dry_lake

Dry Lake Backpack

My 50th Backpacking Trip!
July 6-7, 2010

My friend Sonya and I did an overnighter up to Dry Lake in the San Gorgonio Wilderness Tues/Wed - after the crowds were back at work. We only saw a few other people on the trail, and were the only ones camped at the lake, which is one of the most popular spots to camp in the San G Wilderness. This wilderness area cradles the highest peaks in Southern California and is a beautiful spot to spend a few days, or a week.

We set off from the South Fork Trailhead about 9:00 am on Tuesday. We made very good time up to South Fork Meadows where we ate lunch. We'd been here before, last August as a dayhike, but being a month earlier we saw flowers that had already faded on our last trip - most notably, Hartweg's Iris. We also saw tons of Blue Penstemon, Bridge's Penstemon, Lupine, Wild Rose, Mariposa Lily, Indian Paintbrush, White Phlox, Western Wallflower, Yarrow, Snowplants, Monkeyflower, and two species of Orchids - Rein and Corral Spotted Root. It was too early for the Lemon Lilies - glad I saw them last August.

Beardtongue Penstemon

More photos here :)

Dayhike up to South Fork Meadows July 26, 2009
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After eating lunch at the meadows (highlighted by Sonya's home-grown cucumbers and cantaloupe) we started up the last switchbacks up to the lake. I was hoping to see water in the lake and we were not disappointed. I renamed "Dry Lake" to "Quarter-full Lake" for this trip. It will be dry in another month or two, though, only to refill after next winter's snow.

Speaking of snow, there was still some on the north face of Mt. San Gorgonio, which is the highest peak in Southern California at 11,499'. We also found one lone snow bank at 9,070' near the lake where we camped. It's nice to see in Southern California in July ;)

We camped near the backside of the lake near Lodgepole Spring. This delightful spring creates a short lived bubbly creek before the water disappears under ground again. We found a great campsite underneath the huge Lodgepole Pines there. We were entertained by hundreds of birds and the cutest little chipmunks - they were tinier than any I had seen before, maybe new babies out running around. We also had a golden-mantled ground squirrel run around our camp - the first one of these I've seen in Southern California I believe.

Since we got up to the campsite fairly early we had plenty of time to lounge around. We filtered water in the creek, ate dinner, Sonya had coffee, and we just relaxed until bedtime. The night was not too cold, still, and very quiet.

photo taken by Sonya

photo taken by Sonya

In the morning it was a bit chilly and so I made some hot cocoa. Then we made Backpacker Pantry's "Huevos Rancheros" which, unlike some other hiker egg dishes, actually had to be cooked instead of just reconstituted with hot water. So thank goodness I had brought some olive oil along, so the concoction didn't stick too bad in my Titanium pot. It made for a very yummy breakfast wrapped in Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Flatbread

After breakfast we packed up and headed back down to the Quarter-full Lake. Then on down the switchbacks to the meadows where we ate a snack and filtered a little water. We then made good time back down to the trailhead.

It was a nice overnighter and a great 50th backpacking trip! Challenging but didn't kill us (7 miles up to the campsite and 2,200' elevation gain), good company, lots of wildflowers and wildlife, fabulous weather, and gorgeous scenery.