@ G Dan Mitchell, the links to your photos aren't working. I'd love to see them. Can you repost? Also, thanks for the detailed info. This is on my bucket list.
<p>Precipice Lake is in Sequoia National Park on the High Sierra Trail, which travels from Crescent Meadow in the west across the Sierra to Mt. Whitney via Kaweah Gap, Big Arroyo, the Kern Canyon, and the southern portion of the John Muir Trail.</p>
<p>Quickest access to Precipice Lake is from Crescent Meadow on the west side of the Sierra. Most backpackers would be hard pressed to get there and back in fewer than four days, and a five day round trip with two nights at Hamilton Lake is probably more reasonable. The first part of the route more or less contours along the upper north side of the Kaweah River Valley. Before Hamilton Lake it begins to climb more steadily. Hamilton Lake is a popular backpacking destination, and most people will take two days to cover the 16+ miles from Crescent Meadow to this point.</p>
<p>After Hamilton Lake the trail ascends steadily and sometimes steeply up the headwall along the base of the Kaweahs here. There are some examples of astonishing trail construction between Hamilton Lake and the end of the climb including trail sections cut into the sides of almost vertical rock walls and gullies and, at one point, a tunnel. After a few miles of climbing above Hamilton and passing through beautiful alpine scenery you arrive at the end of the steep portion of the climb, suddenly top a small rise, and find the famous scene of Precipice Lake right there in front of you. It is easy to "stand where Ansel stood" when he made his famous 1932 photograph of ice floating on the lake in front of the striking cliff walls on the opposite side.</p>
<p>Here are a couple of photographs I made of the lake during the summer of 2008. One is shot from "Ansel's spot," though framed differently, and the other was made a short distance up the trail above this point as the sun broke through scattered clouds to illuminate the lake and submerged boulders.</p>
Where in the world is Precipice Lake?
in Nature
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@ G Dan Mitchell, the links to your photos aren't working. I'd love to see them. Can you repost? Also, thanks for the detailed info. This is on my bucket list.