Tuolumne Meadows to Echo Lake

By the time I finally left Tuolmne Meadows I was ready to get out of Yosemite. The amount of people in the park freaked me out. I thought for sure we would get out of day hiker territory soon. I like day hikers, but running into 25 people a day was getting old.

Although my breaks are controversial, meaning I have taken too many, it did make us go through perfect flower time of year. The wild flowers were beautiful.

Mile 1000 was a great accomplishment. Next goal is half way and then the end. I just keep walking until I can't anymore.

The terrain went through just a crazy shift from Yosemite lush green meadows and granite to dry choosy lava rock. 

It was a geological wonder. I would love to research the history of this area in depth. How are black peaks a pile of rubble on top of granite? It's beautiful.

Around Echo Lake the confir forrest comes back but it is still quite dry. Echo Lake has amazing ice cream that I would suggest getting twice. It is such a treat right on trail. 

Central Sierra: Eldorado NF and Tahoe NF

maps k and l

Eldorado National Forest was established in 1910. It had previously been used for harvesting timber and mining. Now that is if forest land the mining has stopped but commercial logging still occurs in some areas. There are islands of private land in a mass in Eldorado, surrounded on all sides by forest lands. This is a forest with many roads new and old, paved and otherwise. Within the National Forest is  Desolation Wilderness. Below is a picture of Horsetail Falls

I can't find any climbing spots on the internet, but this is a gorgeous granite basin; carved by glaciers in ice ages past. The Crystal mountain range can be seen from Aloha Lake. The trail skits the edge of the lake. The photo below gives you a real feel for what we will be walking through.

With bedrock granite and limited soil no fall will be cushy, so good footing and taking a lot of mental breaks will be very important for this section. I hope to run into a porcupine in lower elevations and marmots in higher. Both are comedic animals. Marmots sun bath like they are on a swim suite calendars and look at you like "do I really have to run away from you?"

Tahoe National Forest was established in 1905 but President McKinley had sectioned off a portions of the land in 1899 as forest reserve. It was an attempt to protect the trees from the over logging practices being used at the time. Within Tahoe NF is the Granite Chief Wilderness. The PCT passes right by Granite Chief Peak, the highest in the wilderness ( 9006ft/ 2745m.) It is nothing too special in the summer, but in the winter there is a popular ski traverse from Granite Chief Peak to Needle Peak. Despite the name, this area actually has quite a lot of greenery.

I couldn't find any endangered flora, but if anyone knows of some I would be happy to learn of them.

Rock Climbing:
Echo Lake is not just home of a resort, but also home to some pretty wicked climbing. This is another PCT score because all the approaches start from the PCT. The trad routes are right close. I pretty much have to try my hand at Path of Life: AKA Thug Life; it's an easy 5.8 trad route on Gangsta Wall and it's a perfect route to climb free. If I meet up with people with gear, I'll hopefully jump on some of the 5.10s and try my hand at an 5.11 while I'm there (AKA fail, 5.11 is still passed my pay grade, maybe in 2015). Flagpole Wall and New Peculiar is close too.
Next bit of climbing is at Donner Pass. For those looking for a classic 5.11d, check out Manic Depression on Snowshed Wall. Donner Pass also bring some more moderate climbing, it looks a like another trail jackpot. I'm looking forward to Baboon Crag; apparently the PCT walks right up to this odd shaped wall. Just look at The Gecko (5.10c).