Mokelumne Wilderness, California, USA

August 2022

Sometimes all we need is a quick overnight trip into the mountains to rejuvenate us for the busy weeks ahead. With the kids adjusting to their first weeks back at school, work demands, and life stressors, Casey and I craved another trip, albeit short, into the beautiful Sierra Nevada. Immersing ourselves into the forest, climbing to rewarding views, escaping the crowds and city noises… this is exactly the medicine we constantly need for our mental health. When all we have is a free weekend, we look for short trips with big rewards that are relatively easy to get to. We opted to explore part of the Mokelumne Wilderness, an area we spotted on the map that was new to us. Located in the Eldorado National Forest, this wilderness area boasts ancient volcanic ridges alongside the more common granitic rocks of the Sierra batholith. Wildflowers bloom en mass during the warmer months, and it is quite a popular destination for photographers and botanists alike. For more details about this area, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/eldorado/specialplaces/?cid=fsbdev7_019063.

The drive up scenic Highway 88 is easy, and we opted to explore the Blue Lakes area on this cloudless weekend in late August. In Hope Valley, just beyond Carson Pass, Blue Lakes Road meanders for 20 miles to two lakes that PG&E created by damming the Blue River. There are several popular FCFS campgrounds near the lakes that are managed by PG&E. We left the Bay Area Saturday morning, self-issued permit in hand, and drove the 4.5 hours to the Grouse Lake Trailhead parking area near the dam at Upper Blue Lake.

The trail begins just after crossing the dam, and wanders easily through dense forest of lodgepole and white pine, mountain hemlock, and Jeffrey Pine for a mile or so. As the trees begin to thin out and granite dominates the landscape, the trail climbs gradually for another mile up to scenic Granite Lake. This is a very popular lake for day hikers, welcoming recreational fisherman, picnickers, and swimmers alike. We spotted hoards of baby trout in the shallows next to the trail.

After passing the lake, the trail climbs a low ridge before dropping into several small forested valleys. It then begins climbing again as the trees thin considerably. Be sure to turn around and marvel at the views of the nearby peaks and valleys. After the first short climb you can see Meadow Lake below. A 500′ moderate climb leads to the high point of the Grouse Lake trail as it follows a wide expanse that sits below the ridge. The views along this portion of the trail are outstanding. Here, small groups of white bark pine, sub alpine fir, and western juniper can be found throughout the granite landscape. This late in the summer, there was one spring still actively flowing. The wildflowers clustered along its narrow gully down to Snow Canyon below. Surprisingly, we had cell service the entire time, thanks to being in the line of sight with Mt. Reba to the south (Bear Valley ski resort).

We started our climb down to Grouse Lake, but then decided that we wanted to camp with these amazing views. Thanks to a moonless night, the stars would be amazing and we didn’t want to be down in the forested valley surrounding the lake. Thus, we opted to turn around and camp close enough to the spring so we could get fresh water when we needed it. This would also be an ideal starting point for a hike up to Deadwood Peak in the morning.

We found a flat spot next to a large rock outcropping with a view of Snow Canyon below, and set up camp for the night. Our homemade dinner-in-a-bag was delicious after the long drive and hiking in the sun. The sounds of the babbling creek were barely audible from our perch, but we couldn’t find a flat spot any closer to the water. That evening, the sunset was beautiful and the stars did not disappoint.

Rising early the next morning, we shared a large bag of instant oatmeal, with dried blueberries, strawberries, and banana mixed in as the sun rose over the mountains. We headed up to the spring to filter water, marveling at the late season wildflowers clustered around the creek.

Hiking poles in hand, we then headed straight up the steep slope towards the ridge. The going was a little slow due to the steepness of the loose scree, along with the altitude. Once we reached the crest, it was ridge walking at its finest! We were treated to 360° views of the surrounding peaks: Mount Round Top and Fourth of July Peak rose majestically above Summit City Canyon. To the south, Mt. Reba and the ridge above Hwy 4 were in direct sight, with the peaks of Carson-Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness beyond. The furthest peak I could distinguish was Tower Peak in Hoover Wilderness, way off in the distance. We signed the summit register at the top of 9846′ Deadwood Peak and ate a snack while soaking in the expansive views.

Heading back, we followed the ridge until an obvious gully led down to the Grouse Lake trail. We broke down camp, packed up our bags, and followed the trail back to our car. It felt nice to soak our feet and wash the dust off our legs near the boat ramp in Upper Blue Lake. Overall, a relaxing ending to a short backpack into the wilderness.