on Aug 1, 2006 3:36 am. Contacts. Beautiful Pear Lake, a 1.1 miles past Emerald, is set amid a world of glacial polished granite slabs and cliffs framed by Alta Peak to the south. Pear Lake from Mapcarta, the free map. The main trail continues to climb up to Pear Lake, crossing the most barren, rocky landscape of the hike. Then head southwest above the cliffs that sit at the south end of Pear Lake. The lakes are best visited on a long day hike. I didn't make it to the peak itself because I had planned for Pear Lake (stopped about 1 mile short because I packed too much gear), but I still logged 18.56 round trip starting at Wolverton. Hikers relaxing on top of the 11,200' peak. Beautiful Pear Lake, a 1.1 miles past Emerald, is set amid a world of glacial polished granite slabs and cliffs framed by Alta Peak to the south. Last two miles were really challenging for us and took almost three hours. If you look closely, you might even see Mount Whitney peeking up from a gap in the range. From here, Emerald Lake and Aster Lake are 1.1 miles (5.3 miles from the trailhead) and Pear Lake is 2 miles away (6.2 miles from the trailhead). Three Rivers, CA. Long, easy-going traverse to Bearpaw Meadow. Met a bear and her child right near the start of the trail. Perhaps it’s because as I look at the topographical … Alta Peak to Pear Lake in this recording was backcountry and gnarly A few wildflowers left View Sonia's Recording. Mt. Whitney is visible in the far distance. Hiking Bugs Great! There is no water available at the trailhead. I got a ride to the Wolverton Trailhead early that Monday and started hiking around 8:00 am. The lakes are best visited on a long day hike. I have been to Alta Peak and have seen Pear Lake below but I could not see Moose Lake from Alta Peak (some folks go to Moose Lake from Alta Meadow). Shared By: Sarah Antrobus. Incredible 360-degree panorama, including this view towards the east. Canyons, vistas. The trail starts at the Wolverton trail head. The weather was perfect and there were NO mosquitoes- what more could you ask for. While Winter Alta can feasibly be done in a single long day from Wolverton, staying at the hut or camping in the Pear Lake basin reduces the approach by 6 miles (refer to Wolverton to Pear Lake Ski Hut for route details). Contacts. Wolverton is about 2 hours ESE of Fresno taking highway 180 east and the General’s Highway south to Wolverton. The trail down from Alta Peak. So pick a promising day and get an early start to enjoy this gorgeous place. Make sure to map out everything before you head out! Pear Lake Area, Sequoia National Park, Sept. 99: In mid September, Warren, Beth and I decided to get in one last trip before the symphony season got going so we took a relatively short trip to Sequoia National Park to see the sights near Alta Peak and Pear Lake. Alta Peak is the best daytrip I've done out of Lodgepole. Brooke E. July 25, 2020. How to find us. Approaching Alta Peak the next morning. At the junction the trail to the right leads first up to Panther Gap and then on to Alta Meadow and Alta Peak, while the trail to the left leads to Pear Lake and the remainder of the Lakes Trail. An easy scramble up, but there is some exposure so just a bit of pucker factor as you perch yourself on the summit block. SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK - RSVP Note: Please add yourself to the waitlist only if you are reasonably sure to attend it if added. Norma and I took advantage of the incredibly mild sierra winter conditions of late and took a winter backpack trip into the Pear Lake, Emerald & H Pear Lake & Winter Alta - EisPiraten.com EisPiraten.com The hike begins at Wolverton Meadows, adjacent to Giant Forest, home of the most massive trees on Earth, and accesses the spectacular Tableland of the Western Sierra. The trail will start to head down as you approach Aster Lake and there is a bathroom and campsites between Aster and Emerald Lakes. I say "approximate" because what is shown here is the summer trail while the winter ski/snowshoe trail is slightly different. Continuing up Alta Peak will require minor rock scrambling to reach the summit to see Pear Lake and the Eastern Divide. Moose Lake became a candidate for a visit last year after seeing a photograph and a day trip to Pear Lake. The overall hike is about 14 miles round trip with about 4,000’ of elevation gain. First allowed campsite - Panther Gap (3 miles), no water. Moose Lake via Watchtower and Pear Lakes Trails is a 15.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Flora & Fauna Look for corn lilies, ranger's buttons, and columbine along lush creek beds. So pick a promising day and get an early start to enjoy this gorgeous place. The ascent from Pear Lake was a fun class 2 climb that requires a little bit of route finding, and I have to say was much more enjoyable than the regular Alta trail. Alta Meadows and Pear Lake Introduction Explore Sequoia National Park’s spectacular high country with this outstanding loop through some of the most beautiful areas in the Sierra Nevada. Occasionally a bear can be spotted along this forested section of the trail. Steady climb to lakes and passes beyond. Details. Read More. … The lake is a classic tarn, set in a distinctive glacially-carved granite bowl or cirque. