We started our morning with a reading from the “Book of Winnet” haha. It was fun reading his description of the trail we had hiked the day before and a preview of what was to come. It turns out the area we were in was called the “Tallant Lakes” and their “crown jewel” is Rubicon where we stayed. We began our hike and fairly soon started climbing. The ridge you can see form the shore opened up some epic views before topping out.
Now, I say “top out” but you mostly keep ascending. Incredible views open up to the east above Grouse Lake. It was here that I felt more like we were in Desolation Wilderness. The Fall colors were really popping and stood out against the dark greens of the brush and walls of white granite.
We traversed around Phipps Peak and then began the long winding route through trees and picked up the TRT where it joins the PCT (Section K for those following along). This involved a hard left as we turned south toward the Velma Lakes. At this point the trail began to feel like a rollercoaster compared to the TYT climb! You can see Lower Velma from the Phipps traverse and you hike right past Middle Velma. We stopped here for a good while – the lake must not be missed. it is full of little rock islands you can get to when the water is low enough.
Not too far farther we could see Upper Velma far below as we once again ascended. It was getting pretty tiring when the trial finally flattened out and began what to me is one of the most beautiful segments of the entire Desolation portion of the TYT – the trail along Fontanillis Lake. In a wilderness area full of stunning features, that is saying a lot but it really moved me to walk through what appeared to be nearly manicured paths through incredible little tree stands along the deep and rocky lake and then to turn a corner and see Lake Tahoe gleaming in the distance. Just an absolutely gorgeous area!
The day of ascending wasn’t quite over though and we had one last push before we reached out camping area at Dick’s Lake. There is a camp site or two right at the trails end near the lake but once again Dominion went out and found us a far superior site next to the water and close to a cool little dam that separates the creek that comes in from Fontanellis and Dick’s Lake.
It was cool looking up at Dick’s Pass where I had stopped with my friend Crystal in 2020 on my first hike through Desolation Wilderness. I had stood above Dick’s Lake looking down at where I was now standing. Tomorrow we would connect that hike to this one.
Dominion went fishing but came back empty handed so we watched the sun go down behind Dick’s Peak, ate some dinner, and hit the sacks.
Today was a harder day for me than yesterday – not just physically, but emotionally as well. I thought of my dad a lot and wondered where he had camped and what he had stopped to look at. It hit me really hard that not only would I not be able to ask him about these things, but I wouldn’t be able to show him the video I was making and talk about the trail itself.
That hurt my heart far more than the hours of climbing.
Backcountry Pilgrim 