Backpacking Desolation Wilderness
through the
Second Trail Junction
South
of
Middle Velma Lake

North
TYT-PCT

Middle Velma Lake

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The Lay of the Land

Velma Lakes Trail
This bit of the "Velma Lakes Trail" we encounter between these first two Bayview-Camper Flat trail junctions is a small piece of the trail tracking East and West starting out of two Highway 89 trailheads in close proximity to each other on the West shore of Lake Tahoe, and ends teeing-out into the Rubicon Trail at Camper Flat in Rockbound Valley.
This trail from Lake Tahoe to Camper Flat opens up grand backpacking loops around the Northern Desolation Wilderness for local backpackers and an alternative route South than the TYT-PCT route for long-distance backpackers.

Our TYT-PCT-TRT route shares the trail with this popular local route from Tahoe to Camper Flat through this segment of trail.

Alternative Route
Hiking West to Camper Flat then South along the Rubicon Trail in Rockbound Valley to Lake Aloha via Mosquito Pass roughly parallels our Southbound route along the PCT-TYT over Dicks Pass South down to Lake Aloha.

The 30 minute North Desolation maps below shows this potential alternative route through Rockbound Valley in relation to the main TYT-PCT route.

Combining the Rubicon Trail South from Camper Flat to Mosquito Pass over to Lake Aloha with the Northbound TYT from Lake Aloha back up to Middle Velma Lake opens up the North-Central Desolation Wilderness to some impressive local long-distance backpacking loops.

Let's imagine coming in from Meeks Bay and turning West from the Northernmost Bayview-Camper Flat trail junction at Middle Velma Lake and hiking to Camper Flat in Rockbound Valley.

From Rockbound Valley we hike South to the end of the valley over Mosquito Pass to the North Shore of Lake Aloha. From Lake Aloha we follow the Tahoe Yosemite Trail North back to this series of Bayview/Eagle Falls trail junctions. Or further North.

We can hike East to Bayview Camp or Eagle Falls to end our loop, or we can hike North past Middle Velma Lake and stay on the TYT over Phipps Pass to Meek Bay.

East from the Bayview Trail Junctions
An Escape Route
Hiking East from this middle Bayview trail junction brings us through two more trail junctions East of the TYT on our way to the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. The first trail junction Tees off to our Right, our South, up to dead-end at Upper Velma Lake. That is actually the old route of the PCT. We can see it traced out on the 30 minute maps above, though the trail is shown ending at Upper Velma Lake on the more recent 7.5 minute map below.

Phipps Pass to Heather Lake
15 minute topographic backpacking MAP

TWO ROUTES EAST
Continuing East past the Upper Velma Lake trail junction towards Highway 89 we next come to a Y in the Bayview-Camper Flat Trail splitting our trail East between two routes. The Southern route, the Right arm of the Y continues to Bayview Camp Trailhead climbing over the low point between Maggies Peaks' twin summits.
The trail to the Left takes a steep descending bee-line route down-mountain almost directly North to the Eagle Falls Trailhead. Its route passes through the gap between the base of Peak 9195 next to Phipps Peak and the steeply descending North flank of Maggies Peaks. We addressed the steepness of this route above.

Virtually all the water draining out of the basin feeding the Velma Lakes flows through this gorge and the gap at its base down into Emerald Bay.

The trail to Bayview Camp entails a moderate climb over Maggies Peaks, followed by a moderate descent between our current position at the Second Bayview Trail Junction and its trailhead on Highway 89, while our other trail option to Eagle Falls descends steeply.

In any case, both of these trails are a hard climb into Desolation Wilderness, with the route over Maggies Peaks from Bayview Camp being the easier way both in and out.

I'm just letting you long distance backpackers know where these trails go.
If we get injured hiking up and down the High Sierra trails we always want to know the easiest way out of the mountains.

Plus, these Eagle Falls and Bayview Trailheads are great entrances into the North Desolation Wilderness for short and medium distance backpacking loops around Desolation Wilderness, as well as a good emergency exit for fading/broken backpackers.

Remember: Shit Happens. Be Ready.

I have a saying. Well, I've lots of sayings. The one fitting this situation goes something like this;
"If you spend enough time on the trail everything possible will happen to you out there."

I always keep an eye on the emergency exits.

Mountain Safety Forum

Miles

Mileage East
3.81 miles hike East to Bayview Camp on Highway 89
3.85 miles East to Eagle Falls at Highway 89.

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit
Backpacking Miles and Elevations

Both of these trail routes East bend to the Northeast to navigate over or around Maggies Peak. The route to Eagle Falls turns North tracing out its route down along the curving Northwestern flank of Maggies Peaks. It finally drops down through the gap between the North Flank of Maggies Peaks and the South Flank of Peak 9195, where Eagle Creek drains the whole of this Velma Lake basin into Lake Tahoe through Eagle Falls.

