On July 3-8, 1991 myself and Gil Beilke backpacked from the Leavitt Meadow trailhead on Highway 108 on a loop trip into the Kirkwood Creek/Tower Lake area of the Hoover Wilderness.
On July 2-8, 1992 myself and Gil Beilke backpacked from the Leavitt Meadow trailhead on Highway 108 on a loop trip into the Rainbow Canyon area of the Hoover Wilderness.
The pictures from these two trips are intermingled on this page.
In 1991 and 1992 we drove up Highway 108 to the Leavitt Meadow trailhead near the Marine Corps Winter Training Camp and backpacked in past Roosevelt Lake to a campsite near where a tree has a "75" carved in its bark.
Leavitt Meadow, Walker River, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Leavitt Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Roosevelt Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Roosevelt Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lane Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Walker River - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Walker River - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Walker River at "75 tree" camp - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Walker River at "75 tree" camp - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Walker River at "75 tree" camp - Hoover Wilderness 1991
In 1991 on the second day we backpacked past the Red Top Lake and Fremont Lake trails to the Long Canyon Trail, then up Long Canyon to Beartrap Lake.
Walker River - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Walker River near Fremont Lake trail - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Walker River above Fremont Lake trail junction - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Long Canyon meadow below Beartrap Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Long Canyon meadow below Beartrap Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Beartrap Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Beartrap Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Beartrap Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Hanna Mountain from Beartrap/Buckey saddle, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
In 1991 on the third day we backpacked on the Long Canyon Trail to the Long/Buckeye Saddle, then over Kirkwood Pass to Kirkwood Pass Lake.
Route we should have taken from Beartrap/Buckey saddle - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Route we should have taken from Kirkwood Pass - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Buckeye Canyon from Kirkwood Pass, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Buckeye Canyon from Kirkwood Pass, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Peak from Kirkwood Pass - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Kirkwood Pass lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Peak over Kirkwood Pass Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Peak from camp at Kirkwood Pass Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Peak from camp at Kirkwood Pass Lake, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Peak from camp at Kirkwood Pass Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Hawksbeak Peak over Kirkwood Pass Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Peak over Kirkwood Pass Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
In 1992, instead of going up Long Canyon we continued to Lower Piute Meadows and on to the upper end of Upper Piute Meadow and then a little over two miles crosss-country up what is known by the local horsepackers as Rainbow Canyon where we made camp and had a layover day.
The 1990 edition of Emigrant Wilderness and Northwestern Yosemite describes the route: The route begins at Rainbow Meadow on the Kirkwood Pass Trail. At a pair of packer's campsites above the meadows southeast side, contour south, away from the trail to a careful rock-hop crossing of seasonally roudy Kirkwood Creek. Now under the watchfull gaze of a prominent roche moutonee, ascend easily south along the east bank of a larger stream that drains the valley - known as Rainbow Canyon to local horsepackers - between Hawkspeak and Tower peaks. Dense stands of lodgepole and western white pines shade the way, which presently steepens to gain a morainal bench at about 8900 feet. A half-mile later, following an on-again, off-again use trail we emerge in the first of a lovely string of tree-fringed meadows through which Rainbow Canyon's creek cuts deep, lazy meanders.
On that layover day we heard yelling from Tower Peak indicating a climber was in trouble. Gil hiked down to the Piute Meadow Ranger Station and alerted the Ranger. The Ranger knew who was on Tower Peak, a friend with whom he was planning to have supper. The Ranger called for Search and Rescue Team assistance and took off to Tower Peak to help his friend. The SAR team arrived by helicopter and rescued the climber who was stuck on a ledge.
Kirkwood Creek - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Tower Peak and Watch Tower - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Meadow, Tower Peak and Watch Tower - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Creek - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Ehrnbeck Peak over Rainbow Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Canyon area on our way to watch rescue, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Hawksbeak Peak over Rainbow Canyon - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Hawksbeak Peak over Rainbow Canyon - Hoover Wilderness 1992
In 1992 the next day was a layover day and we hiked over to a saddle above Kirkwood Lake.
Above tarns in upper Rainbow Canyon - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Above tarns in upper Rainbow Canyon - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Center Mountain (right) and route to Kirkwood Lake from Thompson Canyon/Rainbow Canyon Pass - Yosemite National Park 1992
Ehrnbeck Peak from Rainbow Canyon/Thompson Canyon Pass - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Tower Peak/Watch Tower from above Kirkwood Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Hawksbeak Peak over Kirkwood Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Kirkwood Lake, Tower Peak (right) - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Piute Meadow from above Kirkwood Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Piute Meadow from above Kirkwood Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Head of Thompson Canyon, Center Mountain from above Kirkwood Lake
Yosemite National Park 1992
Upper Thompson Canyon - Yosemite National Park 1992
Thompson Canyon - Yosemite National Park 1992
Rainbow Tarns - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Falls - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Falls - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Falls - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Falls - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Falls - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Falls - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Hawksbeak Peak, Rainbow Falls, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Ehrnbeck Peak from Rainbow camp - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow camp, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rainbow Canyon portion of 1992 trip map - Hoover Wilderness
Rainbow Canyon trip itinerary - Hoover Wilderness 1992
On the fourth day in 1991 we backpacked down Kirkwood Creek to a point where we could leave the trail and contour cross-country around to the Tower Canyon Trail which we followed up to camp at Tower Lake.
Watch Tower on Tower Peak from Tower Lake trail - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Kirkwood Pass abd Hawksbeak Peak from just below Tower Lake
Hoover Wilderness 1991
Cascade below Tower Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Lake camp, route to Mary Lake in Yosemite - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Route from Tower Lake to Mary Lake in Yosemite - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Helen Lake saddle from Tower Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Tower Lake, Tower Peak, Mary Lake saddle from Helen Lake saddle
Hoover Wilderness 1991
On the fifth day in 1991 we backpacked cross-country accros the ridge above Tower Lake past Lake Helen to Dorothy Lake Pass/Lake trail at Lake Harriet, then descended on the trail into the Lower Piute Meadows and to the first night's "75 Tree" campsite. In 1992 we also descended to the first night's "75 Tree" campsite.
Hawksbeak Peak, Watch Tower, Tower Lake, Kirkwood Pass from Lake Helen saddle - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Ruth, Lake Helen from Tower Lake saddle - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Descending from Tower Lake saddle to Lake Helen - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Flowers near Lake Helen - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Flowers near Lake Helen - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Helen, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Helen - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Helen - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Helen - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Below Lake Helen, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Cora Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Harriet - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Lake Harriet, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Upper Piute Meadow, Tower Peak (right back) - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Cascade Creek - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Looking back at Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Gil Beilke crossing creek in Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Gil Beilke crossing creek in Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Upper Piute Meado, Hawksbeak and Ehrnbeck Peaks - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Upper Piute Meadow, Hawksbeak and Ehrnbeck Peaks - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Upper Piute Meadow, Hawksbeak and Ehrnbeck Peaks - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Upper Piute Meadow, Hawksbeak and Ehrnbeck Peaks - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Upper Piute Meadow above cabin, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Upper Piute Meadow in front of cabin/Ranger Station - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow, Gil Beilke - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Rock collection at cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Trail signs at cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Trail signs at cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Tools inside cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow, Gil Beilke
Hoover Wilderness 1992
Bunk area inside cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow, Gil Beilke
Hoover Wilderness 1992
Kitchen area inside cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow, Gil Beilke
Hoover Wilderness 1992
Deer at salt lick at cabin/Ranger Station at Upper Piute Meadow
Hoover Wilderness 1992
Lower Piute Meadow toward Ehrnbeck Peak - Hoover Wilderness 1992
One the final day in 1991 and 1992 we backpacked out to the trailhead and drove home. Great trips.
Lilly pond on Piute Meadow trail - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Lilly pond on Piute Meadow trail - Hoover Wilderness 1992
Roosevelt Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Roosevelt Lake - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Flowers along Walker River - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Flowers along Walker River - Hoover Wilderness 1991
Beartrap/Tower/Walker Loop map
Beartrap/Tower/Walker Loop itinerary