Morning at the Upper Blue Canyon Campsite

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Morning at our beautiful campsite above treeline in Blue Canyon did not disappoint.

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Watching the sun crawl over the high mountain peaks is magical.


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Finger Peak lighting up above our camp.  Our goal is to go over the pass to the left of the peak toward the Ionian Basin.


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What a gorgeous morning!

Our Camp in Upper Blue Canyon



IMG_3060We found the only level, clear place to pitch a tent in the entire upper basin near one of the highest lakes in Blue Canyon.



STA_3062 - STP_3077It’s gorgeous up here above treeline.  Just a few small clumps of gnarled trees hang on up here.  A month ago, this was all buried deep under snow.

IMG_3079Finger peak towering above and the pass to the right that we will try tomorrow to go into the next basin.

IMG_3080The little lake with ice still floating at one end.

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This is literally the only flat spot that isn’t covered in rocks.



STA_3098 - STN_3111An absolutely gorgeous place to spend a night.

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STA_3115 - STH_3122I hiked up to the upper lake.  This is looking back down toward the camp.


STA_3168 - STL_3179The upper lake.  The bowl of snow goes right down into the water.


IMG_3184Getting ready for night.  As soon as the sun went down below Finger Peak, the temperature dropped significantly.

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STA_3187 - STJ_3196Time for bed!

Hiking Up Blue Canyon

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After a hard day of hiking that had us on the trail until after sunset, we found a little clearing to camp in that didn’t have too many mosquitoes.  The next morning we woke up in the heart of lower Blue Canyon surrounded by cliffs and a surprising amount of sagebrush.

IMG_2963Sitting in camp while I got ready to get out of the tent, my dad watched a bear trot by on the trail, either completely ignoring us or completely missing us.  The bear was big and healthy, and heading down the trail to some good foraging grounds.

IMG_2966The old cattleman’s cabin in the big meadow in Blue Canyon.  Coyote Pass is above this cabin.  If we come back here again, we’ll take Coyote Pass rather than stick to the “maintained” trail.  The trail that is shown on the maps is nearly completely lost to the ever encroaching brush on the side of Kettle Dome.  Also losing so many thousands of feet in elevation to go to the bottom of Blue Canyon is a bit pointless if you’re trying to access the high alpine lakes.


IMG_2970The big meadow in Blue Canyon.  I bet this was a lake once.

IMG_2972A metamorphic intrusion on top of the ridge.

IMG_2974Big mountains on the other side of Tehipite Valley.

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Crossing a big moraine full of wildflowers.


IMG_2979Picking our way up the old trail.

IMG_2981A big chasm in the granite where the water roars through from the melting snow above.

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The cascade into the canyon.  I wouldn’t want to take a ride down this waterfall.

IMG_2985This must have been scoured out by many successive floods and a few glaciers.

IMG_2986Climbing higher, swatting mosquitoes.

STA_2988 - STM_3000_blended_fusedUp at the first and lowest lake in the canyon.  None of these lakes are named so it makes identifying them a bit difficult.

IMG_3001Heading toward another small lake.

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It is incredibly pretty up here.  We were probably the first people to see this lake in the last five years.

IMG_3008Lots of water everywhere from the ongoing snowmelt.



STA_3016 - STH_3023_fusedAnother pretty little lake.

IMG_3024This lake has an old horse camp at it.  Lots of rockwork tastefully done.  A few nails in the trees but no garbage.  It’s been a long time since someone camped here.

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IMG_3037Sitting on the chairs at the old camp.

IMG_3038Walking around a lake.

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IMG_3047Some small ponds as we approach treeline.

IMG_3048Looking back down toward the lakes that live in the timber.

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IMG_3050More ponds.

IMG_3051Another lake.  This basin is full of lakes!

IMG_3052A lake in the distance.  We didn’t get to this one.  It was too far out of the way to get to on our hike up the canyon.

IMG_3053Another lake comes into view with Finger Peak in the background.

IMG_3054Yet another lake.

IMG_3055Walking by another lake before getting to the lake we camped at for the night.