Hiking South of Middle Velma Lake we look North through forest at the Middle Velma below.
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Camper Flat
Middle Velma Lake
LOCAL
LOCAL BACKPACKING OPTIONS Adding in the loop South through Rockbound Valley before rejoining and turning North on the TYT back to our Eagle Falls or Bayview exit trailhead adds about another 16 miles to our trailhead to trailhead hikes out of Meeks Bay to Eagle Falls-Bayview. Adding the Camper Flat loop to the Meeks Bay to Eagle Falls hiking trip brings the total to right around 32.6 miles.
Looking Over Local Trips
ROUTES EAST TO TAHOE
REVIEW
Rockbound Valley At Middle Velma Lake we are standing at the top of the East-West drainage, with Middle Velma draining West.
East and West Our TYT-PCT-TRT route crosses over to the Western Flank for a while when we climb up to the North end of Lake Aloha, which drains West down to the South American River at Twin Bridges. Upper and Lower Echo Lakes are a toss up. There are channels that flow both East down into Lake Tahoe and West to the South Fork of the American River, and I have seen both of them running, though at different times. Though the creek running from Lower Echo Lake to the South American is not listed on the current USGS 7.5 map, it is shown on the old 30 minute map linked to below. I have seen it running heavily, and forded it, during 2009.
Long Way Out
Full Desolation Wilderness
As long distance backpackers focused on the Sierra Crest Trails we are more interested in the potential alternative route the trail South from Camper Flat through Rockbound Valley to Lake Aloha offers. North of Camper Flat the Rubicon Trail exits Desolation Wilderness on the North shore of Rockbound Lake. Fairly long hiking routes can take us to the Northeast back to Lake Tahoe at Tehoma through McKinney Creek, or can lead West down the various tributaries flowing down the West flank of the Sierra from the Western edge of the Tahoe Basin, Most of which eventually flow into the Middle American River.
Download the USGS 30 Minute Maps
(Click the map image to download zip file.) Then we can display them on the free Adobe Reader. Then we can slice and splice them up into custom maps through paint or photoshop, and print up our own custom set of backpacking maps for any trip through the Sierra, or anywhere in the United States. Well, at least we have freedom of maps... I love the USGS!, er, I mean the US! Ha ha...
The first Trail Junction Northernmost
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The Bayview Junction side is pointing us Eastward, towards Maggies Peak and the trailheads wedged in above Emerald Bay.
The Southbound Pacific Crest, Tahoe Rim and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails follow this route East for a quarter-mile before turning South at the next trail junction, the second junction South of Middle Velma Lake. At that point the trail East to Bayview and Eagle Falls continues straight.
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Northwest Desolation Wilderness Trail Schematic
Eagle Falls or Bayview Trailhead to Middle Velma and Fontanillis Lakes. Phipps Pass to Heather Lake |
Looking back at Middle Velma
as we climb
Southeast to the Emerald Bay-Fontanillis Lake trail junction
from the
Northern Camper Flat-Bayview trail junction.
Along the South Shore
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Looking almost directly North through the trees across Middle Velma Lake. It looks like Phipps Peak rising out of the Left background while on the right we can see where our trail hiking South from from Meeks Bay crosses Phipps Pass over to the Southwest draining flank of Phipps Pass. |
Middle Velma's Rock "Turtles" |
Unique Rock Formations, Middle Velma Lake. |
Unique Rock Formations, Middle Velma Lake.
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Looking Down on Middle Velma from Phipps Pass, then walking its South shore. Duration 2:48. Phipps Pass to Heather Lake
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North: Middle Velma Lake South: 2nd Jnct S. of Velmas
Backpacking South |
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These pictures of the rock turtles on Middle Velma Lake demonstrate why it's good to run around off the trail occasionally. I had to run around for awhile until I found a good overlook to get a clear picture of the rock turtle formations. We could see them from certain positions while dropping down the South flank of Phipps Peak, but to get a good look we'd either have to camp and scout about at Middle Velma Lake, or find good overlooks as possible while hiking by. That's is why I generally try pack an extra day's food for each section of the trail between Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney. Sometimes it takes a while to find a good overlook, to explore an interesting terrain feature, or to chase a butterfly around for a while. Food is time. I try to give myself time to observe everything I can. With a day's extra food I can take the extra time to explore and look around without worrying too much about running out of food towards the end of the section. Or I can spend a night in my favorite place. Or I can take a day off. Or a couple of half-days. Food is time, and time is flexibility. I believe our plans should include enough food to give us the time to explore off the trail a bit, take a off day, or just slow down a bit to enjoy, engage, and explore the local terrain we are passing through, if possible. Sometimes we've just gotta run! Flexibility's span includes exploration as well as the concurrent necessity of forced marches. Heck, I plan on having scramble days, when I use my extra day's food to climb some local mountains, scramble about, or explore a drainage I saw on a previous hike through the territory. Or I take a day off. It depends on how I feel, and what the situation offers and requires. In every case, each time I pass through a section I get to know a little more about it, which also shows how little I actually know about it. The wilderness is like a box that has no bottom: as far as you go, there is always more. See the black box at the bottom of the page, and the comments link just below? Those links to a place where you can relate how you got yourself to Middle Velma Lake, what you saw here, how you felt and feel about it, and your suggestions for other visitors.
Guide South |
Backpacking North Trail Guide |
Backpacking South Trail Guide |
Backpacker ForumsGeneral Postings Backpacking Topics
South of Middle Velma LakeDo you Like the Velmas? How can you not? Have any good info on backpacking to the Velmas? Camper Flat? Rockbound Valley? Share it!Scrambling Around Here? Add your experiences, comments, or pictures about location:Section
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North: Middle Velma Lake South: 2nd Jnct S. of Velmas