Desolation Lake, Desolation Wilderness

For the past few years, I've been a US Forest Service volunteer in Desolation Wilderness--hiking the trails, sharing information at the trailheads, and doing a bit of clean-up and trail maintenance. It's been very rewarding, and I was delighted to sign up again for another summer.

But this year there were a few changes. Each volunteer was asked to "adopt" a hiking zone in the wilderness. (Desolation is divided into some 40+ zones for the purpose of monitoring and organizing backpacking permits.) I was out of the country when the zones were rationed out, so when I returned, I simply asked which zones needed help. Turns out, there was only one zone nobody had adopted: Zone 39: American, Channel, and Desolation Lakes.

Well, I thought. I guess I will take that one.

Of course, there was a reason nobody signed up for this zone. It's off the trail maps. (All access is via cross-country routes, not maintained trails). And it doesn't get a lot of traffic. This last weekend I went up to check it out. I saw 72 on the trails. I saw 3 people in my zone.

They were friendly. We had a pleasant chat. I think my zone is well under control.

That is tiny Frater Lake in the early morning, at right. But you won't find it unless you are really looking for it...or on your way, cross-country, to Desolation Lake.