Backpacking
Lower Blue Lake to Raymond Peak

Mapology

MAP NOTE
Those squares breaking the USGS maps up into grids are the Universal Transverse Mercator / Military Grid Reference System, otherwise commonly known as UTM.

What's important for our general reference purpose is that each side of a square is 1000 meters, or a Kilometer.

From my point of view that is 1093.6 yards or .62 of a mile.

Diagonal: 1414.22 meters, if my trig is correct.

That converts the diagonal distance into 4,639.8 feet or .88 of a mile.

Location Notes

Main Features
This strange section of the Mokelumne Wilderness is quite convoluted. I counted four times crossing the Wilderness Boundary between Carson Pass and Ebbetts Pass. The main reason appears to be for road access to the Blue Lakes, which is run by the pirates of PGE.

The Pacific Crest Trail through here is bisected by many dirt roads, and we can detect the signs of years of heavy use by cars and trucks around Blue Lakes and Tamarack Lake.

Though used by cars, it is also a densely forested section and the beauty of Tamarack, Lilly Pad and the Upper and Lower Sunset Lakes remains mostly undiminished by the traffic.

As a matter of fact, during one trip up Summit City Creek to Upper Blue Lake, where the the PGE Blue Lake Camping ground is located, I met a number of really nice car campers. The four-wheelers around there are mostly locals from Reno to Bishop out of the 395 corridor. Nice folks.

So, if we are considering hiking around this beautiful area, don't forget that there are two roads accessing Blue Lakes, the dirt Forestdale Divide Road and the paved Blue Lakes Road that can bring us out to Blue Lakes to begin our hiking or backpacking trip. Or to go car camping at the PGE campgrounds at Blue Lakes. Or we can car camp for free if our car can negotiate the dirt road out to the lakes.

Another of the main features of this section of trail are the long views to the East that high points offer.

Comments? Questions?

Mapping
and
National Forest
Information

Mileages and Elevations

Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass

Backpacking Permitting Authorities

El Dorado National Forest

National Forest Contacts via TW: El Dorado NF

National Forest web page: El Dorado NF

Wilderness Area: Mokelumne

Ranger Districts: All

Toiyabe National Forest

National Forest Contacts via TW: Toiyabe NF

National Forest web page: Toiyabe NF

Wilderness Area: Mokelumne

Ranger District: Carson Ranger District

USGS
Topo Map Information

Map Name
NW Map
Carson Pass
Calif, 1992, 7.5 minute topographic map.

NE Map
Markleeville
Calif, 1979, 7.5 minute topographic map.

SW Map
Pacific Valley
Calif.-Nev., 1979, 7.5 minute topographic map.

SE Map
Ebbetts Pass
California, 1979, 7.5 minute topographic map.

USGS MAP LOCATOR

Compass Offset
Magnetic North is 16 and 1/2 degrees of True North

Scale: 1:24 000

Contours: 40 Feet

Comments? Questions?

Physical location
South of Blue Lakes, North of Raymond Peak.

South of Blue Lakes on the Pacific Crest Trail:

Around an 8000 foot average

Trail Guide Section
Tahoe to Alpine Trail Guide

Trail Guide Page
Blue Lakes Road to Mokelumne Wilderness boundary

Map Credit

Thanks, USGS!

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior:

USGS

USGS MAP LOCATOR

Move the Map to the Sierras. Select size of Maps you wish to locate. Click "Mark Point" on map to see the USGS map grid of the selected map scale.

USGS Topographic

Map Information

Common Map Symbols

All Map Symbols