The Crystal Range is Heather Lake's Western backdrop in Desolation Wilderness on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

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Backpacking Susie Lake to Heather Lake

Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail and Tahoe to Yosemite Trail through Desolation Wilderness

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North: 3 Trail Junctions

South: North Lake Aloha

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Miles and Elevations Index

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Video: Susie Lake backpacking past the North Side of Heather Lake

Susie Lake

A third of a mile South of our last Glen Alpine trail junction the trail comes to the East side of Susie Lake. A nice shady pool has formed on the backside of Susie Lake's check dam.

MAP

After the 1590 foot drop in elevation over the 2.93 mile descent from Dicks Pass, I looked to this pool for more than its quiet beauty.

Refreshing Soak in the Pool below the Check Dam at Susie Lake

Backpacking by Susie and Heather Lakes

Susie and Heather Lakes, Desolation Wilderness

Desolation Wilderness

Meeks Bay to Susie Lake

Backpacking South from Dicks Pass to Susie and Heather Lakes

Elevation: 7800 feet. The trail from Dicks Pass to Susie Lake drops 1590 feet of elevation in 2.93 miles.

Susie Lake marks the bottom of the Descent from Dicks Pass. Now you have a brief climb past Heather Lake to Lake Aloha, where the trail runs down mountain all the way to the Echo Lake trailhead.

Mileage: The West side of Susie Lake is 19.76 miles South from the Meeks Bay trail head, 8.95 miles South to the Echo Lake trail head, and 10.95 miles to Echo Summit.

The West side of Heather Lake is .56 of a mile South of the West side of Susie Lake, towards Lake Aloha

mileage and elevations

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Backpacking around the South Side of Susie Lake to Heather Lake

Suzie Lake

The trail winds around to the West along the Southern shore of Susie Lake, then follows an easy channel up to Heather Lake between massive mountain shoulders descending off of Jacks Peak and Cracked Crag.

Check out the topo map for details

Southwest Side of Susie Lake, looking North, Desolation Wilderness.

Southwest Side of Susie Lake, climbing South towards Heather Lake, looking back to the NE across Susie Lake.

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Heather Lake

Bending around the Southern shore of Susie Lake we hike a short ways Northwest up Susie Lake's Western Shore until the trail bends West through an cut between the massive mountains shoulders descending off of Jacks Peak to our North and Cracked Crag to our South up to Heather Lake.

Check out the topo map for details

Approaching Heather Lake from Susie Lake, heading West.

First Peek at Heather Lake, Desolation Wilderness.

Heather Lake from South on the Pacific Crest Trail, Southbound.

Heather Lake, Desolation Wilderness.

The Western expanse of Heather Lake.

Passing around the North side of Heather Lake

Hiking Around the North side of Heather Lake.

Hiking the thin trail along the North Shore of Heather Lake.

Passing out of Heather Lake's little basin between the mountains.

Rounding the formation in the foreground brings to the final little climb before reaching Lake Aloha. The precipitous Pyramid Peak of the Crystal Range decorates the background.

This section of trail is breathtakingly beautiful.

Above, and South of Heather Lake

Great Trail work winding through the ponds West of Heather Lake.

Heather Lake in background, pond in foreground, Looking NE from our brief climb South of Heather Lake towards Lake Aloha, Desolation Wilderness.

The last steps up to the North shore of Lake Aloha


The last steps of our small climb up to Lake Aloha from Heather Lake. The great granite vault of the Desolation Valley will open up before you at the top of this rise.

North: 3 Trail Junctions South: North Lake Aloha

Backpacking Desolation Wilderness past Susie lake and Heather Lake

After giving my aching feet and knees a nice soak in the cold water pool below Susie Lake's check dam, I quickly passed by and around Susie and Heather Lakes.

Though this looked like an awesome place to set up camp, my high-mileage plan required that I push to exit the Desolation Wilderness this day and camp near Echo Summit.

That would require that I add another 11.35 miles to the 5.23 miles I had already hiked. As this was my first time carrying a camera through here to shoot the trail guide, I figured this would be a tough objective.

So I saddled up and hit the trail.

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Topo Hiking Map: Genevieve to Phipps Pass Topo Hiking Map: Phipps Pass to Lake Aloha

Topo Hiking Map: Lake Aloha to Echo Lake Trailhead

Miles and Elevations

Next page: Aloha Lake 1

Backpacking North

Trail Guide

3 Trail Junctions

Backpacking South

Trail Guide

North Lake Aloha