Day Three (7.4.08): Start - Hamilton Lakes (8,240'); End - Moraine Lake (9,300');
Mileage - 14.3; Time - 8:06 hiking (10:11 total)


Our initial challenge for the day was to make it to Kaweah Gap about four miles away and 2,500 feet up. Because of this challenge we started early so that we wouldn't be in the sun the whole time. Here we are climbing out of the basin. Our campsite was on some sand on the rocks at the end of the lake.


A sheer cliff of Valhalla.


Hiking out of the bowl and above Hamilton Lakes.


There is a point where the trail literally was carved out of sheer rock and there is a tunnel for a few yards. Here Steve Boeringa and Dan are walking through.


Here is a good shot of the trail dug straight out of the rocks. The tunnel in on the right of the photo. Steve Busse is standing off to the left.


Once we got up higher there we crossed some of the streams that fell into Hamilton Lakes. There was an abundance of wildflowers here (as there were really throughout the trip).


Looking way down on Hamilton Lakes and the Valley we came up the day before.


Once we got above 9,500 feet or so we started to hit some remaining snow patches. The snow was soft and easy to cross so the danger was minimal.


Precipice Lake. There is a famous photograph by Ansel Adams of these cliffs plunging into the lake. As you can see the lake was still frozen for us! This was an amazing place and we took a rest break here for a while.


Just to give you some sense of the scale of the cliffs, here is Steve Busse taking his own photos in front of the rock wall.


360 Degree view around Precipice Lake.


As soon as we got above Precipice Lake, this is what we entered. I have to admit, this was probably one of my favorite parts of the whole trail. All of a sudden all the wildflowers were different, we were walking along a stream, and there was a gorgeous meadow below mountain peaks two to three thousand feet above. It was truly a special place. The photos really don't do this place justice!


Walking through Paradise.


Coming out of the meadow.


As soon as we crossed through Kaweah Gap we crossed the Great Western Divide and the scenery all of a sudden got much bigger. Most of the trip we were contained within fairly narrow valleys and canyons and couldn't see much outside of that. Once through the gap that all changed. Here is a shot of the lower lake of Nine Lakes Basin.


Looking south down the Big Arroyo Valley which is where we were going. As you can see we are above the treeline and will be descending down into the trees once again.


Beginning to enter the trees. All my life I have been seeing photos of people backpacking in areas just like this and I always longed to be there myself. I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming! Before this, and just about 10 minutes after leaving the Gap we saw the last people we would see for over 24 hours!


This is actually the trail climbing out of the Big Arroyo Valley looking back north. We ate lunch at the trail junction by the river, but decided that since it was so early we might as well plow ahead to Moraine Lake. This would involve climbing essentially the same elevation we just lost by going down the valley. Even though we had to climb 1,200 feet the trail was graded very nicely and was a pleasant trip.


Looking south. The flat area in the middle of the photo is the Chagoopa Plateau and Moraine Lake is up there someplace.


A nice meadow we crossed through.


Moraine Lake with some unnamed peaks in the background.


We had this place to ourselves and it was a very nice campsite in a stand of trees.