Tag Archive | Ansel Adams Wilderness

Ascending to Cecile Lake

Aug16

This day has the two parts of the trip that give me the most trepidation: ascending to Cecile Lake up the steep, less than stable slope, and the class 3 section descending from Cecile Lake to Minaret Lake.

We planned an early start – we knew others camped at Iceberg Lake would be on our same route, and we didn’t want to be caught in a dicey place if the weather shifted. I was up at dawn to try to catch the morning glow on the Minarets, but the broken clouds dampened the colors.

There seems to be several routes marked by cairns on the slope, and several times we found ourselves in between routes, and other times we were on the routes. The climb was not as difficult as anticipated, especially with the snowfields gone for the season. We were soon enjoying the reflection of Clyde Minaret in Cecile Lake.

Stopover

Aug15

Iceberg Lake is a perfect reflection bowl for the Minarets, a series of towering fin-like spires. The clouds were beginning to gather again, and the campsites were plentiful. The snowfield expected along the route up to Cecile Lake is not present this late in the season, so there is no need for an afternoon crossing. All factors lined up for an overnight stop at Iceberg Lake.

As the clouds gather and darken, we see three hikers descend the route down from Cecile Lake. They stop near our camp: it appears to be a son in his late 30’s, with his parents, in their 60’s. They have enormous packs. Steve checks in with them. They tell him that they are a day behind already, and hope to descend down to Ediza Lake. It’s clear that they are tired and stressed – not good for high country travel. And, we are amazed to see them pull out hardware like a three-legged stool, to rest on, and eat conventional (bread and meat) sandwiches. It’s no wonder that their packs are large and heavy, and evidently not matched to the fitness level of all of the party members. Rather than stay put, the trio moves on down towards Ediza. We hoped that they made it to shelter when it started to rain again.

Nydiver Nirvana

Aug14

The view from Whitebark Pass (10,175 foot) gives us an eagle’s eye view of where we’ve been for the past two days, and where we are headed for the following two days. While the route is short if done horizontally, there are passes and talus and streams to navigate along the way.

There are numerous wildflowers along the shore of the upper lake, but it’s clear that we are a few weeks late for the height of the bloom. We skirt the edge of the uppermost lake and come to a granite bench between that lake and the next one below. There is a small channel nearby connecting the lakes, and a low wall to shelter us from westerly winds. It’s perfect!!

Even though the clouds are scattered, Steve sets up the fly “just in case.” But the air is warm, and Steve rigs his fly rod and works the lake shore to see if any golden trout live in these high lakes. I strip off my boots and socks to wade in the lake, surprised to find that the water is not bone-chilling cold. Encouraged by the warmer waters, I strip off the rest of my clothing, rinse out the sweat, then go for a dip. It’s refreshing to get rid of that sticky/salty feeling, and dry out in the warm sun.

While it sprinkled a time or two, we were not forced under the fly for drippy hours on end. The lowering sun cast a heavenly glow between the peaks, and we dined on the bench overlooking the lake below. With the fly peeled back, we slept under the stars for the first time on this trip. It was heaven!