gray to green: emigrant wilderness

For Memorial Day weekend, Ryan and I headed out of town to do a bit of camping. To try something new, we went east to Emigrant Wilderness in Stanislaus National Forest. Even though we managed to leave town early, we were still running late. Maybe it was because of our stop to check out the Bass Pro Shop. That place is more intense than Disney Land.

Post horsing around at the Pro Shop, we continued on our merry way. We were planning on hiking into Relief Reservoir. The trail begins at Kennedy Meadows, where there are car camping spots, little cabins, horses, a restaurant, and a bodega. Our hike in was about 7 miles, and we left Kennedy Meadows around 5:30. Since it stays light so late, we were fine on time. The hike to the reservoir is strenuous. The trail relentlessly winds up steep and rugged terrain. Our map had a misprint, which left us momentarily lost and confused, but we sorted out directionality after just a 1/2 mile misstep. FYI, you go over two footbridges, not just one.

We hiked to the south end of the reservoir, then left trail to find a camping spot. In order to be near the water, it is necessary to leave the trail, but it's easy enough to find again. We found a great spot, near the creek and with a view of the water. The best part about Emigrant Wilderness is that you can have a campfire. There is plenty of wood to collect in the nearby forest.

After a chilly night, we awoke to a blazing hot morning. We gathered the necessary items for a day hike and set off to explore the area. Since it was hot, we were drinking water like fish, but there are plenty of creeks as you go, so finding water was a breeze. We just needed to treat it.

We continued south on the trail for another 4 miles. We caught views of the surrounding snowy mountains, a few waterfalls, and the reservoir. The trail continues uphill, so it was another day of strenuous hiking.