DESTINATION Generic 177 Photosets
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| Lower Lamarck Lake from North Lake, CA | |
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| | Lower Lamarck Lake from North Lake, CA | | | |
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Lower Lamarck Lake from North Lake, CA
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| Hiking | 5.88 Miles |
1,462 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.88 Miles | 7 Hrs | | 1.11 mph |
| 1,462 ft AEG | 1 Hour 41 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This was my 5th Eastern Sierras day hike in 7 days and like the other 4, it did not disappoint. The official trailhead for this hike is shared with the Piute Pass TH in the North Lake Campground. However parking in the CG for non-campers is not allowed so parking in the large hikers parking lot at North Lake is required. This adds about an extra 1.2 miles out-and-back to the hike but provides some good views of the surrounding canyon sides. I was surprised to find several of the 8 car campsites were available on this Thursday before the 4th of July weekend. But I was already locked into a 7 night stay over the weekend at the Willows CG on the South Lake Rd.
The hike started out with a pleasant conversation with a young woman backpacker who was waiting at the trailhead for her friend to return on a shuttle from the South Lake TH. They were planning on a multiday backback ending up at South Lake. The mosquitoes were being real pests and she was well prepared with clothing protecting her from head to toe including a mosquito net on her head and gloves on her hands. The mosquitoes were a problem for most of my 11 days in the Eastern Sierras. I tested a new repellant on the trip and it sort-of worked for about 2 hours between applications. I had a discussion with several seasoned backpackers on a hike later in the trip about repellants and how to avoid the mosquitoes but I'll leave that for my Dingleberry Lake triplog.
The Lamarck Lake trail leaves the Piute Pass Trail about 150 yds from the TH and is marked with a sign. It crosses the North Fork Bishop Creek in dense forest and bushes and then starts the switch back climb up the side of the canyon. This is also a route to Grass Lake and that trail is marked with a sign where it leaves the Lamarck Lakes Trail about a mile from the Piute Trail intersection. There is a slightly more direct route to Grass Lake on a trail that follows Lamarck Creek from the N. Lake Road bridge. After leaving the intersection with the Grass Lake Trail the trail starts a rugged steep switch back climb up a hillside that is more cliff than hillside. This section of the trail provides great views across the Lamarck Creek basin and also a clear view down canyon towards Bishop with spotty cell phone reception. After lengthy delays to touch base with the folks back home and a long conversation with Mike, a local cross country hiker who has a cabin near South Lake, I made it to the lower lake. After enjoying the lake views and a snack while sitting on a huge bolder at the lakes edge I started my return. |
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