Sonora Pass Report-Mid August 2011

[Preston]

Hi All,

I spent three nice days in the Sonora Pass country earlier this week and wanted to give you an update on conditions there...

Flowers: Lupine are in full swing above 9,000 ft along water courses and small meadows on the west side of the crest. There are still lots of Paintbrush, Yellow Monkey Flowers, and more Pennyroyal than I've seen in years. Corn Lilies (False Helebore) are still nice, and some are over three feet tall. Mules Ears are nearly done, but there are still a few that look very nice right at Sonora Pass. All the trees; aspen, lodgepole, western juniper, and red fire are looking very healthy with lots of new growth.

Water flow levels are still pretty high, and the waterfalls and cascades are looking very nice.

There is still quite a bit of snow at higher elevations, especially on the north sides of the peaks above Blue Canyon. With good cloud action, some nice scenics could be had. Temperatures were running in the high 60's-Low 70's during the day, and high 30's to low 40's at night. I even noticed some frost along Deadman's Creek, at 8,000 feet.

So, if you are relatively close by, a trip to this hidden Sierra jewel would be quite rewarding.

--P

[John Kasaian]

That is sooooo tempting! Thanks for the review, Preston.

[Drew Wiley]

Thanks Preston. I was thinking of doing my annual pilgrimage up Blue Canyon tomorrow,
but the wife wants me to stay here so we can hike together out on the coast. I did
get a real nice 8X10 shot last yr of one of the black crags up on Leavitt Pk from the
Blue Lk area. It can take a bit of luck to have the right kind of clouds. But generally
in Aug the monkeyflower and so forth bordering the outlet stream are pretty incredible.
Just over the saddle below this creek, up another little stream entering it, there's a
very interesting little volcanic basin without a lake, but will all kinds of reds and oranges reminiscent of the Haleakala crater on Maui. You hit this creek about halfway
up to Blue Lk as it tumbes downhill, then hike about a mile up it; or you can make a
longer loop from there up to the rocky lake just below the prominent black crag, down to Blue Lk, and back around. There's also some remarkable lichen. If anyone else is
interested, you need to know that the "trail" up Blue Canyon is "primitive" and unmaintained, and relatively steep and loose in places. More of a goat path. So if you're carrying a big camera you need to have it safely tucked in a backpack.