Wrights Lake, California

For the summer of 2001, Alison and John decided to go on a cheap outing. We were bit-bowl refugees, forced to move from our Oakland home, and couldn't afford an expensive vacation like last year's tour through the southwest. So we packed up our camping gear, and headed east to the Sierra Nevada. We spent a few days at Wrights Lake, then drove farther east to Grover Hot Springs State Park.

 
Wrights Lake view
 
map of the Lake Tahoe region

Wrights Lake is a gorgeous place, with a campground operated by the National Forest Service. It is located at about 7000 feet on the western slope of the Sierra, just off route 50, near Lake Tahoe. It lies just outside the Desolation Wilderness, and many trailheads lead into the wilderness area.

The view above is across the lake, looking east at mountains in the Desolation Wilderness. Roughly in the center of the picture is the saddle between the peaks, where we hiked into the wilderness area to visit Twin Lakes.

 

Below are two views of the lake at sunset. At twilight, the bugs come out over the lake, and the fish and fowl gobble them up. Shown are some nighthawks who zoom over the lake like large swallows. The picture on the right shows two folks in a canoe ... motor-powered boats are not allowed on Wrights Lake.

 
lake at evening lake at evening