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until September. Comments & voting; Other parents; Image ID: 212014. Forests, meadows, alpine vistas. We weren’t able to see Pear Lake from the summit because of the smoke but it … Alta Peak is one of the best spots in Sequoia if you want a dynamic view of over half the park. If you don't like to read, the previous sentence should provide enough information to do this hike. The shortest and easiest route to the lakes is via the Lakes Trail, which shares the same parking lot as the Alta Peak Trailhead. Traverse this bowl until you are just below the summit of Alta Peak. The first 1.8 miles of the trail was a familiar one as I'd hiked it when going to and from Pear Lake. For the pleasure of the powder seeker, Winter Alta lies within close proximity to Pear Lake Ski Hut, making it a common objective for Peak Lake skiers. From the Pear Lake Ski Hut, head east and around the Matterhorn until you have gained the ridge below the upper Skier’s Alta Bowl (Peak 11,328). This trail climbs about 4,500' in about 7 miles then back down again. Why is it called “Moose Lake” when there have never been moose in California? Among the best scenery in the southern Sierras. We will send information to those accepted on the trip. Flora & Fauna You may come across a bear on this trail before Panther Peak in the wooded area so keep your eyes open. Amazingly there are still trees, though, especially around the campsites. Winter ski decent alta peak to the hut, go pro February 2013 "Started about 8:10am from Wolverton Trailhead arrived Alta Peak ~12:30pm; Heading to Pear Lake ~1:40pm and down to Pear Lake northern end ~3:30pm; Back to Trailhead 6:10pm via The Watchtower." From there, it's straightforward back to the parking lot. Sat, Jun 27, 2015, 6:30 AM: The description of the event, Alta Peak/Pear Lake Loop (STRENUOUS), is available only to members. Entering Alta Meadow. Alta Peak from Pear Lake Save Alta Peak as seen from Pear Lake. The standard route (among many) up the 11,240-foot summit is via the Alta Peak Trail. I arrived at Pear Lake and had my first view of Alta Peak! NOTE: These distances are an approximation due to inefficiencies going off trail. Alta Peak and back. There is an old unmaintained trail that is hard to flow but eventually you will reach the trail. I hoped to gain the ridge between the summit (right) and the highpoint in the middle. After two miles or so, the Alta Peak and Pear Lake trails diverge. You will not be added if you have had a history of last minute cancellations or no-shows. Looking north with Pear, Emerald and Aster lakes below. The hike to Alta Peak begins from the same Wolverton trailhead (elevation 7,300’) south of Lodgepole on the General’s Highway as the Pear Lake Hike. 7-30-06 You can do some class 3 climbing from the lake to the peak. Hiking begins in the dense fir forests around Wolverton at 7400'. Alta Peak towers above Pear Lake. - 2B8R3HT from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. The ridge was very severe, as expected, and a cliff above Pear Lake held a massive frozen waterfall of blue ice. Marmots are populous but harmless at the summit. Day 2 (May 30) Pear lake - Alta peak attempt - Hump trail - Wolverton trail head We turned back a few hundreds feet below the Alta peak summit as it looked dangerous due to the loose snow. The BLUE route is the 1964 route and the 1973 first day route to Heather Gap aka The Hump. The view from Alta Peak is stunning and you can see all of the surrounding mountains. From there, you can head towards Alta Peak or head back to Pear Lake. Sierra Nevada - Sequoia National Park - Alta Peak/Pear Lake area Map shows the approximate routes of the two winter trips to the Pear Lake area. The hike begins in the dense fir forests around Wolverton, starting on the same trail that leads to Pear Lake. High Sierra Trail: Begins at Crescent Meadow. Although there are two large parking lots, this trailhead is very popular not only among backpackers, but especially among day hikers and even fishermen! — keung • Aug 28, 2016 "Started at 7:00 from Wolverton. Beyond Alta Meadows a faint use trail leads along wide meadows broken by small groups of trees until reaching Moose Lake and the Tablelands. Alta Peak was an attractive destination, but the clear presence of snow not only on the approach slopes but in the visible chutes and on the ridge dissuaded us from considering that option any further. Numerous wide open cross-country routes lead across the granite slabs and undulating ridges of the Tablelands until you reach the rocky trails descending from Pear Lake which lead back to the red fir forest along rocky ledges with a bit of exposure. « PREV NEXT » jsorber. Land Manager: NPS - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. Pear Lake is a lake in Tulare County and has an elevation of 9544 feet. Download this stock image: Pear Lake rests at the base of Alta Peak and marks the end of the 6.6 mile Lakes Trail in Sequoia National Park. You can make out prominent peaks in the Great Divide such as the Kaweah Range, Moint Eisen and Eagle Scout Peak. 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