Andra took this picture of me standing next to the car after putting on my pack. We parked along HWY 89 as the parking lot for the trailhead is still not finished. They began renovating the parking lot in July, 2004, and it was scheduled for completion in October, 2004. The ranger we talked to said they got a late start on it because of the late rains this spring, but this is a silly excuse since it was supposed to be done last fall. In addition, she told us that they estimated it would be done in two more weeks. I laughed since they haven't even completed the structure to which they will pour the concrete. Clearly if this is how they estimated October, 2004, as the completion date, I can see why they are nearly a year late. Perhaps they are planning to allow the public in before the concrete cures.
As we hiked away from Emerald Bay, Andra captured the great lake as we climbed steadily up the trail. This trail is probably the steepest route into Desolation Wilderness. We started near lake level and you can see how much elevation we've gained early on in our hike.
The first lake you run across (about one mile in) is Eagle Lake. Eagle Lake has a small island (visible through the trees). Day hikers often come here to swim.
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