Bright eyed and bushy tailed we are up and after an Uber back at Echo Chalet to start into Desolation Wilderness. We are a day behind out permit entering, but not much can be done about it now. The bigger worry than a slightly out of sync permit is that there are rain storms predicted for today starting at around 2 pm. Now the weather forecasts have been uncanny in the accuracy of the actual start times of the weather!
This will be the start of 4 days in this section to get to Tahoe City for our resupply. We managed to change our nero day reservations in TC and we have enough food still left, with eating out last night, to get us to our resupply.
Lower Echo Lake looking particular rough as we start out early in the morning.
The clouds don't bode well for the rest of the day.
Getting past both Lower and Upper Echo Lake and looking back. You can just make out that the rain is moving up the lake toward us.
The entire way up is very rocky walking on crushed granite from pebbles to fist size to shoe box size rocks.
We get to the boundary to Desolation Wilderness. We can now camp legally anywhere with our permit, but we are headed toward Susie Lake, still six miles away, before the real rain starts.
We actually are in good spirits considering the conditions. The fashion show starts just after the DS boundary.
Somehow Bobbi forgot to pack her rain jacket. We noticed this the other day, so yesterday, we picked up a poncho at the outstore store to give her some protection.
The Trail does eventually level out and get off the rocks for a bit between lakes. It was good to walk in the forest past Lake of the Woods and Lake Margery.
Bobbi finds a way to rock her new look rain gear!
She is a good sport for sure.
Our jaws drop when we reach Lake Aloha. with Pyramid Peak and the other ridges in the background this is unlike anything I have seen before in the back country.
This tree is perfectly reflecting the day. The wind is coming off the lake 30-35 mph and making it hard at times to even walk straight.
Aloha Lake is a long lake and you walk the entire length. About 2 miles from the time you first see it along the shore to the end.
You "turn the corner" and drop down from Aloha toward Heather Lake and then Susie beyond. There was a myriad of wildflowers still blooming and while it was raining I couldn't resist a few pictures. We saw two grouse playing near a spring in the tall grass as well.
iPhone does not focus well in low light and rain.
Just as we reached Heather Lake it turned about 2 pm and true to the forecast the heavy rain started. You could not see your hand in front of your face at times and the wind picked up even more blowing in from across Heather Lake. This traverse was also totally on the steep rocky side. You needed to watch your footing the entire time you were walking.
We made it past Heather Lake and to Susie a short time after, but not many pictures as it was raining hard. Tent up and dive in to get off wet clothes and into dry cloths.
Oh no, Bobbi had been cold today as the high was only around 38 degrees today and had been wearing all her sleep cloths, which means she is soaked with nothing dry to get into except her puffy jacket!
Fortunately, between my rain gear and using my umbrella even in the high wind I was mostly dry. She gets my sleep cloths and some hot coffee and we get sorted out. Cooking dinner in our closed tent vestibule (not recommended!) We are sorted as the storm rages outside and rage it did. I had to put large rocks on each tent stake and one side of the tent would periodically be pushed almost to the middle of the tent if not for our bodies in the way.
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