A Windy Day below the Nipple; Wheeling Around Lost Lake
Last weekend we drove up to the Sierra Nevada for a day of driving, wheeling, and hiking. I've already posted a few blogs about it, most recently Hiking Lost Lake to the Nipple. Yes, we were hiking to a summit called The Nipple. But we didn't get there. The wind was so fierce we turned back part way up.
How windy was it? Here's a short video clip showing you how windy it was:
Link: watch video on YouTube
Yes, you can see how windy it was, with how much the camera is shaking- despite me holding it with both hands! And you can hear it, too. I recorded this clip with no narration so all you've got is the pounding wind. ...And this section of trail wasn't even the windiest I encountered. The windiest was so fierce that I didn't pull my camera out for fear I'd drop it & it'd be blown away!
After the hike we climbed back into our 4x4 to explore around the Lost Lakes (there are two of them). I shared a photo of Lost Lake already in Hiking Lost Lake to the Nipple. Here's a short video with scenes from wheeling around the lakes and a view across Upper Lost Lake:
Link: watch video on YouTube
After finishing at the lakes we continued on the Forestdale Divide Road. We continued south from the Lost Lakes. It's about a mile down a hill trail strewn with loose rocks to Upper Blue Lake. From there on out we'd drive paved roads home. But first we parked and explored around the shore of Upper Blue Lake.
From here we caught a great view of The Nipple high above us. The shore of Upper Blue Lake here is about 600' lower than Lost Lakes. The PCT passes over the flank of the Nipple and comes down here... though not exactly here but around the other side of the mountain, at similar elevation. The trail shown at AllTrails starts from over there and heads north up the mountain. The route we followed earlier in the day, hiking from Lost Lakes and going south, cut the distance by at least one-third and reduced the ascent almost by half.
How windy was it? Here's a short video clip showing you how windy it was:
Click to viewLink: watch video on YouTube
Yes, you can see how windy it was, with how much the camera is shaking- despite me holding it with both hands! And you can hear it, too. I recorded this clip with no narration so all you've got is the pounding wind. ...And this section of trail wasn't even the windiest I encountered. The windiest was so fierce that I didn't pull my camera out for fear I'd drop it & it'd be blown away!
After the hike we climbed back into our 4x4 to explore around the Lost Lakes (there are two of them). I shared a photo of Lost Lake already in Hiking Lost Lake to the Nipple. Here's a short video with scenes from wheeling around the lakes and a view across Upper Lost Lake:
Link: watch video on YouTube
After finishing at the lakes we continued on the Forestdale Divide Road. We continued south from the Lost Lakes. It's about a mile down a hill trail strewn with loose rocks to Upper Blue Lake. From there on out we'd drive paved roads home. But first we parked and explored around the shore of Upper Blue Lake.
From here we caught a great view of The Nipple high above us. The shore of Upper Blue Lake here is about 600' lower than Lost Lakes. The PCT passes over the flank of the Nipple and comes down here... though not exactly here but around the other side of the mountain, at similar elevation. The trail shown at AllTrails starts from over there and heads north up the mountain. The route we followed earlier in the day, hiking from Lost Lakes and going south, cut the distance by at least one-third and reduced the ascent almost by half.