round top attempt

So I didn’t realize this until recently, but apparently according to the US Forest Service, every wilderness area is a special place. I know this because every time I enter a wilderness area I see a sign that says, “You are about to enter a special place.” It makes me think back to a previous trip to the Trinity Alps and wonder, was it really a special place? I can honestly say it was. Every wilderness area I’ve been to so far has been pretty special.

This trip was to the Mokelumne Wilderness area. I went with some people from my previous work place, CalPERS. The hike starts out in a heavily forested area near Carson Pass.

Our destination was Round Top peak, which is the peak on the left. The three to the right of it are known as the three sisters.

Two different ways to cross a creek. The dog way looks quicker.

The weather looked nice as we hiked upwards toward Round Top.

But as we got closer to the peak, it started to rain. Here’s a shot of the group with all our rain gear on. I tried to get Reese to look into the camera, but I guess he’s a bit camera shy.

If you zoom in on this picture, you can see a tiny speck of a person all the way on the right. I can’t tell if he’s going up or coming down from Round Top. Our group decided that we wouldn’t attempt to make the summit. The weather forecast called for thirty percent chance of thunderstorms, and the last place you want to be during a thunderstorm is the highest peak in the area…

So we started to head back. The wilderness is pretty scenic. Here’s a shot of Winnemucca lake, which is just below Round Top.

Even dogs can appreciate a nice view.

We stayed by the lake for a bit. Reese loves to play fetch. I got tired of throwing the stick before he got tired of fetching it.

Reese even fetches rocks.

As we started to hike back from the lake, the skies started to clear up again. DOH! Oh well, there’s always next time. Luckily the Mokulumne Wilderness isn’t too far away.

We passed by another lake on our way back to the car. This small lake is called Frog Lake. I remember this lake, because I went snow camping with some friends here a couple of winters ago. My friend James and I dug out an awesome snow cave here, but almost died of hypothermia because we had gotten wet from digging out the cave. We ended up with five guys squished into a three man tent. Thankfully we all survived to tell the tale, and I’m able to thank back and laugh.

Things I’m thankful for:

• Wilderness areas, they really all are special places
• Friends to hike with
• Chocolate Labradors