June 18, 2018 - Vanderburg Lake to Lillian Lake

Title: June 18, 2018 - Vanderburg Lake to Lillian Lake
Hike Info : Description :  Background : Menu : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Vanderburg Lake

Hike Info:

Type:  Backpacking

Trail: Lillian Lake Loop

Destination: Lillian Lake

Distance:  4.01  miles ¹

Start Time: 11:05

End Time:     4:53

Travel Time:   5:47 (0.69 mph)

Moving Time:  3:21  (1.20 mph)

Elevation Rise:  777'

Descent: 756‘

Maximum Elevation: 9,030'

GPS Tracks

 ¹We lost the trail-see below. I went looking for it. 
The data below includes my wanders when we were off the trail.

Distance:  4.38  miles

Travel Time:   5:47 (0.76 mph)

Moving Time:  3:41  (1.19 mph)

Elevation Rise:  879'

Descent: 808‘

Vanderburg Lake

Description:

I woke up at 6:30 and got up by 7:00. It seems a bit warmer with no wind, but there is a lot of moisture on the inside of the tent’s rain fly. Guess we sweat a lot when we sleep.

After doing my morning business, I went for a wander. The wander took me to the inlet of the lake, on the northern shore. This is part of Madera Creek which comes from Lady Lake. There is a nice big campsite there-probably a packers site. I had my quiet time there, continuing in Psalm 119. A place to meditate and think.

Madera Creek

Vanderburg Lake

When I got back to camp, Rose is up by the lake and Sherri is getting up. No rush to get going. We have decided to do a day hike to Lillian Lake.

Mt Ritter

We get out of camp around 11:15. We head up the same trail we did yesterday, towards Lady Lake, but instead of turning, we go straight at the junction. Now about 30 yards from the junction, we head up what looks like a sandy trail. After awhile it peters out and we start following false leads. I finally head out, scouting for the trail. After covering much ground, I do not find the trail, but get an idea where it is going. So I get Sherri and Rose and we set out across some granite slabs. It actually is pretty nice walking, at least I think so. We climb up, taking our time. Shortly after getting to the spot where I had previously been, we spot the trail.

Clouds to the east

Little Dam at Lillian Lake

Shortly afterwards,we go over a saddle and drop into Staniford Lakes. I was calling it Stanford, but discovered the error while researching the name. The trail meanders around some of the lakes, making for some pleasant walking, if it was not for the winged, blood sucking, swamp inhabitants. When we clear the lakes, and most of the mosquitos, we stop for lunch out on a small point, and in the shade. A late lunch, but when you start as late as we did, a late lunch is what we get.

The trail starts up a ridge of about ¾ of a mile. While an exposed trail and we are in the afternoon sun, there is compensation-the views. That is we are able to see across to Mt Ritter and up the San Joaquin River. But we do not spend much time view chasing, at present.

After topping the ridge, we descend into the outlet creek for Lillian. Soon we get to the lake itself. Rose notes a small retaining wall, probably a small dam to raise the lake level. Was there mining around here? So easy to only see what is here now and not the past. I need these reminders that everyplace has its own history, even if it is not in book form.

Lillian Lake

One of the Staniford Lakes

Lillian Lake is pleasant enough to look at. I would not mind camping here. But yesterday's lakes were more pleasant and refreshing to me. We stay around for about half an hour, relaxing. Sherri thinks this is where she, Andrea and Steven put out a fire several years back. 

 

Coming back, we mostly retrace our steps, with the exception of our little cross country excursion. Those views which we did a cursory glance at before? We now spend the time examining. We can see where the JMT goes and the Red Cones by Red’s Meadow. To the south, one of the small knobs in the distance may be Mt Goddard, a point I look for whenever possible. Many pictures are taken, which do not capture the grandness of what we are seeing.

Which way would you go?

We do see a couple people before returning to camp. I also intentionally lag behind-unlike my normal slowness of late. I am interested in seeing where I went on the wrong trail this morning. I cannot say I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

Once back at camp, we do not disturb a whole lot. Water is drawn, mosquitoes are swatted and relaxing begins. A group or two pass us by. Dinner of Beef Stew is cooked and devoured. Rose, Sherri and I talk for awhile before heading to our tents for another night of restful sleep.

Background
Andrea says the fire really was at Staniford Lakes.
It was a single tree,which probably had been struck by lightning two weeks before.

