Woods Lake Loop Mokelumne Wilderness

August 15, 2024

Thanks for the great trek, guys.  Of my four or five outings here, this was easily the driest; so I didn't get a lot of flower pics.

We'll be doing both

Red Lake Peak is across Highway-88

On the Round Top Lake Trail

Elephants Back remains on the bucket list

Everyone completes the balancing act

Gooseberry Currant
Fireweed

Hawkins Peak (10024') in the east

Just above our recent crossing

Black Butte from the east side

At the 1930s Lost Cabin Mine, which produced gold, silver, copper, and lead

Last-stage Red Mountain Heather
A garden of Lupine

Always a pleasure

The destination comes into view

Burrowing into an Anderson Thistle

Trailside Paintbrush

Round Top and The Sisters

Pyramid Peak in the distance

Some is easy...
...Some is not

Oh, no!  I've lost my walking stick!  What will I do?

The final shortcut saves about a hundred feet

Round Top Lake (9347') and Round Top (10381')

Finding a luncheon spot

West end of the lake

A couple are just leaving the summit  ⇔

Now they are down safely  ⇔

An amazing dike separates The Sisters

Leaving Round Top Lake on the Camp Irene Trail

Detour to a view of Lake Tahoe

Little Round Top to the north

Pyramid Peak again

The next attraction is 400 feet below

Rock Fringe — I remember!

Winnemucca Lake (8995') and Elephants Back (9585')

No swimmers today

Crossing Caples Creek

Cow Parsnip are everywhere

Back down on the Winnemucca Trail

Another climber on Round Top  ⇔

Giant Red Indian Paintbrush

About a mile to go

Yes, there was a picture here

Nearing the finish

• Trailhead: Woods Lake
• Distance: 5½ miles
• Elevation: 8190' to 9410'

ADDENDUM

Here's my 2007 photo of the Ice Halo over Round Top:

That circumhorizon arc was formed around ice crystals in a cirrus cloud.  Note the spectrum-reversal, with the red hues being on the inside of the upward curve.  More information about this and other atmospheric phenomena is available at:   atoptics.co.uk.