DISTANCE: 25.83 km / 16.05 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 1173m / 3851 ft.
TIME: 8:40
SUMMIT: 2845m / 9334 ft.
ELDORADO NATIONAL FOREST
MOKELUMNE WILDERNESS
AMADOR COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: Gorefest: Tangled In Gore
PHOTO ALBUM
MAP
Mokelumne Peak is the second hghest peak in Amador County, California, and it stands well apart, to the west, of the main spine of the Sierras, affording good views in every direction. The isolation that sets the stage for an excellent panorama from the top, also lengthens the hike, which is miles on the trail from any direction, and then additional hiking off trail. The most popular approach, from the west, on the Tanglefoot Trail, cost us 16 miles round trip and 3800 feet of elevation gain.
Back at our parents' house in Jackson for a Father's Day visit, there was little celebration, but much hauling of tree trunks out of the gulch, cutting them, splitting them, and stacking them. Great fun, but by monday, my lust for the trail had finally returned (I hadn't hiked since getting my ass handed to me by Balloon dome earlier that month). It was time for another Sierra peak ascent, and the closest one available, as well as a longtime to-do list dweller, was Mokelumne Peak. I had seen it's pointed little head poking out from highway 88 since the childhood trips to Shealor Lake and Roundtop, but had never attempted to reach it, never even knew how. The attempt, and success, would today occur.
Awakening at sunrise, Axell and I were up Highway 88, down to Bear River Reservoir and through the expanse of forest service roads (DRIVING DIRECTIONS HERE) before 8AM. We had more hours of daylight this time of year than any other, and we intended to use them. Our boots were tramping the rich earth of the Tanglefoot Trail at 7:59. Into the woods! Every report I had read in preparation for this hike had a favorable word to say about the Tanglefoot Trail, and they were justified. The trail was well constructed, and immediately plunged us into a world of majestic pine trees, swampy lakes, and granite outcroppings. Were past the border of the Mokelumne Wilderness within eight minutes, and didn't stop to look back. After a half hour on the enjoyable trail, views opened up over Tanglefoot Canyon, the realm into which we would plunge, and then come up out the other side of. It tunred out that we had accidentally picked a hike that mimicked the brutal approach to Balloon Dome from ealier in the month: Start out at the top of a gorge, hike all the way down into it and up the other side, hike cross country to the base of the mountain, gain the additional elevation of the mountain, and then go all the way back the way you came, losing and gaining elevation again! Ugh!
We switchbacked through open rocks down into he canyon, the entered the forested valley floor, which was strewn with car and house sized boulders. Perhaps I would have stopped to climb around on them, but it was mosquito season of course, and the moist, shady areas were their favored gathering place. By 8:55AM, we had reached Tanglefoot Creek, crossed it, and started going up the other side. On with the switchbacks again, and gaining elevation, there were now views of the rock formations on the other side of the canyon, from where we had come. More climbing got us a view down into the Mokelumne River Gorge, and a sight of Calaveras Dome. Tiny springs trickled down the hillsides and moistened the trail, all along the ascent. We got to Moraine Lake at 9:40AM, and here we stopped for a real break. the water of the lake was shallow, slimy looking, and full of bugs, but still a beautiful sight. We spent about a half hour there, finally eating something that could be called breakfast.
Continuing on the trail above Morraine Lake, we went through some spongy, swampy areas, thick with gardens of Mule's Ear, probably saturated by undeground springs. By 10:55AM we arbitrarily picked a place to leave the trail and head east, and then north-east towards Mokelumne Peak. The cross country was not too bad, except for some brush, some steep sandy hillsides, and the nagging self doubt of possibly picking the wrong route. Also, it was starting to get warm. The sun was upon us! Sweat was broken, and water was consumed. We came up along the south side of Peak 8628, traversing uphill and east as we went, soon attaining the saddle between that peak and Mokelumne it's self. Now, for the first time, there was a clear view out to the north, where taller peaks such as Round Top, became visible. The path to the summit was very clear now, as we all we had to do was cross the saddle and ascend Mokelumne's broad shoulder. A use trail appeared and disappeared from time to time, weaving through the junipers and remaining patches of snow. By noon, we were upon the south-west ridge of the mountain, the final stretch, and we could see that the peak of the mountain was basically just a giant pile of rocks, which had to be tediously climbed over.
We were on top of the mountain by 12:30PM, four and a half hours after leaving the van. The summit had a benchmark, a memorial plaque, and a windbreak made from the local stones. This was another of those peaks that has a lot of bugs flying around the top for some reason, so we settled down to take a break about fifteen feet below the summit. I soaked in the excellent view and weather, and took pictures in all directions. The peak is so far west of the main peaks of the Sierra, that you can really take in a sweeping view of them, and I learned a lot about the lay of the land from studying the photographs later. We were having such a good time chilling up there, not the top of the world, but close enough, we stayed for almost 45 minutes. It was past 1:45PM by the time we returned to the saddle. From here, I got some better pictures of the summit, now with some picturesque clouds drifting into the scene.
We rejoined the trail and began heading back down, reaching Moraine Lake again at 2:53PM. It was really warm out now, and it was almost tempting to to take a dip in the shallow pond. But we had to get back. Re-tracing our steps down the trail. Cool relief of the trees in the canyon floor. The hottest and worst part of the day as coming back up the west side of the canyon: we lost the shade, the sun was beating down, and the still fresh wounds of our retreat from Balloon Dome began to sting. But this was not as bad, of course. right when I began to get really tired, it was suddenly over. The rest of the hike was uneventful, and were back at Twentieth Century Schizoid Van by 4:40PM. Strangely, the most mosquitoes of the whole day were there, right in the parking lot. We had learned from Balloon Dome not to let them into the van! On the way back, we decided to make an extra stop at the bridge over Cole Creek, where, for future reference, there is one helluva campsite. We cooled our feet, and refilled canteens from the cheerful mountain cascade, then jumped in the van for the trip back to Jackson.
FURTHER READING
•Doug Bear / Sierra Peaks: This is where I got the driving directions to the trailhead?
•Greg Lamy: Good description and photographs
•Long Green Tunnel: Thorough description with photographs
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