So after being delayed I reached Crystal Lake around 12:15, snarfed down a chili cheese hot dog from the cafe, parked outside the closed Lake road gate, and was walking by 12:30.
No rain, but the area was thoroughly clouded over and somewhat chilly. Still I decided to leave on my shorts and forego the pants. The plan was to climb to Islip via the ridge route, but if it got too cold or icy, I'd bail at Big Cienega. I wanted to move fast, maybe jog a bit, so I went light, taking my new Orange Mud Hydraquiver pack, one extra shirt, a moisture-wicking beanie, and thin gloves, all of which I'd need later.
I walked up the Lake road 0.3 miles to the Islip Ridge/Wawona Cutoff trailhead. Visibility was poor. I couldn't see the lake from any portion of the trail where normally there would be a view. All day I was in and out of the cloud layers. But the immediate scenery, despite the burned trees, is still filled with many living, grand old trees and rock outcroppings, which only gets better as you climb higher. The trail itself was easy to follow and clear until after about the 3-mile marker. I encountered a bit of snow and managed to lose the obscured trail, but soon reacquired it at the signed Big Cienega Trail intersection.
Feeling bold and only mildly cold, having already put on my beanie and gloves, I sipped some water and began the remaining mile to Islip's summit. Fortunately the exposed, east-facing trail had little ice and snow remaining after several days of warmer weather. Only the summit, which I reached around 2:15, had more than a couple inches of snow. But previous explorers had punched nice big footsteps, so hardly any flakes crept into the top of my trail runners.
I felt pretty cold while taking a snack break at the cloud-enshrouded, eerily soundless summit. After wolfing down a Clif Bar I slipped on my extra short-sleeve shirt over the long-sleeve and started descending.
I had seen no other human on the Islip Ridge trail, and I would continue to see none until after transitioning to the Big Cienega Trail back at the junction. Shortly after the streams, which were flowing decently, a couple white guys were leisurely strolling up, taking pictures with an expensive-looking camera. Then down at the Windy Gap Trail junction I met a Hispanic family with two kids. The daughter wanted to know if I had seen any animals. I had, up on the ridge above the junction. From a distance, and from behind, it looked like a small, grey bobcat fleeing from my presence, and that's what I told the kid. Later I changed my mind and figured it was probably a fox. I mentioned a strange animal sound that we all heard before our meeting. It sounded like Donald Duck having an extended hissy fit. One of the kids' male supervisors, who seemed educated in such matters, thought it was a baby crow.
Waving goodbye, I headed off toward Deer Flats. I had never taken this route back to the car before, and with no map I was sort of winging it. Wandering around Deer Flats, I heard some water flowing near the water tank. So up the gully I went and found a quaint 30-foot waterfall tucked between the baby ridges.
Also at Deer Flats, I saw a sign for the Sunset Ridge nature trail and decided to give it a go. It ended up being a half-mile loop, probably more inspiring and worthwhile in better weather with better views.
Back at Deer Flats, I continued down the road a few yards and noticed an obvious path in the gully to the right. Scrambling down a few feet, I followed the track back to the campground, hoping to see a sign at the trailhead, but there was none. I later found out that this trail is called Lost Ridge.
I followed Lost Ridge, which alternately hugs small slopes and ridgelines through alternately burned and living trees, roughly a mile down to the Lake Trail. The Lake Trail is very pretty. It travels through some of the best forest Crystal Lake has to offer post-fire. Soon I was back on the main road, eager to get to my car, another half mile away down the road.
I didn't take my camera on this trip, but I did snap a couple low-res photos of the Deer Flats waterfall with my ancient cell phone.
