We have sliced the Emigrant Wilderness in  various shapes over the years.   However, this trip  was to tackle the central feature of our summer playground, Granite Dome.   We have been gazing at and admiring this geological wonder and it was time to sit on its perch and drink in 360° of stupendous views.

We started off with the usual hospitable ride from the Kennedy Meadows Resort + Pack Station.   A short 5 hours later George and I, with his good friend Jim from Boston, were at Emigrant Meadow Lake, a favorite for us.   We set camp and then explored our surroundings, reconnecting with memories of the past and creating memories for the future.   The sun set, and after a good meal provided by Betsey, we watched two night rises.   First the moon flooded our darkness, and then Mars rose as another bright light to gaze upon.   We let our eyes  wander the carpeted galaxy that hung above us.   This is one of the best stargazing spots that I know of, a treat for anyone roaming this way.

Today we split up.   George and Jim headed for the nib next to Molo Mountain to see if they could scale it, and I headed out to photograph the area lakes.   Geo + Jim made it to the ridge below the nib, but due to the loose volcanic nature of the rock, they ceded to safety considerations and enjoyed the dizzying heights from that point.   My trek was not as intense, and I enjoyed a nice hike thru the area.   High Emigrant lake, which is the headwaters for the North Fork of Cherry Creek, is one of 16 lakes within Emigrant that have been augmented with a check dam.   These were all constructed in the 20's and 30's to capture water and ensure a flow thru the dry summer months. While not a part of the original wilderness, these were constructed before Emigrant was official, and provide real benefits to a variety of backcountry residents and guests.

Moving day!   We packed up early and headed down to Buck Lakes via Emigrant.   After huffing and puffing we found a perfect campsite and headed for the lake to catch dinner.   I was engrossed in getting my water bottle filter to work which had stopped filtering after just 8 days of clean water use.   I use a Boda of Boulder system, and was initially impressed with the ease of use but very concerned that the filter had such a short life.   Fortunately we were able to improvise using spare parts, but I will be having a long conversation with the manufacturer.

Designated as a rest day, we relaxed and did some quick peak bagging of the ridges on either side of the canyon.   The granodiorite walls on the north end of Buck Lakes are a dramatic backdrop and caught George's eye for a return rock climbing adventure.

Back on our regular hike and climb as-much-as-you-can schedule, we parted on a loop to visit several lakes close to the Wood Lake system.   These lakes also benefit from a set of check dams and would be a good base camp.   We popped over the ridge to visit Karls, Leighton and Red Can Lakes and spy down range vistas of Yosemite.   Leighton Lake is named after Fred Leighton, who was the principal force in building the 16 check dams throughout Emigrant.  

Dawn broke on what was to be one of our tougher hiking days.   The move to go up and over Granite Dome was planned in two stages to ensure we did not burn ourselves out.   The first 2 miles were on trail with the remaining distance cross-country.   We headed to the back of Long Lake, passed Coolidge Meadow Lake and proceeded up to the ridge above Wilson Meadow Lake, our stop for the night.   This lightly used lake was fringed by grassy meadows with plenty evidence of coyote families playing in the wet bogs, and an abundant population of frogs.   Several peaks at the North East corner of the meadow ledge reflected into the still waters of this quiet spot.

This was the day!   Granite Dome was to be tagged after 18 years of wondering what it would be like at the top. The first mile was up an easy broken chute, with the required huffing 'n puffing, making way to an almost open range and walkway to our target. After a quick rest and peak climb, we headed up to the Dome.   The weather gods had blessed us with late evening and early morning winds, sweeping away the haze from several brush fires down range at Bell Meadows that had dampened visibility the prior days.   If you look up " panorama" in the dictionary, by all means it should have a picture of what we saw- 360° of unbroken views, from Half Dome in Yosemite to the back ranges of Tahoe, it was all there for the eyes to soak in.   Time seemed to stand still as we gazed and gazed.

Up on this summit we met one of the Volunteer Backcountry Rangers who donate their time each summer to  a worthy cause. Since the 118,000 acres of Emigrant have only 2 full time rangers, these dedicated volunteers ply the back country to educate visitors and keep a watch on this unique corner of our Wilderness system. It is sad commentary that we can spend billions in other parts of the world, but do not have the funds to keep the Emigrant staffed at the optimum eight rangers it needs.   Our thanks to these wonderful people.   With our visit finished we saddled up our packs and headed down to our next stop, Upper Lewis Lake.

On our climb down from Granite Dome we caught a glimpse of Black Hawk Mountain and decided to do a quick half-day trip to scale it. And from our camp we could see it was a short distance as the crow flies, and it could have been.   But as is customary, George had to climb each and every ridge peak that we would encounter on our way to Black Hawk, tallying up to five.   The up and down translated into 3668 ft of elevation change on a day that Jim was trying to take it easy since he would be departing the following.   Half way we left him at  a beautiful spot with a few crystal clear tarns and told him we would be back shortly, but most importantly that he should not move. Well, two and a half hours later we returned to our relieved fellow traveler. The return trip treat was watching a sly river otter navigate the back end of Upper Lewis Lake in constant search of dinner for his family.   Mighty hardy creature to have picked a lake at over 9500 ft to make as his home.

Well, it was time for Jim to head back and we graciously volunteered to escort him down to the trail for his return to civilization.   After consulting maps and reference, we headed to what was supposed to be a moderate drop.   Well I zig'd instead of zag'd and we ended up a mile further down the main trail, which was good for Jim but added to our return.   On the heels of the prior day, we were looking for a moderate hike and encountered a path that took us just about vertical back to our perch at Upper Lewis. Once reached, it was time to chill and I took a swim in Sardella Lake that erased the past two days worth of grime and sweat.   Nothing like a quick dip to refresh the soul.   

Last day in the high country was local. We ran over to Ridge and Iceland Lakes, fished, rested under the blue skies and watched the dance of clouds in the east.   This particular spot seemed to be the break line for the thunder clouds developing on the eastern ridge that floated westward and were easily dissipated by the high pressure over the Pacific.   One after the other attempted to break thru, but were rebuffed and sent scattering to our benefit.

Time on these trips always seems to warp on by and we were now hiking out after what seemed to be just a few nanos of memory.   The skies were clear and the air fresh as we glided along our route and I could not help but hear a familiar rhyme.

The road goes ever on and on
    Down from the door when it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
    And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
    Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
    And whither then, I cannot say.

J.R.R.Tolkien