[TR] Crown Point - Peeler Lake & Rock Island Pass 9/11/2010

[off_the_hook]

Trip: Crown Point - Peeler Lake & Rock Island Pass

 

Date: 9/11/2010

 

Trip Report:

 

[video:youtube]

Crown Point (11,346 ft) is located in Northern Yosemite and has a commanding 360 degree view of the surrounding region, including Sawtooth Ridge and Matterhorn Peak. Access is via Twin Lakes and the Hoover Wilderness. There are numerous lovely alpine lakes set amidst Sierra granite. Peeler Lake, with a sapphire blue color, is located on the Sierra Crest with dual outlets on either side - one flowing to the Great Basin and another to the Pacific Ocean via the Tuolumne Watershed/Hetch Hetchy. I took the trail to Peeler Lake and then headed cross country traversing around the granite shores and then ascending the north slopes of Crown Point. Crown Point has great views of Tower Peak, Kerrick Meadows, Sawtooth Ridge, and the deep blue Peeler Lake. From the summit I descended towards Rock Island Pass where I picked up the trail. The Rock Island Pass trail passes through a magical basin of lakes ranging in color from blue to teal. Total mileage was about 21 miles in 6:45.

 

 

 

Incredible Hulk

 

Barney Lake with Crown Point

 

Alpine Beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peeler Lake

 

 

 

 

 

Crown Point from Peeler Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kerrick Meadows from Crown Point

 

 

Sawtooth Ridge

 

 

 

 

 

Sapphire blue of Peeler Lake

 

 

 

 

Snow Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crown Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incredible Hulk

 

[Hoodrat]

good god,that's astoundingly beautiful

[chubler]

Gorgeous, I am drooling!

[JasonDowns]

Amazing photos! Looks like a great place to spend a few days...or weeks

[kevbone]

Where is this place at? I sure hope you got in some of that water.

[QITNL]

Hey off_the_hook -

 

Nice shots! And I do believe I gave you a "howdy" as you were coming down the trail. Somewhere between Barney Lake and the trailhead, last Saturday, 9/11, around 4-5pm. I was starting up around then.

 

You had a couple water bottles strapped to your vest and looked like you were hardly breaking a sweat, man.

 

It was my first time in the area and it's pretty darm awesome. Kinda naked this time of year. Add some snow and it will be even more awesomer. I will return. I saw a ton of stuff I want to do.

 

I took my time, camped at Barney Lake, headed over the donkey passes, over Matterhorn Peak and down Horse canyon. A most pleasant weekend.

 

I took too many pictures and still need to sort through them. They are here: http://www.qitnl.com/v/091110/

 

Nice to "meet" you.

 

-Joe

 

 

[curtveld]

Wow...and after expecting crumbling mossy basalt in the Gorge.

 

And Kev, the Incredible Hulk (last photo) is a renowned climbing peak in the northern Sierra. Google skillz will take you from there...

[genepires]

beautiful sea of granite.

 

damn good looking country.

[off_the_hook]

Thanks! I added a short video/photo compilation to the trip report. This is indeed a spectacular area of lakes and granite.

 

QITNL: Nice to meet you! Your photos are fantastic and it clearly looks like you are using a better camera. Next time I hope to continue down to Benson Lake as part of a much larger loop. I bet those aspens on the way to Barney Lake will have awesome fall color in a couple weeks.