Caples week 8/7 - 8/11

This year the Caples group was split into two separate times. The early group went up the week of the 24th of July. Phred and Elaine went up Sunday 8-6 and left for further adventures on the east side of the Sierras on Wednesday, 8-9. Ulla and Karen arrived midday on Monday 8-7 and stayed until Saturday morning 8-12. The four of us hiked and had dinner together on Monday and Tuesday.

As always happens we saw some things we didn't expect and looked in vain for others. Missing this year for us were the flowers which grow really high (Alpine primrose, White Heather, the tiny alpine buckwheats, etc) as we did not go across the snow to Round Top Lake. We didn't see the washingtonianum lily on Mormon Emigrant, the white mariposas were finished blooming, we saw only leaves of the Dicentra uniflora, and the lovely Collomia grandiflora was absent entirely. But we saw blooming corn lilies for the first time in several years, there were plenty of iris,  the red heather was plentiful around Winnemucca, and fireweed was blooming just about everywhere.

8-7-17
Phred sent an e-mail suggesting this as a worthwhile stop on the way up...he was right!
Leek Springs on Mormon Emigrant Trail

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Old Hwy 88 from Red Lake up toward the overlook



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8-8-17
Big Meadow - Tahoe Rim Trail from the parking area on Hwy 89; a hike Shirley suggested. It would probably be more interesting earlier in the season.



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8-9-17
A morning hike from Woods up to Winnemucca is our favorite!



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8-10-17
We took several short walks as we both felt a bit achy from the previous hike.



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8-11-17
We went up to Meiss Saddle from the Carson Pass parking area and then just wandering about looking at flowers and views! It really impressed us how important it is to look closely at areas which, from a distance, look barren. We had explored the east side of the valley first before climbing toward the crest following the line of posts. Looking back across the valley the lush gardens we had visited were totally obscured.



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8-17
Caples Lake Resort has seen some real improvements this year under the management of John's kids. Son Joe is doing an especially great job and was never too busy to talk to guests. The deck is in good repair and the dining area and lounge on the ground floor of the lodge are open. Ulla and I took our dinners down to the dining room Thursday and Friday and enjoyed eating out of the wind but with the same marvelous view.



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