Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants
Type: Hiking
Trail head: Balsom Forebay Parking Lot
Trail: Balsam Forbay, Dogwood trail, Trail to East Ely
Destination: Mt Ely
Distance: 4.42 miles
Start Time: 10:37End Time: 2:23
Travel Time: 3:46 (1.17 mph)
Moving Time: 2:36 (1.70 mph)
Elevation Rise: 890'
Descent: 861‘
Maximum Elevation: 6,930'
Description:
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Sherri at start of trip |
I got up around 5:40. Just did a few things which I needed to get done--at least in my mind they needed to be done. By 9:15, we are all in the car. Fortunately, both of our choices are close to Shaver Lake, so we can discuss it on the way up to Shaver. It was not much of a discussion. We decided to go to Ely Mountain.
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Korra, the snow dog |
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Unknown dome |
We drop down to the Balsam Forebay area and enjoy that view of the water. The ridge which Kaiser Peak is on looks down onto the water-it is a ways away. The road then rolls along for a way. Sherri spots a dome-she calls it a Half Dome, but it looks like a full dome. Not sure what it is, but Kerckhoff Dome is someplace in that vicinity.
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QR Code for AllTrails |
We come to a junction. Fortunately for us, there are two clues. First a little circular arrow points the way and second, there is an AllTrails QR code enlightening us. Sherri interrogates that, but Steven knows the way and leads on. The road leads down a ways and then we start climbing Ely Mountain proper.
Remember that comment I made about not being at elevation for awhile? This climbing up the road is doing me in and I am quickly huffing and puffing. I walk a ways and then stop and breathe. Sherri thinks that I am stopping to wait for her, but that is only an appearance.
Eventually we leave the road and get to a high point. It does not look like where we were before and there is not much of a view. I tell them I am going to wander around and look for a good view. Steven takes a lead and we find a trail which leads up to a higher point with the view. This is where we were last year, instead of at noon, it was with a full moon.
We made it there around 12:15
and had our lunch. There was a discussion about whether we have lunch
now or save ourselves for pizza later. We have lunch. This is between
looking around at the various sights and the clouds hovering
overhead, we stretch our time on top of Ely to about half an hour,
not that we are in any rush. What can we see? We look right down
onto Shaver Lake. Then to the east of the Lake is Bald
Mountain-one
of the many by that name. Then looking to the northwest, I saw
Shuteye.
And close to straight north is Kaiser Peak. There is a lot more which
we could have identified if I had spent the time to gaze, wonder and
figure out. It is still a wonderful view.
I did say clouds didn’t I? Last Saturday I did a presentation on clouds and thunderstorms. You would think I would be at least a semi-expert on the subject and be able to identify the clouds which I am seeing. I am just enjoying the clouds or as Judy Collins says:
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all.
The way down is the same up all the way back to the car. One thing which I did not note coming up is that there is still snow on the trail. It is rather patchy and only a couple inches thick in most places. It was pretty firm going up. But coming down the sun has melted a lot of the snow. On the downhill stretches the snow can be a bit slippery. But none of us fell.
We get back to the car about 2:25. There is still a hunger for pizza. We stopped in front of Shaver Lake Pizza and see that it is closed today. But the Pub and Grub is, so we stop in for a bite. We have eaten here before and the waitresses have been friendly. Today is no exception. She tells us she is going to Italy next week and Rachel relays some of her experiences from there. We have burgers which are pretty good and then are on our way. We make 4:30. I think most of us were still feeling the effects of not being at altitude in awhile as we all took time to rest.
Background
Dome. That dome we were seeing is at 354o , at lat/long of 37.162, -119.258. When plotting this out on Google Earth with a topo map overlay, the dome is called Mushroom Rock.
Extra Photo's
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Cloud over Shaver Lake |
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Balsam Forebay |
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Steven, Rachel, Friday and Sherri |
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Rachel and Friday |
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Sherri |
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Shaver Lake |
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Kaiser Ridge |
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Baldy Mountain |
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On the way out: Rachel, Steven and Sherri |
Animals
Flowers and Plants
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Manzanita |
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Snow Plant |
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Snow Plant |
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