Silver King Creek

A round trip of five nights, starting at the Corral Valley trailhead near Walker, California. I made a counter clockwise loop to Silver King Creek. I took a night up to Poison Lake and then the next day up through Long Valley and Lower Fish Valley. From there, past Llewellyn Falls to Upper Fish Valley. Then the Corral Valley trail through Coyote Valley to Corral Valley, returning back to the trailhead.

My first solo backpacking trip, and I chose the location because of the huge snowpack that the previous winter had left. I saw no one except a bear for the first four days, and then only a handful of researchers studying aquatic insects with whom I chatted for about two minutes. My second night I climbed to Poison Lake where I camped, and then explored the ridge above the western side of the lake. I could see across the East Carson River, past the nearby mountains to Highland and Silver peaks. But I could also see further to mountains at the south end of Lake Tahoe, and even beyond - I was able to see Virginia Peak 90 miles away past Reno. I returned after dinner to see the most wonderful sunset displayed in real time for me alone.

Llewellyn Falls was beautiful, a rushing chute of water through old granite. I went on past, to the south end of Upper Fish Valley, to make my camp on a glacial terminal moraine. I was surprised to find a geothermal spring on the side of the moraine, mineral water bubbling up through little holes and puddles. My hike out of the Silver King valley gave me more views of the range of mountains from Whitecliff Peak to Poison Lake. My last night I stayed in a little hollow in Corral Valley as a thunderstorm lit up the clouds miles away from me.

If you go to this area, you may know that there is a cairn built by Basque shepherds that can easily be found on the first day's hike. You might not know that there is a second cairn of the same design somewhere else in these mountains. I'll let you find it - but know that it has a beautiful view.