54 for Dave

Crystal Lake - June 21, 2015

Crystal Lake June 21, 2015

  1. 3.6 Miles

  2. Elevation Gain 630 Feet

 

Second hike of the “54 for Dave”.  I have done this hike before and have wanted to do it again for I while.  I like this hike for two reasons:

  1. The trailhead is close to the our condo so you don’t have to get up extra, extra early to get a pre-sunrise start.  

  2. The trail offers some incredible views of the Mammoth Lakes basin, especially of Lake George and Lake Mary.  Crystal Lake is very beautiful and sits right next the the Crystal Crag.

I had a couple of disappointments starting out:

  1. Even though it was 5:30 in the morning it was already windy.  In fact, the wind had been blowing all night so there was going to be no glass like water at the lake to get a reflection of the Crystal Crag or Mammoth Crest on the water.

  2. No clouds, nature photographs look better with clouds. Today there was not a cloud in the sky.

That is the thing with nature is she is unpredictable. She is always beautiful but sometimes she surprises you by dressing up.  Today was a “no makeup” day she was still beautiful but she was not dressed up to go out on the town.

The trail starts at Lake George parking lot.  It is rated as either an easy or moderate hike but from the beginning you are going up.  It pretty much stays that way till just before you reach the lake.  I am still out of shape so I was huffing and puffing and stopping a lot to catch my breath.  After the first segment which are long upward sections it starts using switchbacks to moderate the climb.  Most of the trail is covered with pines so you are not exposed to the sun except where you reach the overlooks and the last segment walking down to the lake.  This makes it a very pleasant hike.  

For a period of time on the trail, when you hit one side of the switchback you are at the edge of the mountain.  From there you can see Lake George and Mary below you.  With each switchback you get noticeably higher over the lake basin.  After a while you come to a split in the trail.  One way takes you to the Crystal lake.  The other takes you to the Mammoth Crest.  Supposedly from the Mammoth Crest you can see the Minarets in one direction and all the way to the Whites in the other direction.  That would be awesome and I am pretty sure I will do the Mammoth Crest as part of the “54 for Dave” but later on when I am in better shape.

 

After doing the switchbacks for a while you feel the wind strengthen and you know you are near the top of the saddle that you are going to cross.  After that you descend down to the lake.  You get a good feeling rushing over you one that says; “I made it, the hard part is over!”

As you descend for a while you start to get a glimpse of the lake through the trees.  Then you come to the lake’s outlet and can see the lake almost at eye level.  The way it is nestled into the granite slopes of the Crystal Crag and Mammoth Crest really makes Crystal a beautiful lake .  The morning sun was washing against the granite was soo beautiful I must have sat on the shore for a good fifteen to twenty minutes just soaking it in.

 

One of the joys of this hike is going back.  Once you crest the saddle it is all down hill making it easy to enjoy the pines and the birds singing.  Hard to believe but 7.6 miles are already in the books.  All in all this hike was a “good morning” in the Sierra.  Hope you enjoy the images and the story.   Now to pick the next hike over the 4th of July holiday!

We have already raise $500 of my $2,500 goal to help the Slice of Lime reach it $25,000 goal to City of Hope.  All donations are to help find the cure to blood cancer and assist those that are impacted by it today!  If you are enjoying the posts and feel that is a worthy goal please donate below.  Donations of $25 or more get a signed 8x10 of your choice of an image from the hikes or from my website. Donations of $60 get a signed 12x18, and the largest donation over $250 will get a signed 24x36 printed on metal. The donation link is below!

Till next time “Happy trails to you...till we meet again…..”