Magic Grove

Tim came in the week before for the night and let me know that he had 3 consecutive days off. This was good news because that corresponded with the last week of my summer vacation. Jacqueline had a few things planned, so we had to work around a hair appointment, soccer practice, and Tuacahn tickets, but in the end we found a way to make it work. We were going to go hike Beartrap Canyon in the Kolob section of Zion. We checked the weather as the week went along and it was not good. There was a big storm predicted right in the middle of our trip and eventually decided that we were going to have to come up with an alternative plan. Tim showed up at my house on Tuesday and we decided that we would leave bright and early in the morning to drive 3 hours to Great Basin. There we would be able to camp at Baker Lake, hike to the Magic Grove which is the largest group of Bristlecone Pines in the park, and climb Baker Peak, one of the tallest peaks in Nevada. 

We got up at 6 in the morning and were gone before 7. Already on the drive, we could see the storm cloud building. Still we stayed positive as we headed toward the blue skies of Nevada. When we got to the Visitor Center in Baker and got our recommended backcountry permit all looked great. As we hiked up the 5.4 miles and 2600 feet of elevation, it was perfect. The weather was ideal and the trail went through many different environments. It was a tough haul, but the trail crew had recently been working on the trail, so it was in good shape. We made it to the lake before noon and set up camp. 

We ate a quick bite and then were off to the Magic Grove. It seemed as if as soon as we really got moving, that is when the storm clouds started to roll in. We crossed the open meadow where there was still some snow and standing water to start heading up the steep slope to get on the ridge. As we climbed the ridge, the wind picked up and soon enough the rain began to fall. We were thinking optimistically, but eventually it started to come down hard. We decided to duck behind some scrubby trees and see if we could wait it out. After 5-10 minutes of that, then the thunder started. We quickly decided to get back to camp. We were almost a mile away at this point, so it was a long 15 minutes of fighting through the heavy rain which quickly turned to sleet as we were above 10,000 feet around Baker Lake. 

Luckily, we both brought separate tents and were able to dive in those. I just sat there for 20 minutes as the heavy rain poured down and the lightning crashed around us. Eventually, I got the desire to get out of my wet clothes and the excess clothing I had brought, now became a necessity. I was drenched and there was a standing pool of water in the tent from how much water was just dripping off of me. It was about 2 pm when I got into the tent where I filled the time reading the book I had brought and listening to the multiple rockfalls until 5 pm. After 3 hours, we were able to get out of the tents and make some dinner. Luckily, we cooked it quickly because the rain came back and we spent another hour in the tents eating and waiting for the rain to stop. Finally it did for good, but the day was kind of shot. I looked up at the slopes of Baker Peak and knew that I could make it to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, it would have to wait for another day. Instead I took a trip around Baker Lake to get a picture of Pyramid Peak, the place that I had proposed to Jacqueline 12 years earlier. 

We decided that an early start was a good idea considering we had to drive all the way back and Tim had another couple hours after that. I didn't get great sleep, but was able to awake at 6 am Utah time which was 5 am in Nevada. I woke Tim up as the first rays of sunshine came down. It was a beautiful clear sky. We ate breakfast and then headed up to the same saddle that we were going to yesterday when the skies opened up. This time, the going was a little easier, though my shoes were still soaking wet. Along the way we saw a couple deer and a herd of bighorn sheep on the slopes of Pyramid Peak. 
We made the saddle and surveyed the route. It looked like we just followed the ridge, but the ridge looked a bit steep. We proceeded cautiously, but were always able to find a way up. We stayed on the west side of the ridge because the east still had a sketchy snow and ice pack. The first two peaks were the hardest scramble and soon we were looking across to Mt. Washington and realizing that the hardest part was behind us. It was now smooth sailing down to the Magic Grove that we could see clinging to the flanks of Mt. Washington. 

The ridge hike was one of the more remarkable aspects of this trip as the views down into Johnson Lake and the surrounding Great Basin region were fantastic. It is not very often where you can travel at 11,000 feet plus and soak in the amazing views. The ridge proceeded downward to the Magic Grove. It was not long before we were there and it was incredibly large. There were signs at both ends which is strange to see, but we would have known we were there regardless. The grove covered this entire ridge and sloped down into the valley below. 

Tim was our official photographer given that my camera had finally seen the end of days. It had survived for 11 years including a 5 month vacation in the Narrows over winter. The lcd screen finally cracked and I will be now forced to find a new camera. He did a great job of taking pictures as the Bristlecones are just a gnarly tree. We walked the entire ridge soaking in the many shapes and varieties that these trees came in. This is a great spot because, though not insanely challenging to get to, it is still far enough out of the way that most people are not going to put in the effort required to get there. Well it was time to start heading back. We considered climbing Mt. Washington the previous day, but that was not going to happen with our limited time. We journeyed back over the ridge which literally felt like we were going uphill both ways. It is challenging when the downhill portion of the hike has to be somewhat careful and choosy because we are picking the best spots to put our feet. I really enjoyed the ridge, though, and wouldn't mind coming back there in the future. Great Basin never disappoints. 

We were able to make it back to our camp at Baker Lake and get packed up quickly. In the process of pulling all my clothes off the tree that became my drying rack, I somehow forgot my hat. Unfortunately, it will be a donation to the next lucky person that makes their way to Baker Lake. The trail was down, down, down to the car in which we went from the alpine, to sub-alpine, to the pinion juniper, to the manzanita, and lastly into the sagebrush. All the while, we enjoyed the green grass and flowers that grew along the creeks. We were off the trail before noon and able to begin the long, hot drive back to the desert. It is nice to know that these wonderful, peaceful mountains will still be there when we return in the future.