Above: Lake Winnemucca, July 4th, 2024
My husband and I recently had the opportunity to explore wilderness and wildflowers in the least populated county of California. Alpine County, named for its resemblance to the Swiss Alps[i], is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains south of Lake Tahoe. With an average elevation of 7270 feet[ii], and home to 58 lakes[iii], this county certainly lives up to its name!
Because the lakes in the area don’t thaw until late May to early June, wildflower blooms are much later than those at lower elevations. The variety of wildflowers and plant species is also different due to the abundant winter snowfall, and high elevation. We were thankful that the Caples Lake and Carson Pass management areas that I explored were spared from the 2021 Caldor and Tamarack Fires that burned large swaths of forest in the surrounding area.
One of the highlights of our visit was a wildflower hike from Carson Pass to Frog Lake and Lake Winnemucca led by volunteers from the Eldorado National Forest Interpretive Association (ENFIA). This hike starts from the Carson Pass Information Station off of Highway 88 at an elevation of approximately 8500 feet.
The hike starts off climbing through a forested section that opens up to mix of shrubs and granite boulders, where we came across a number of interesting wildflowers.
Upper Left to Lower Right: Mitella Breweri, Prettyface, Sierra Beardtongue, Scarlett Trumpet, Sierran Woodbeauty, Nama Hispida
After approximately 1 mile and a couple hundred feet of elevation gain, we arrived at Frog Lake which is more like an alpine pond as it is quite shallow. Hiking along the shoreline to the eastern edge of the lake rewards hikers with a lush section of meadow dotted with Douglas Iris and impressive views of Red Lake and the surrounding wilderness. We even found a few scattered patches of snow in shaded areas along the trail.
From Left to Right: Alpine meadow at Frog Lake, Looking East from Frog Lake, Mountain Pride
From Frog Lake, the trail continues alongside the rounded profile of Elephants Back where the granite hillside is more exposed as we pass a number of different wildflower areas with lots of Indian Paintbrush, Lupine, and flowers that take to the drier conditions. About halfway between Elephant’s Back and Lake Winnemucca, the trail passed through a “saddle” where springs and snowmelt feed a number of small streams that crisscross the terrain where we were rewarded with an incredible variety of wildflowers. Many of the flowers in this “seep” area prefer moist conditions.
Upper Left to Lower Right: Old Man's Whiskers, Scorpionweed, Elderberry, Elephant's Head, Lupine, Dusky Onion.
From here, the trail climbs again and becomes drier again until we reach our destination of Lake Winnemucca. This is a beautiful alpine lake which sits at the base of Round Top, an exposed granite peak that crests at 10,382 feet.
We stopped here at a shady spot near the water’s edge to enjoy a well-earned snack and water break. Feeling revitalized, we reluctantly left our lakeside rest stop and retraced our steps to our starting point.
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