Photos – Hike to Sword Lake

The
Lair of the Golden Bear is the
U.C. Berkeley family camp in the Sierras.
We have camped at the Lair every August for 14 years. This year, during
our week at the Lair, John and Jessica and Matt and Paul and I went on a
new hike: to Sword Lake. The Lair is
at an elevation of about 5,500 feet. Sword Lake is probably at about
7,000 feet above sea level. It is an hour’s drive by car out of camp
toward the Dardanelles Cone near Sonora Pass in the

Carson-Iceberg Wilderness of the Stanislaus National Forest.

The trail is only about 3 miles to the lake but it is at high
altitude, the day was hot, and the trail dusty. Swimming across the
lake before lunch was a delight. We all used the rope swing to jump
into the deep water. Despite having our wonderful
CamelBak water backpack, John and
I both suffered heat exhaustion on the trail back. We were the very
slowest hikers but it was still a beautiful place to visit. Here are
some photos from our hike:

Carson-Iceberg Wilderness trail head sign:

Lair hiking group briefing:

View of Sierras:

John on trail:

Scarlet Gilia wildflowers:

First view of Sword Lake:

Nearby Lost Lake and ferns:

Granite bordering Sword Lake:

Across Sword Lake:

Across Sword Lake:

Sword Lake wood trail sign:

Ice split granite boulder:

Ice scored granite hill side:

Indian paintbrush and asters – wildflowers:

View of old lava flow:

Huge granite split boulder:

View of old lava flow:

Thistles in bloom:

Split granite boulder:

Ripe spiny gooseberries:

Dardanelles Cone:

Heart Stone:

Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher