High Elevation Sierra Flowers

The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the Sonora Gap dividing the Southern from the Eastern flanks of Sonora Peak 2.88 miles North of Sonora Pass. 1.21 miles further North we drop down to the gap between the East Fork of the Carson River and Wolf Creek Lake.

Between these two points, the Sonora and East Carson Gaps, we cross the Eastern flank of Sonora Peak.

Flowers on the Eastern Flank of Sonora Peak

As the Spring Thaw exposes the seemingly barren Eastern Flank of Sonora Peak a blanket of flowers roll up the mountainside following the receding snow, as will a rush of Pacific Crest Trail backpackers. But Sonora Peak keeps blooming long past Spring, deep into Fall. The PCT hikers will quickly pass early in the season.

Though the terrain looks barren from a distance, close inspection shows it to be full of life. The soils of the Eastern Flank of Sonora Peak stay moist far later into Summer than similar locations, prolonging the bloom and maintaining flowering conditions far past the time most high elevation flowers have rolled themselves up and gone to seed.

I figure there is a reason for the late season bloom: moistness. Possibly there is a low-flow messy spring buried somewhere high up on the eastern flank of Sonora Peak that keeps the soils moist. If so, it must be a very low flow spring to have not cut a drainage ravine.

Or, the geology of the hidden terrain beneath the East Flank is configured in such a way it holds moisture late into Summertime. The interface between the semi-submerged granites we see on the Northeast side of the East flank near the East Carson Gap may extend under the East flank of Sonora Peak to form an unseen buried granite bowl sitting beneath the overlaying volcanic material. If so, an unseen structure like that could hold, and gradually bleed-off a great deal of moisture below the surface long past the Spring thaw.

I don't know. But I do know this location blooms later in the season and stays moister than other locations of equal elevation and much later than other East facing mountain flanks.

Early season Pacific Crest Trail hikers, day hikers, and local backpackers will enjoy the full power of the bloom along the whole Sierra crest. But visitors later in the Summer will still be rewarded when they hike between the East Carson Gap and the Sonora Gap on the East Flank of Sonora Peak.

Most of the following images were shot during the Spring of 2009, though I have years of images from this location that will be appearing as possible...

As I complete new sections of the trail guide I edit, revise, and add to the previous sections.

Back to East Carson to Sonora Pass Trail Guide Page

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