Took a detour on the John Muir Trail and found a hidden lake near Evolution Valley

Last August I was hiking the JMT and got tired of the crowds around Muir Pass. I spotted a side trail on my GPS that wasn't on my printed map, maybe a half mile off the main route. Followed it down a steep slope for about 20 minutes and ended up at this small unnamed lake with zero people around. Water was crystal clear and I had the whole spot to myself for lunch. Has anyone else found a random off-route spot that ended up being better than the main trail stops?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_gibson4329d ago

Did you check it out on satellite imagery later to see if it even had a name? I found a similar spot up near Selden Pass a few years back, took a wrong turn looking for a place to filter water and stumbled onto this little pond tucked behind some rocks. Had a couple of cutthroat trout splashing around and the water was so clear you could see straight to the bottom. Never found it on any map after that, just a lucky break I guess.

leelewis27d ago

Ha, @troy_gibson43 beat me to it on the satellite thing. I actually tried that after a similar find near the Kearsarge Pass trailhead and the imagery was SO old the pond looked like a dirt patch. Guess some spots just stay off the grid, which is honestly part of the charm.