White Chief is our favorite destination in Mineral King. Most people want to go to a lake, and they are welcome to struggle to Eagle up that lousy trail. We’ll wave goodbye as they turn that direction, and then head up the steeper but shorter trail to White Chief. It’s hard to calculate the distance, because sometimes we are happy to just break into the canyon, which Trail Guy calls a “dry lake”. You can go as far as all the way to the head of the canyon, which might be 4 miles one way. Just guessing. . .
I saw a new flower in the middle part of the canyon, where the trail crosses over the creek. It was very hard to photograph, and the best I could do is this, barely adequate for identifying. However, I concluded that it is Little Elephant Head, very similar, as one would suspect, to Elephant Head. Weird.
The flowers were terrific as we approached the place where the trail crosses the creek.
This might make a good cover photo if I publish a second edition of Mineral King Wildflowers. No promises.
We crossed the creek, and tomorrow I’ll continue this topic.
3 Comments
I know . . . I was gobsmacked when I reached the rocky part, too! My decision was made by distance only. Ditto for Groundhog Meadow. One must pay attention to elevation gain when one is deciding on which destination to which one desires to which to head to. To.
I haven’t been to White Chief meadow or lake in many years, and I’m not sure I’ll ever make it there in whatever time I have left on this earth, but I can enjoy it vicariously through your blog posts. My most recent hike was to Eagle Lake, only because it’s the shortest in distance. But that last half mile . . . ugh!
Actually, the photo below the Indian Paint Brush picture would be a good book cover, too! (No promises!)
Sharon, I am gobsmacked that you chose Eagle over White Chief! That is one heckuva tough trail at the end.
The photo below the Indian Paintbrush is exactly the one I was referring to. Vertical. IF I publish a second edition (no promises).
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