LOIS
On Memorial Day weekend, I went up into the Desolation Wilderness for a quick 1 night backpacking trip to Lake Lois, a spot I’ve wanted to see for quite a while now. I’m glad I did, it was so incredibly beautiful.
I was certain there would be snow up there, so I brought my snowshoes along. I was not sure if I would need them, but I wanted to make sure that I would get to my destination successfully. The worst thing would be if I did not bring them and then have to turn back because there was too much snow to get through.
I was also concerned that the waterfalls might not be flowing at all because there was still too much snow. Surely by now, the snow would be melting and the creeks would flowing strong. It was a 50-50 chance, I estimated.
Well guess what? There was too much snow!
On the south side of the mountains, I climbed up about 1500 ft. to the top of Rockbound Pass. There was very little snow on the south side, so I was carrying the shoes the entire way. Immediately, as I got to the top of the pass at 8550 ft. elevation and started to head down on the north side, there was complete snow coverage. The snow depth was at least 4 to 5 feet, from the top of the pass all the way to Lake Lois. This was much more snow than anticipated.
Thus, I put on my snowshoes at the top of the pass and wore them the entire way from there to Lake Lois. But did I really need them? Did I really need to carry an extra 4.5 pounds all the way up to the top of the pass? (p.s. I think my snowshoes gained a pound since my last hike). As it was Memorial Day weekend, I saw quite a few other backpackers going up over Rockbound Pass. None of them had snowshoes. I was the only one. So either they were all fools, and I was the only smart one, or else I was the fool and they were all smart. So which was it? Maybe it was both and both. The snow was soft, but no one was postholing through the snow. This was the big reason I brought them along. The snow this spring has been much softer than normal, and I have seen firsthand and heard from others experiencing a lot of postholing. However, here in Desolation, it was definitely possible to walk on the snow without snowshoes. Nonetheless, the snowshoes definitely helped and made the hike much easier. All in all, I am glad I brought them. It was easier and safer walking on the soft snow with the snowshoes.
As I headed over to Lake Lois, I followed some other tracks in the snow that seemed fairly recent. It seemed as though I would have some company at Lois. Then the tracks went off in the wrong direction, down the canyon, away from Lois. There was nothing down that way. Maybe these people got lost, and I would be hearing some horror story about them in the near future. I headed off to Lois in the proper direction. As I approached the lake, however, the tracks re-appeared. I guess they managed to find the way to Lois after all.
Lake Lois was completely iced over. I could see that the inlet waterfall was still snow covered and was not flowing. Bummer! I suppose I should have known it would be like this, but I was hoping I would find it differently. Nonetheless, the lake was incredibly beautiful.
There were very few dry places to camp. Everything was in the snow. Everything that did not have snow, was all rocky. The other backpackers had snatched the one and only good place to camp, and had their tent in the only flat spot that was not rocky. I did not want to have to setup my tent in the snow. Would I have any choice? I continued to the outlet stream. I found this stream flowing quite strong. It would be tricky to cross and keep my feet dry at the same time, and I did not want to cross if I did not need to.
On the other side, everything still looked very rocky. Far off, I could see another couple backpackers, and it looked as though they were packing up and headed this way. I decided to wait for them and ask if they had a decent spot over there or not. As it turned out, they did have a very good spot on the other side. I crossed the stream where they did, which was on a flimsy looking snow bridge over the creek. Would it hold up? I’m sure I weighed more than they did, especially with my 4.5 pound snowshoes.
Well I did not fall through the snow, and I made my way over to the camp. There was really only one spot, but it was perfect, with a nice flat area to setup my tent, probably better than the spot where the other backpackers were. Fantastic. I got everything set up, had my lunch and relaxed for the afternoon. It was nice and warm when the sun was out, but when the clouds covered the sun, it was quite chilly.
In the late afternoon, I wanted to check out the lower outlet stream. I put on my snowshoes and wandered downstream. It was very easy going and the descent was gentle. There was one steep part, for which I took off my snowshoes to make sure I had good traction going down. After this, the snow disappeared, and it became much easier to hike down the mountain.
The creek gave up its gentle descent and made a big drop. I found two fantastic waterfalls, a 50 ft. cascade, followed by a 60 ft. drop. It was easy to get down to see both of these, and they were not snow covered! I was a very happy camper. This made the long hike to Lake Lois all worthwhile.
I got back to camp, and got ready for bed. I had the entire area on this side of the creek to myself, no one else around. It would be around 38 degrees or so this night. I had a new 17 degree sleeping bag so I was not cold at all, but I could not sleep very well. I just could not get comfortable on my sleeping pad. I do not know why. It was a restless night.
In the morning, I got up fairly early, but not too early. I packed up my gear and took my time eating breakfast before heading out. The snow was much harder in the morning and in fact, it was easier hiking in my boots and so I carried my snowshoes all the way back, not using them at all.
Back up on top of the pass fairly quickly, it was a long descent from there back to the car. No more snow. I saw some marmots, 5 or 6 of them, and they let me get close enough to them to take photos and video. Cute fur-balls. I was hot and tired when I got back to the car, but it was sure a fantastic trip to Lake Lois in Desolation Wilderness.