June Lake

[RichardK]

We were in June Lake at the end of August. The smoke was not bad. It was clear until late afternoon when a little haze and smoke smell would drift in. Coming from flat Florida, we didn't try anything strenuous. On the first day, we went to Yosemite to hike the Pothole Dome trail to the Tuolumne River. The other days were spent off the June Lake Loop hiking Parker Lake, the Fern Lake trail, and around the Walker Lake/Mono Pass trailhead. Here are a few pictures:

Pothole Dome and the Tuolumne River

Parker Creek

Duck near Parker Lake

Fern Creek and log bridge to Yost Lake

Silver Lake from the Fern Lake Trail

A fisherman's use trail heads southwest from the Walker Lake Trailhead. We followed it for about a mile by mistake. The forest service told me that it peters out above the Sardine Lakes. The correct trail to Walker Lake climbs immediately uphill from the trailhead where you can see Walker Lake below.

Happy hikers at Parker Lake

[JeffH]

Looks like a great time out there and you managed to avoid the crowds - that shot at Parker Lake could be almost anywhere except for the absence of strangers in the background. The water in the creeks looks like it is flowing rather light at this time of year.
Since you're coming from the other side of the country, how much of your adventure is planned vs unplanned?

[RichardK]

The bad thing about being in Florida vs. California is the extra travel expense to get to the Sierras (or Death Valley): plane tickets and vehicle rental. So, I try to plan everything in advance to get the most bang for the buck. I tend to be ambitious about what we can do. That way, we can adjust on the fly to what we can actually accomplish.

[Girl Hiker]

Nice Pics!