steadily on the day's goal, others saunter along as if each moment holds all there is.
On our left, Lehman Creek babbled by. A couple of zigzags brought us to the top of a ridge where we stopped to look back over our route. Our eyes followed the creek down to the wide Snake Valley.
We crossed the stream on a log, admiring maidenhair ferns and a clump or two of heuchera whose heart-shaped leaves drooped to catch their reflection in the water. The top of Wheeler Peak came into view through a break in a dense stand of Engelmann's spruce. Busy clouds were drifting up behind the rocky mass.
The sight of our destination was a good excuse for a rest stop. We took off our packs, which were beginning to feel somewhat heavier, and dug out some lunch: dates, cheese and crackers, nuts and hard candy. Elevation here was 9500 feet.
After his third cup of sparkling water from the creek, Niles observed that he had seldom seen a mountain stream as accommodating as Lehman Creek-always within reach, never running away to tantalize the thirsty hiker with liquid sounds from unreachable canyon depths.
The boiling clouds reminded us of the mountain's reputation as a rainmaker. Reluctantly we shouldered our
packs and started up the last thousand feet to Stella Lake. Young aspen bowed to the ground, prostrated by last winter's snow, patches of which still remained. Dead logs lay about, in varying states of decay. Armies of ants, driven by a compulsive urgency, marched endlessly in and out of dust piles left by decaying spruce.
Clouds overtook the sun; gloom overwhelmed the forest, and suddenly we missed the warblings of birds. Faint thunder rumbled up canyon, and a few drops of rain fell. Then the sun came out again, more brilliant than ever, or so it seemed.
Coming upon a lake in a desert mountain range was a new experience for me. My California desert mountains boast no lakes, not even the White Mountain Range which rises to 14,242 feet, and is the highest desert mountain range in the U.S.
Stella Lake, at 10,500 feet, and Teresa Lake, a few hundred feet higher, are not large or deep when compared to Sierra Nevada lakes at this elevation, but in this desert setting they were a rare find-at least so they seemed to me as we searched the slopes surrounding Stella Lake for level campsites. A robin was combing a large snowfield for insects. A grosbeak's fine little melody, heard from the top of a tall spruce, was scoffed at by two crows, and a
Mountains
More Alpine Mountains

South Truchas

El. 13,102 ft. Highest point in the Pecos High Country of northern New Mexico.

APPROACH by car: For a weekend knapsack trip over less-frequented route, drive from Truchas (True-chas) 5 miles east up Valley of the Rio Quemado.

HIKING: Carry overnight knapsack. Follow south side of irrigation ditch for two miles, cross to the opposite bank on log bridge and pick up the trail along the north side of the Rio Quemado for 3 more miles to Truches Falls. Trail then climbs north from falls area and crosses the stream into the Lower Truchas Amphitheatre, fine for camping; or continue another half mile to timberline spring in Upper Amphitheatre and camp in full view of the peaks, at 11,500 ft. Gain in elevation, 2000 feet in 6 miles.

CAMPING: Primitive, unrestricted, wood and water in abundance.

CLIMBING the peak: From Upper Amphitheatre you can see Middle Truchas Peak to the south, on a spur leading west off the main north-south ridge. A fairly easy rock scramble up the ridge to the west of Middle Truchas Peak brings you to the summit of 13,066 foot Middle Truchas.
Continue east to Useless Truchas where the Middle Truchas spur joins the main north-south ridge-halfway between North and South Truchas peaks, each about a mile away. An easy hike along the ridge to South Truchas affords magnificent view of Pecos River headwaters, fir, spruce and aspen forests, and Truchas lakes.
Pecos High Country is second oldest
National Forest, set aside in 18?? to preserve watershed and abundant wildlife-deer, elk, bighorn sheep, lion beaver, wild turkeys, many others.
Return by same route. Top of the ridge presents no problems, but short cuts lead to dangerous drop-offs. Ridge to North Truchas Peak is more difficult bordering on the need for a rope.

ALTERNATE route: State Hwy. 63 ends near Cowles, 20 airline miles south of Truchas Peaks. There ere improved campsites in this vicinity, as well cabins and pack stations. You can ride a horse to within four miles of the summit of South Truckas Peak. Remaining distance is a fairly easy trackless boulder scramble.

REFERENCE reading: "Beatty's Cabin," by Elliott S. Barker, gives fine introduction to the wildlife, geology, history, weather, etc., of Pecos High Country.

Mt. Humphreys

El. 12,794 ft. Highest point in Arizona. The San Francisco Mountains.

APPROACH by car: Drive north of Flagstaff to Snow Bowl, a ski area on the west slope of the peak, 15 miles. (An old toll road climbs from near the Flagstaff City reservoirs up the south slope, ending at 11,900 ft., 17 mi1es from Flagstaff. At last report it was blocked by windfalls and rock slides. The end of this road is within two miles of the summit of Mt. Humphreys and passes within a mile each of two other high points, Agassiz Peak, 12,340 ft., and Fremont Pk., 12,000 ft.)

CAMPING: Kit Carson Public Campground,

Kings Peak

El. 13,498 ft. Highest point in Utah. Uinta Mountain Range, northeastern part of the state.

APPROACH by car From Urie on U.S. Hwy. 30S, in southern Wyoming, drive south and east to Lone Tree, near the Wyoming-Utah border. Turn right on road up Henry's Fork (of the Green River). Leave car where road peters out to a trail.

HIKING Trail continues up Henry's Fork to a series of headwater lakes at the northwest base of Kings Peak. Peak may be climbed from these lakes or trail may be followed skirting the peak on the northeast.

CAMPING: Carry an overnight knapsack and camp at one of the high lakes so as to reach Utah's highest point early in the day while visibility is at its best. Kings Peak stands near the Four Corners, overlooks not only the painted canyons and meadows of the Uintas, but also the headwaters of the Green River coming down from Wyomings Tetons, a bit of the southwestern corner of Idaho, and the western slope of the Rockies in Colorado.

San Gorgonio

El. 11,485 ft. Highest point in Southern Calif.

APPROACH by car: Redlands, through Mentone, up the Mill Creek Grade to Camp Angeles. Barton Flats Road to Jenks Lake turn-off. Pass Jenks Lake and continue up dirt road to its end at Poopout Hill (7500 ft.).

CAMPING: Designated campsites a mile below Poopout Hill and at Dollar Lake. Wood and water. Fire permit required.

HIKING: 8 miles one way up a good trail, 4000 ft. gain in elevation. Trail through tall forest, follows South Fork of the Santa An. River to So. Fork Meadow, then cuts right, up the slope to Dollar Lake (9000 ft., 4 mi.), good place to camp.

ALTERNATE route: 11 mile trail to summit takes off from Mill Creek Road 2 miles east of Forest Home Lodge. (The Mill Creek Road forks right from the Mentone road at Igo's Store.) Road climbs the mountain from the southwest, up Falls Creek Canyon to knapsacking campsite at Plummer Meadow (9000 ft., 7 mi.). Thence the trail continues to Dollar Saddle, meeting the previously described trail which comes up from the north.

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