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Hiking to Grouse Lake
Jul. 21st, 2021 11:05 amWrights Lake, California
Saturday, 17 Jul 2021. 3:30pm.
I had a slow start this morning when I felt ill for no particular reason I can figure out. I chose to wait it out rather than pull the plug on hiking today. "Plan for success" was my motto. The second half of that, BTW, is "But be ready in case of failure." We figured we'd take the trail one bit at a time and could turn back if my condition worsened again.
It was after 9:30 when we started hiking. That was 90 minutes later than our original plan, but at least we started.
![The trail starts at Wrights Lake and a nearby marsh [Jul 2021]](https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/canyonwalker/33413618/753978/753978_original.jpg "The trail starts at Wrights Lake and a nearby marsh [Jul 2021]")
The trail into the Desolation Wilderness starts at the edge of Wright's Lake and passes a pretty marsh area
Speaking of starting, the trail to Grouse Lake starts out pretty easy at the edges of Wrights Lake. It's a level walk through the woods on soft dirt as the trail skirts a marsh next to the lake. Trees shade the route. After about 1/2 mile the trail rises slightly and changes environment.
![The trail soon breaks out to bare rock and begins ascending [Jul 2021]](https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/canyonwalker/33413618/753546/753546_original.jpg "The trail soon breaks out to bare rock and begins ascending [Jul 2021]")
With a slight rise as it turns away from the marsh, the trail breaks out onto bare granite. From here it's up, up up.
With a slight rise as it turns away from the marsh, the trail breaks out of tree cover onto bare granite. The peaks of the Crystal Range in the Desolation Wilderness come into view.
The first steep sections of the trail come shortly after this point. I paused here in the shade and a few times along the steep stretch above it to gauge whether I was really up for this today. I decided I would keep going. FWIW Hawk was concerned about illness, too. Her nerve pain asserts itself on hikes likes this. We both made the decision to press on.
Since I'm feeling pretty whipped from the hike I'll cut to the chase. We made it to Grouse Lake.
![Grouse Lake in the Desolation Wilderness, California [Jul 2021]](https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/canyonwalker/33413618/753909/753909_original.jpg "Grouse Lake in the Desolation Wilderness, California [Jul 2021]")
Grouse Lake sits at about 8,200' elev. beneath the peaks of the Crystal Range in the Desolation Wilderness
Here we sat on a rock on the shore of the lake and enjoyed a small picnic lunch. We spend a while resting up and considering whether to continue onward. Grouse Lake, pretty as it is, is not the end of this trail. Hemlock Lake is above it, and beyond that Smith Lake, which one hiker we passed on the trail advised us is the most beautiful of the three. Alas the hike just to Grouse Lake had been an ascent of over 1,100', a lot in our current conditions. We decided that if we tried pushing higher we'd be overly wrecked by the end of the day. So we called it a win here at Grouse Lake and headed back down to the trailhead.
Here at the trailhead it's obvious that our decision was the right one. Hawk's in a lot of pain but should be able to recover by taking it easy the rest of the day. I'm doing just well enough to drive all the way home, so I'll do that while she zones out in the car. Would it have been nice to go further and see Smith Lake? Absolutely. But I don't know it would have been worth the cost.
Saturday, 17 Jul 2021. 3:30pm.
I had a slow start this morning when I felt ill for no particular reason I can figure out. I chose to wait it out rather than pull the plug on hiking today. "Plan for success" was my motto. The second half of that, BTW, is "But be ready in case of failure." We figured we'd take the trail one bit at a time and could turn back if my condition worsened again.
It was after 9:30 when we started hiking. That was 90 minutes later than our original plan, but at least we started.
The trail into the Desolation Wilderness starts at the edge of Wright's Lake and passes a pretty marsh area
Speaking of starting, the trail to Grouse Lake starts out pretty easy at the edges of Wrights Lake. It's a level walk through the woods on soft dirt as the trail skirts a marsh next to the lake. Trees shade the route. After about 1/2 mile the trail rises slightly and changes environment.
With a slight rise as it turns away from the marsh, the trail breaks out onto bare granite. From here it's up, up up.
With a slight rise as it turns away from the marsh, the trail breaks out of tree cover onto bare granite. The peaks of the Crystal Range in the Desolation Wilderness come into view.
The first steep sections of the trail come shortly after this point. I paused here in the shade and a few times along the steep stretch above it to gauge whether I was really up for this today. I decided I would keep going. FWIW Hawk was concerned about illness, too. Her nerve pain asserts itself on hikes likes this. We both made the decision to press on.
Since I'm feeling pretty whipped from the hike I'll cut to the chase. We made it to Grouse Lake.
Grouse Lake sits at about 8,200' elev. beneath the peaks of the Crystal Range in the Desolation Wilderness
Here we sat on a rock on the shore of the lake and enjoyed a small picnic lunch. We spend a while resting up and considering whether to continue onward. Grouse Lake, pretty as it is, is not the end of this trail. Hemlock Lake is above it, and beyond that Smith Lake, which one hiker we passed on the trail advised us is the most beautiful of the three. Alas the hike just to Grouse Lake had been an ascent of over 1,100', a lot in our current conditions. We decided that if we tried pushing higher we'd be overly wrecked by the end of the day. So we called it a win here at Grouse Lake and headed back down to the trailhead.
Here at the trailhead it's obvious that our decision was the right one. Hawk's in a lot of pain but should be able to recover by taking it easy the rest of the day. I'm doing just well enough to drive all the way home, so I'll do that while she zones out in the car. Would it have been nice to go further and see Smith Lake? Absolutely. But I don't know it would have been worth the cost.
