos before heading back down to the campsite… where everyone else was still asleep.

Moon Setting Over Jigsaw Pass. Summit Lake, Sierra Nevada. August 10, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

Given the general lack of excitement at camp, I crawled back into my tent and got another hour or two of sleep.

The plan for the day was to visit some of the upper lakes, particularly Lakes Six and Seven. Unfortunately, wanting to save my aching toe for the next day and the hike back down, I felt that it would be better to take a full rest day – so I lingered around the campsite, reading, cleaning, and generally being lazy. The rest of the group reported that there were extensive wildflower displays near Lake Seven, so I made plans to go there the next day, foot willing.

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August 19, 2006 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary