At the end of 1993 I retired and in May 1994 moved into my new rental home at Sunny Slopes across U.S. 395 from Toms Place - about half way between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, California.
On June 29, 1994 I drove north on U.S. 395 and then west on State Route 108 past the Marine Corps Winter Training Base and over Sonora Pass to the turnoff for Niagra Creek campground (7.5 miles west of the Dardanelles Resort). At the signed Eagle Meadow road turned off the campground road and followed it about 7 miles to Eagle Meadow and the Martins Cow Camp. Just south of the road is an unimproved campground in a stand of lodgepoles with ample parking.
It is possible to drive a regular vehicle through the gate and up the meadow road approximately one mile where there is plenty of room to park and camp. However, this is probably private property.
The trailhead is found on the west side of Eagle Creek in Eagle Meadow, just across that stream from the hand-hewn buildings of Martins Cow Camp. The path begins as a deep-sand jeep road south through the willows and clusters of lodgepoles in Eagle Meadow, which is fenced and gated. The jeep road continues on a ways before turning into a trail.
Eagle Pass offers extensive views to the north. "...almost the whole Carson-Iceberg Wilderness can be seen, and the high peaks of Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe, stand on the horizon." At the trail junction in Cooper Meadow we turn east up the headwaters of the South Fork of the Stanislaus River. (A couple of historic cabins are west of this junction). This route is a "cross-country" route serving as a short-cut to Upper Relief Valley. Best campsites in the valley are apparently at the Northern/Eastern of the two lakes. The historical original Emigrant Trail that came over Emigrant Pass, passed through here.
I stopped just short of the ridge top at a sloping meadow with nice clean snow melt water and a flat area to camp. Cattle DO get up to this meadow. There are fine views from the top of the ridge. I went over and down to Upper Relief Valley on the third day. There is one fair campsite at the north end of the north lake. Other campsites can be found on the north west side of the southerly lake. Not a particularly great area to camp.
Eagle Peak above Eagle Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking north past Eagle Peak from Eagle Pass Trail - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking north past Eagle Peak from Eagle Pass Trail - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking north from Eagle Pass Trail - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking east on Eagle Pass - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Eagle Peak from Eagle Pass - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Flower garden and Cooper Meadow from Eagle Pass Trail - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Flower garden above Cooper Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cooper Meadow flowers - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cooper Meadow flowers - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cabin, Barn, Corral at Cooper Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cooper Meadow Cabins and The Three Chimneys in distant background
Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cooper Meadow Cabins and The Three Chimneys in distant background
Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cooper Meadow Barn and The Three Chimneys in distant background
Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Cooper Meadow Barn and The Three Chimneys in background - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking east up Cooper Meadow from the cabins - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Cooper Cabin, in Cooper Meadow in the Emigrant Wilderness in Tuolumne County, California is named after rancher William F. Cooper.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The listing included two contributing buildings (the cabin and a barn), a contributing structure, and two contributing objects on 2 acres.
The site can be noted as a Chinese heritage site in the American West. Cowboys, since at least 1882, had carved, burned or wrote their names on Cooper Cabin's wooden walls. In 1907. Claude Menendez, a young cowboy, wrote names in pencil for five Chinese co-workers, presumably after asking them to pronounce their names: Hop Kee, Yee Xahee Ching, Lee Tai Bong, Chow Juyan, Y. Wong.
Since 1912 the area's grazing permit has been held by the Sanguinetti family.
Old Forest Service sign swallowed by tree - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Three Chimneys from near Cooper Meadow Cabins - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Three Chimneys from Cooper Meadow at creek - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Three Chimneys and flowers from Cooper Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Three Chimneys from upper Cooper Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Campsite at meadow below ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Three Chimneys from campsite - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The Three Chimneys from campsite - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
June 30, 1994 was a layover day. I had planned to hike down to Lower Relief Valley with overlook of Relief Reservoir, and up into the Iceland Lake, Ridge Lake, Sardella Lake, Lewis Lakes basins north of Granite Dome. Granite Dome can also probably be climbed from here, although scheduled for the Fourth Day. You can always accelerate the movement deeper into the wilderness.
Instead of doing the above, I laid over up on the ridge which was a nicer area than the lakes with good water and fewer bugs. The area mentioned above gets a lot of visitors and can be seen from the top of Granite Dome.
The Three Chimneys from ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Toward Eagle Pass from ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Here are two pictures of The Three Chimneys taken by Bob Burd in 2013. You can read about his exploratory trip in the area here.
The Three Chimneys by Bob Burd 2013
The Three Chimneys by Bob Burd 2013
Southwest toward Whitesides Meadow from ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Toward Granite Dome on ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Toward Granite Dome over easterly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Lower Relief Valley from ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Granite Dome over Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Easterly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Westerly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Lower Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
On July 1, 1994 I was back to the trail. After checking out the Upper Relief Valley lakes, I hiked on to Post Corral Canyon. Spring Creek had a nice flow of water in spite of the drought. There are two fairly large meadows in it's upper reaches, including one just below the route up to Wilson Meadow Lake.
I started up the side of the ridge too early and ended up on the ridge a good mile south of Wilson Meadow Lake. I wandered back and forth trying to get my bearings. I finally made camp on the ridge at a small stagnant pond with a small nearby snow bank. I got my water from the snow bank but the pond water was usable after filtering. Turned out I was only a short distance from Wilson Meadow Lake. The route I took is just as easy, if not easier, as the one marked on the map.
Westerly lakes Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Granite Dom over westerly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking back on the route down from ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Relief Peak over easterly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Granite Dome over westerly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Westerly lake in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
East Flange Rock - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Looking east over easterly lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Easterly lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Beach, campsite area, East Flange Rock, Easterly Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Campsite area, East Flange Rock, Easterly Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
East Flange Rock over Westerly Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
East Flange Rock over Westerly Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Flowers in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Flowers in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Flowers in Upper Relief Valley - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
The ridge I came down, East Flange Rock - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Spring Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Spring Meadow - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Long Lake from ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Pond and flowers on ridge near camp - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Campsite and pond on ridge - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
July 2, 1994 was a layover day. From my ridge camp I quickly found Wilson Meadow Lake and continued on up to the top of Granite Dome.
Wilson Meadow Lake outlet - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Granite Dome from Wilson Meadow Lake - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Wilson Meadow Lake - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Wilson Meadow Lake on way to Granite Dome - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Iceland Lake, Relief Reservoir from Granite Dome - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Wilson Meaadow Lake, Long Lake from Granite Dome - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Long Lake and Pinto Lakes from Granite Dome - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Wilson Meadow Lake from Granite Dome - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Looking east from Granite Dome - Emigrant Willderness 1994
Toward Relief Peak, Summit Creek, Brown Bear Pass from Granite Dome
Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Granite Dome, 10,322', is a massive piece of granite in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness. It is the predominant mountain in this area with a smattering of picturesque lakes that provide both excellent camping and fishing opportunities.
There are ample climbing routes for all technical abilities, ranging from easy class II scrambles to more technical class V ascents. Numerous technical routes lead up the shear granite cliffs on the south side of Ridge Lake. Caution is needed towards the southeast side of Ridge Lake due to frequent rock falls.
Some of the easier routes originate from Wilson Meadow Lake (Southern Route), from Upper Lewis Lake, and from the west end of Ridge Lake. The route I took up Granite Dome is basically a walk up as open easy terrain keeps appearing as you advance up easy gullies, etc. There is a greenish high point to the right (east) which has a pile of rocks on it but is not the peak. The actual top seems sort of elusive as you proceed along the ridge to the west, but becomes more obvious as you reach it.
The domed summit offers spectacular views in all directions. On the northern horizen, the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Area is visible with Round Top and Mokelumne Peak. Just below that we see Upper and Lower Relief Valleys, with Relief Reservoir, Iceland Lake, Ridge Lake, Sardella Lake and the Lewis Lakes.
Looking east we see the volcanic summits of Leavitt Peak, Relief Peak, Molo Mountain and Grizzly Peak. Turning slightly southward, Bond Pass and northern Yosemite come into view, with Hawksbeak, Forsyth, Quartzite and Tower peaks, the Saurian Crest and Bigelow Peak. Further south, Mts Dana, Lyell and Florence are visible in the Cathedral Range, as well as Haystack, Michie and Kendrick peaks. Below that are Long, Coolidge Meadow and Wilson Meadow lakes. The view westward is of Burst Rock, Cooper Peak, Three Chimneys, East Flange Rock and the Dardinelles.
Ridge Lake, Iceland Lake, Relief Reservoir from near Granite Dome
Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Ridge Lake from near Granite Dome - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Iceland Lake, Relief Reservoir from near Granite Dome - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Ridge Lake, Iceland Lake, Lower Relief Valley from near Granite Dome
Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Lewis Lakes and Relief Peak from near Granite Dome - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Camp at Wilson Meadow Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
After returning to camp from the peak, I moved my camp to Wilson Meadow Lake where there is ample camping room.
On July 3, 1994 I used this day for a full layover at Wilson Meadow Lake.
On July 4, 1994 I was back on the trail. From Wilson Meadow Lake I contoured easterly over toward the ridge above Buck Meadows Creek and then dropped down easy slopes to Coolidge Meadow Lake. The terrain is easy to go cross county almost anywhere. I dropped on down to the inlet of Long Lake. There is a trail that most people apparently use coming in from the ridge to the west. This very pretty lake with lots of rock islands has numerous campsites along the west bank.
I followed the west bank to the outlet, crossed the outlet creek and found the use trail that goes down to the main trail near Deer Lake. This use trail isn't much more than a ducked cross-country route.
Flowers on way down to Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Flowers on way down to Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Coolidge Meadow Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Duck in Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Long Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Deer Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Deer Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
Deer Lake - Emigrant Wilderness 1994
On July 5, 1994 I looped past Wood Lake back to Deer Lake which had camping restrictions but good campsites are available. I then headed back north to Post Corral Canyon/Spring Creek. The trail off the ridge toward the Long Lake inlet is obvious but not signed. The Wire Lakes trail is signed.
I continued to Salt Lick Meadow and over the ridge to Whitesides Meadow. Cattle had been brought into Spring Meadow. The trail to Toejam Lake is obvious but not signed. There IS a sign indicating the "MAIN TRAIL". The creek in Whitesides Meadow was minimal and there were no cattle. The trail contours with minimal elevation change on around to Hay Meadow and Cooper Meadow.
Cattle had been moved into Cooper Meadow and were wandering up stream. I made camp at the upper end of the meadow in trees. Fair water flow in the creek which I filtered due to the cattle.
On July 6, 1994 I headed back to the car via the most direct route which was was to contour across the slope north of camp to intersect the trail and then follow it up to the pass. I had missed the main trail coming down but found it going up and it was a good trail. Returned to the car with no problems.
Route Map
Eagle Meadow-Emigrant Wilderness Route Details