On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
UncleEbeneezer
Our original plan for this trip had been to camp at Convict Lake, but when we realized we would need to be somewhere with decent cell phone reception, we had to abandon that. So after leaving VA Lakes we very much wanted to make sure we got a chance to stop at Convict Lake to explore.
To quote Wikipedia: Convict Lake is “situated in the Sherwin Range of the Sierra Nevada. It is known for its turquoise-blue water, the dramatic mountains (including Mount Morrison) that surround it, the trout fishing it affords, and its unusual history. The lake was renamed from its traditional Mono name by American settlers after an incident on September 23, 1871, in which a group of convicts escaped from prison in Carson City, Nevada, and took refuge near the lake. They were pursued by a posse, and after it caught up to the convicts, a shootout followed, in which a number of both posse members and convicts were killed or wounded. The remaining convicts who survived initially escaped but were eventually captured to be taken back to prison but were lynched instead.”
We arrived at CL fairly late in the day but hoped we would have time to do the legendary Convict Lake Loop before dark. It was in the high-70’s and quite warm in the sun, but the lake was lovely and streaked with traces of aspen gold along the mountainsides.
I picked the wrong day to wear a dark blue shirt. In the sun, I was roasting even though it wasn’t super-hot. There were a decent number of people on the first portion of the loop but as we went further, much fewer.
A brief stop in some much-needed shade to enjoy the view of the beautiful water and aspen groves across the lake.
Finally some steady shade as we reach the far west side of the lake and sunset begins. Around the start of the Mildred Lake/Dorothy Lake Trailhead there is a wooden boardwalk that extends for a couple hundred yards through the boggy terrain.
And we were finally in the aspens as the boardwalk passes through a substantial grove that was just beginning to turn. It was also approaching dusk so we were on high alert for any possible bear encounters.
As we get to the SouthEast side of the loop we had spectacular views of a small beach, aspen groves and the mountains. The mountains around the lake are HUGE and steep and quite impressive, in person.
Another great view as we near the end of the loop just as it’s getting dark.
We had briefly visited Wit-sa-nap/Convict Lake a couple times before, and knew all about their amazing restaurant (one of the best in the Sierra) but had never gotten close and into it. We really loved it and definitely hope to go back and camp there in the future.
Stick around for the final installment which will finally get into some serious Fall Color.
eclare
That looks like a really nice hike! Just checked the altitude, at 7850 I would be a wheezing mess, so thanks for letting me go through your photos.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
I didn’t make it up to CL this year, but went there twice last year. I was there in the morning, let’s just say it was a bit cooler(around freezing).
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@eclare: It is really not that bad, I did the loop hike last year and I was at least 40 lbs. heavier than I am now. It is about a mile long and is pretty flat.
OzarkHillbilly
Nice.
MazeDancer
Beautiful photographs!
susanna
You captured the steep heights of the surrounding mountains around the Lake, giving the strong diverse proportions of this area in the Sierras. They’re always a treat to explore from the armchair here. Looking forward to the 3rd installment.
JanieM
What a beautiful place to visit — lucky you! And lucky us that you’re sharing the trip with us. Thank you.
UncleEbeneezer
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: Agreed. Especially compared to Virginia Lakes where we had just come from. Virginia Lakes we were totally feeling the altitude, but at Convict it was really more the uncomfortable warmth (in the sun.). Also there is not much up and down (maybe a couple hundred feet) and the trail never really gets steep. It’s a lovely and pretty easy hike.
UncleEbeneezer
@susanna: You mean part 4. This is part 3! ;)
Kevin
Beautiful shots. Looks like a great hike.
Yutsano
I was promised bears. I see no bears. I feel cheated. :P
Elizabelle
Ok. This goes on the bucket list. Especially with aspens!
UncleEbeneezer
@Elizabelle: It’s really one of the most lovely and accessible hikes in the E. Sierra. And a great location with Mammoth Lakes, a geo-thermal site, and Bishop all just up/down the road. There are some cute cabins not too far from the lake and a killer restaurant.
Elizabelle
@UncleEbeneezer: thank you!
BigJimSlade
Nice shots – I camped there for a night once in the mid 80s. Such a lovely lake :-) And that back wall of mountains (last 2 photos) is fantastical.
The setting reminds me a bit of the smaller Parker Lake, a bit further up 395, plus a short hike. It’s smaller, but pretty. It has plenty of fallen trees in the water if you try fishing it. We lost several lures (again, back in the 80s) there and renamed it Lure Lake.
Dmbeaster
I love October trips to the Eastern Sierra for Fall color. North Fork of Big Pine creek is one of my faves. Did a three day backpack there with my daughter this year in mid October. Fall color was great – aspens, poplars, water birch and willow.
Interstadial
First Rock Creek, then Virginia Lakes, then Convict Lake… you’re really hitting the high points of the area.
I didn’t appreciate Convict Lake as much as I should have on my first visit. It’s grown on me a lot over the following decades. My wife likes it because of the ADA-accessible path along a part of the lake’s shoreline (at the other end from the boardwalk in the photo).
Sister Golden Bear
One of the dramatic things about Convict Lake is the immense amount of visible folding in the rocks above the lake. They were once flat sedimentary layers, but time and pressure now make them resemble an EKG readout.
El Cruzado
Oh I did this hike not a couple months ago! Beautiful place and for those complaining about the altitude: there’s very little elevation change in the loop hike so as long as you take it easy you’ll do fine.
Were I to end up richer than a one home person I’d totally summer in the area. An embarrassment of views and hiking trails and clear mountain air (assuming no wildfires in the vicinity).
Hoping to eventually make it back and try out one of the longer, climbier hikes that go up to the range from there.