Remember when we were looking at this gorge and its gap Eagle Creek flows through down to Lake Tahoe through from the North side of Phipps Pass? We we observing the route of Eagle Creek through the terrain from up there, before we dropped down to Middle Velma Lake and this series of 3 trail junctions pointing East.

The trail to the Bayview Camp Trailhead splits off East from the Eagle Falls Trail to cross over to Bayview Camp by climbing over the Maggies Peaks massif between the two main peaks. Though the Bayview Camp Trailhead is close to Eagle Falls, it is perched high up on the base of the Cascade Lake side of the ridge arm dividing it from Emerald Bay.

Mileage South
TYT
1.17 miles South along the PCT-TYT route from this second Bayview-Camper Flat Trail Junction up to dip our toes into the North shore of Fontanillis Lake along the Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

Second
Bayview Trail-Camper Flat junction
South
of
Middle Velma Lake

Desolation Wilderness

Meeks Bay
to the
Second Trail Junction
South
of
Middle Velma Lake

(The first junction is the Camper Flat/Bayview trail junction just to our North)

COMMENTS-QUESTIONS-MORE INFORMATION

Elevation
7960 feet
+40' elevation increase from Middle Velma Lake.

Mileage North
TYT
.37 miles South of Middle Velma Lake.
12.69 miles South of Meeks Bay trail head.

Mileage East
3.81 miles hike East to Bayview Camp on Highway 89.
3.85 miles to Eagle Falls at Highway 89.

Mileage West
1.70 miles West to the Camper Flat junction in Rockbound Valley.

Mileage South
TYT
1.17 miles South to the North Shore of Fontanillis Lake, +400 feet.
4.14 miles South to Dicks Pass, +1400 feet, junction to pass.
16.02 miles South to Echo Lake trail head.
18.02 South to Echo Summit.

miles & elevations

Backpacking South
of
Middle Velma Lake

.27 of a mile South of the first Camper Flat/Bayview trail Junction is our next junction, the second of the three Bayview Trail junctions we encounter hiking South from Middle Velma Lake along the TYT-PCT route.
Southbound backpackers on the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trail routes will veer right towards Fontanillis Lake and Dicks Pass at this second Bayview Trail junction.

Upper Velma Lake
There is also another trail junction a short bit East down the Bayview-Camper Flat Trail if we hike a short distance East up the trail towards Eagle Falls/Bayview Camp. This is a trail that hikes South and dead-ends at Upper Velma Lake. Check out the 15 minute hiking map:

Phipps Pass to Heather Lake
15 minute topographic backpacking MAP

South on the TYT
The next Bayview Trail Junction along our Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route, the third Bayview junction, is 2.49 miles South of this trail junction just beyond the Southern Shore of Fontanillis Lake. At the third Bayview trail junction we turn South, just as we did at this second Bayview junction, to the Southbound Backpacker's Right, to begin the final segment of our climb up to Dicks Pass.

To the East
From our position at this second Bayview Trail junction we have a 3.81 mile hike East to bail out to Bayview Camp or 3.85 to Eagle Falls Trailhead on Highway 89, if we are so inclined. I am inclined to take a Right and walk all the way through the length of the Desolation Wilderness South to Tuolumne Meadows, and then on down to Mount Whitney, if I can hike my preferred route.

If injured, exhausted, or out of food it is very good to know that the trail down to Eagle Falls is virtually all down-mountain, and makes a good in or out for rescue, or if you are not quite up to the rigors of long distance High Sierra Backpacking.
If you are located somewhere between "not injured and not quite fit," then these trailheads would be great exit points for a 3 to 5 day trip through the North Desolation Wilderness out of Meeks Bay Trailhead.

To get your beak wet, so to speak.

I've never come in to the main trail from either Eagle Falls or Bayview Camp. I drop down from Meeks Bay. I've studied the terrain and the maps, but I've always found myself looking at Desolation as the place the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail begins out of Meeks Bay Trailhead.

Honestly, I started avoiding Desolation Wilderness years ago. I just could not accept so many people. I've gotten over that now. Now I expect the amount of people relative to the density, difficulty, and distance of any particular wilderness area to a major population center(s).

We created it, now we have to live in what we created.

If you've hiked either of these route into the Velma Lakes Basin I'm very interested in your impression of these trails, your pictures of the terrain, and your trail notes.

I've told you what I've experienced, now it's your turn...

Mileages and Elevations

Next page South
Fontanillis Lake

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Are you familiar with the Bayview/Eagle Falls Trails?

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Section
Meeks Bay to Echo Summit

Segment
Middle Velma Lake