Also as a fire note, the Lion's Point fire had been burning since the start of June. This was pretty much in line of sight with the Red Cones area. But looking at the pictures, there was not a sign of smoke. Shortly after we were there, the fire exploded into a multi-thousand acre fire.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Oatmeal and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola. Tang. .	Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Mountain House Beef Stew	Clif Bar, GORP, Scratch, Coffee Candy

Extra Photo's

Sierra Crest

Southeast along the Crest

Rose and Gary in his Angle of Repose

Lillian Lake

East looking. As a note: The Lion's Point fire happened in the center left of the picture

Lillian Lake

Gary and the Mountains

East towards the Sierra Crest

East towards the Crest

Animals

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

 
Flowers and Plants

Penstonmon

Places: CA-Staniford

Staniford Lake-8,697' (Timber Knob) (37.5555162, -119.3591519)

Description : Trips : References : Pictures 


Description:

From GNIS:

• Named for Dr. Kenneth J Staniford, (1889-?), former Fresno County physician.
• In the Ansel Adams Wilderness, 9.6 km (5.9 mi) south-southeast of Merced Peak. 
• Also called
• Stanford Lake
• Stanford Lakes 
• Barton A Brown says that I do know that Billy Brown, who did the packing in the area in the 1920s, was the one who named most of the lakes in the basin, usually for members of the parties he packed in.
• Dr. Kenneth J. Staniford was born in Fresno in 188°, attended local schools, graduated from Stanford and Stanford Medical School (then Cooper Medical). He served at Fort Lewis during World War I, and then returned to Fresno for private practice. In that capacity he made many trips int6 the Central Camp area above Bass Lake administering to logging camps, so he was familiar with that area. From a 1977 letter from a Forest Service official to Barton A Brown.
• From the Fresno County Blue Book: An unusually public spirited citizen-of Fresno and a .nan who has "iven generously of his time for civic work, is Dr. Kenneth J. Staniford one of the leading members of the medical profession of Fresno County Born m Fresno onJune-24_lS89, he is the son of the late George F. and Virginia Lee (Jam.son) Staniford. His father was a pioneer fire insurance man of this city, and came here about sixty years ago. Dr. Staniford attended the Fresno city schools and graduated from the high school in 1907 He then entered Cooper Medical College (the medical department of Stanford University) where he graduated with the degree of M.D. in 1911. He was a member of Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity.
  He interned at the city and county hospital of San Francisco and at the Alameda county hospital, and practiced in San Francisco with Dr J Wilson Shiels until 1914. During this period he was assistant in medicine at Stanford Medical School. lie returned to his home city in 1914 and engaged in practice here until commissioned in the Medical Corps of the Armv in 191/, being the first physician to leave Fresno for military service. Dr. Staniford was chief of the laboratory service at the Base Hospital. Camp Lewis, American Lake. Washington, from August 1917 until April 1919. Entering as first lieutenant, he was promoted soon afterwards to captain and then to major.
  Dr. Staniford has served as a member of the Fresno County Board of Health on three different occasions, having been appointed under the administrations headed by Mayors Snow, Toomey, and Honian. He served as a member of the City Park Commission under Mayor Hart. He is a former Secretary and Past President of the Fresno County Medical Society and is a member of California Medical Association and American Medical Association, lie is also a Past President of the Fresno Lions Club. He has served as a Director of the Fresno County Chamber of Commerce and has given considerable time to the interests of Fresno State College, having had much to do, particularly, with the planning and construction of the college stadium. He has served as a member of the Executive Committee of Fresno Post No. 4 of the American Legion, and as a Director of the Fresno Community Chest. Dr. Staniford was the first President of the San Joaquin Valley Children's Health .Association which operates the Nutritional Home and still serves as a Director of llial organization. He is a member and Past Secretary of the Fresno County Sportsmen's Club and has been made an honorary Director during the past year. He is' a Director of the Fresno County Horse Owners' Association, lie is a Mason and is a member of the Scottish Rite and a Shriner of Islam Temple.
  Dr. Stani ford's specialty in his practice is internal medicine. Mrs. Staniford was formerly Miss Mary Elizabeth Hixson, and is also a native of Fresno. There are three children: Marylee. attending the University of California; Kenneth ( Lliul) Joseph, a graduate of Fresno High School in 1941 ; and Richard liixson. who is in the Heaton School.
  As a hobby, Dr. Staniford has a country properly in the foothills East of Fresno which he calls the Hobby Horse Ranch. Here he has not only a number of horses, but also an interesting collection of old vehicles, harness, and other equipment of the horse and buggy days, which were in use in this part of the state during the pioneer period. He is constantly adding to this
  collection which is providing a valuable historical record of early methods of travel in Fresno County.

Trips:

• June 18, 2018 - Day hike from Vanderburg Lake to Lillian Lake.

References:

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Pictures:

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