Nice Hike just north of Yosemite

[balzaccom]

Off highway 108 by Pinecrest Lake...


We didn't have packs on our backs, or a tent in our pack....but we did get out this weekend for as day hike, just to make sure that we hadn't forgotten how to hike. Plus, we wanted to see one of the local attractions of the Stanislaus National Forest near our new cabin: The Gargoyles trail.

Six miles off Highway 108, on Herring Creek Road, the parking area overlooks a huge volcanic cirque over the Stanislaus River.



Lava formations = Gargoyles©http://backpackthesierra.com



And from there we hiked the South Rim Trail with some nice volcanic Gargoyles



And then to its end--flowers were out in force!




And then we hiked the North Rim Trail, with even better Gargoyles.



But that wasn't enough for us, so we went off trail straight up the side of the mountain to get to the top of the ridge, with the best views of all, from Bull Run Rock



Looking North towards Tahoe



It was a great day on the trail---and in the Sierra.



Click on the photos for a Picasa photo file of the whole hike.