In August of 2005, I needed a getaway. It was just a normal 2 day weekend like any other, but this time I had tremendous motivation. And I needed it, Florence lake is just 150 miles from Fresno- but the drive takes almost 3 hours one way. I left Fresno early saturday morning. Within an hour you reach Shaver Lake, a forested Gem at 5000 feet. Soon the grade increases as you reach Huntington Lake and Sierra Summit Ski Resort. Here the road turns into a one lane, twisting track that winds its way over 9000+ foot Kaiser pass, and down the other side of the mountains into the glorious San Joaquin River drainage. Kaiser Pass is accesible only in summer, and usually opens in early May most years. Soon 13,000 foot peaks come into view, ... read more

Jeff discovered this place, an often overlooked area filled with numerous glacial lakes all above 10,000 feet. The best part was the trailhead at 10,400 foot! With virtually no vertical elevation gain, these lakes easily rank as the most spectacular lakes you can get to without a hard hike. The north slope of Mt. Conness contains a bonafide Sierra Nevada glacier. The lakes have many species of trout. The 12,500 foot peaks tower over the lakes in a fashion which is not easily reproduced elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada, especially on the westside. Here, water drains east into Mono Lake. Glacial Erratics were everywhere, as was basalt and granite. The waters were crystal clear and bone chilling cold. Even though the area is such an easy hike, we saw only 5 other people on the trip. ... read more

My friends and I went on this trip in Late February, 2006- We rallied the troops for an overnight snowshoe trip to Crater Lake, an alpine lake at 9000 feet just east of Kirkwood Ski Resort. It snowed a few inches that night, and got down to 20 degrees F! (-5 C). It was a trip that was filled with my incessant bitching about the cold and how miserable backpacking in the snow is. Of course, after it was over- I loved it! We made a fire in the snow that burned 3 feet deep by morning, a fire that made the night pleasant and magical. The aspens and firs surrounding camp were magical. It was totally silent, a forecast for a light storm kept others away. The next morning we were greeted with snowmobiles-someone called ... read more

SPHotography Photo Journal of a trip last November, 2005. The Jennie Lakes Wilderness was designated under the 1984 California Wilderness Act. With all of its nearly 11,000 acres lying above 7,000 feet, Jennie Lake contains scenic variations of alpine and subalpine forests, lakes, streams, and meadows. Wildflowers abound here, as do virgin stands of red fir, lodgepole, and western white pine. ... read more