We took a hike to Elizabeth Lake, below Unicorn Peak, 4.8 miles round-trip with 1000' elevation gain. Although we started at 8600', it was still warm and unseasonably humid, making it difficult to catch our breath. I hadn't thought about it before; humidity may make the air feel more dense, but since water is displacing air the density of air is actually thinner. Because it got cooler and less humid as we went higher, it actually got easier to breathe. Weird !
The trail passes through a forest of lodgepole pine and mountain hemlock, alongside and crossing small streams. As the topography flattens out, the ground is wetter, supporting lush green groundcover...and mosquitoes ! Entering the meadow surrounding Elizabeth Lake, the little buggers were intolerable. We quickly wound our way to the lake's edge, snapped a few pictures, and retreated down to a lower and drier spot for our lunch of Schat's sandwiches. I highly recommend the turkey salad !
Birds were the usual suspects: dark-eyed junco, western wood-pewee, Steller's jay, American robin, brown creeper, yellow-throated warbler, mountain chickadee, Cassin's finch. But we did experience some neat behavior moments ! First, a junco snatched up an insect from a tree trunk just a couple feet in front of us. I guess the tastiness of the snack outweighed our proximity. In the trees above, I was hearing a call that didn't sound quite familiar... it turned out to be a very demanding fledgling yellow-rumped warbler. We watched for a while as its tireless parents flitted around and returned with morsels for their obnoxious offspring. Still, it was kinda cute...
 Lupinus breweri Brewer's lupine |  Triteleia ixioides pretty face |
 Castilleja lemmonii subalpine paintbrush (with buddy !) |  Elizabeth Lake beneath Unicorn Peak |
 Dodecatheon jeffreyi Jeffrey's shooting-star |  Lembert Dome from Tuolomne Meadow |
 Half Dome from Olmsted Point |  Tenaya Lake from Olmsted Point |
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Beautiful flowers!! So jealous of all your awesome outings....my life is in front of the computer until my thesis is done... So I will live vicariously through you! Love the flower with the buddy. :) Buddies need recognition too! Looks like Bishop is treating you well- keep updating!
ReplyDeleteHahaha, thanks Katrina ! I knew you'd appreciate the buddy !
ReplyDeleteStuck in front of a computer is a bummer, but you're soooo close ! I'm sure you'll be done in no time and then you'll be a Sally Master ! =D