Wild flowers long past their glory still worth the hike

Caples Lake in the distance, with the last of the wildflowers in the High Sierra in the foreground. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Well past their prime. Who cares?

The hike to Lake Winnemucca in the Mokelumne Wilderness is one of my favorites. It doesn’t matter how many or in this case how few wildflowers were to be seen.

Weekdays are less crowded going to Lake Winnemucca, making it ideal for equestrians. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the amount of flora on this first Monday in August considering the thunderstorms and hail that had pounded the area in July.

Lupin, Indian paintbrush, mountain coyote mint, arrowleaf groundsel and daisies are just some of the flowers that were plentiful.

The woolly mule’s ears were mostly shriveled, with the number of full flowers able to counted by an elementary school student.

Lake Winnemucca and Round Hill Peak (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Enough snow still lingers on Round Top Peak—at least enough for a backcountry skier and snowboarder on their way out that afternoon.

More info about this hike and others can be found in these books: The Dirt Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Hikes and Lake Tahoe Trails For All Seasons: Must-Do Hiking and Snowshoe Treks.