[John Morrow]

The Desolation is a quite accessible attractive little wilderness on the west shore of Lake Tahoe that is full of lakes and easy peaks to bag for those so inclined. If the Teanaway had lakes it'd look a bit like this with the Stuart batholith so close. I started this day with a longish hike in mind from the Bayview Campground at the south end of Emerald Bay. I connected with the PCT in a few miles which took me to Dicks Pass and the peaks I wanted to scramble: Pt 9579' (right above the trail), Dicks 9974', Jacks 9856', and a finish with Maggies Peak 8699'on the hike out.

Lake Tahoe Basin Mgmt Unit

Granite galore

unnamed pond; Desolation Wilderness, CA

Lake Tahoe Basin Mgmt Unit

On the PCT; Desolation Wilderness, CA

Tahoe from Pt 9579'

Desolation Wilderness, CA

Tallac with Freel behind

After walking up the short slope to Pt 9579', it was a fun ridge run: NE ridge of Dicks (class 2), down the SW ridge of Dicks (class 2), up the North ridge of Jacks (one move maybe, solid class 3) and then reverse the route. Instead of going back to Dicks Pass, though, I descended awful rubble of Dicks North slope to Fontanallis and Dicks Lakes because I wanted to see them and splash my sweaty face. Don't go that way. The visible game trail, seen from the summit, is not much of a route.

Desolation Wilderness, CA

The traverse

IMG_4967

Good scrambling NE ridge

Northern Crystal Range

From where I came Lake Tahoe Basin Mgmt Unit

Go to Jacks

Fun solid Class 2/3

Lake Tahoe Basin Unit; The Crystals

Northern Crystals

Back over that

South ridge Class 2

Walking down to the lakes

Fontanillis Lakes

Reversing my trail hike out to the car I stopped at Maggies South Peak 8699' a few hundred feet above the trail. The true top was a detached flake boulder move to my surprise.

Desolation Wilderness, CA

Snow Lake? from Maggies

IMG_5003

Desolation Wilderness, CA

[David¹]

Nice to see some different perspectives, I don't think I've ever seen anything other than Mt. Tallac and Lake Aloha (a fake lake)

[Jetlag]

Great to see pictures of my June stomping grounds for the last thirty years. Since Californians don't seem to favor ice axes, I usually have the high basins and ridges to myself until July. Bayview campground is one of my favorite places to start from. Did you get a chance to see Fontanillis falls? In June it's a firehose.

[Sadie's Driver]

I LOVED that trip! Fontanellis Lakes are gorgeous! Yes, there are trip reports from this part of the Sierra's . . . Three Dick Day Great report and pics . . . thanks!