Submerged Boulders, Precipice Lake

Posted on 17 August 2008

Sunlight illuminates submerged boulders near the cliff face at Precipice Lake on the High Sierra Trail – Sequioa National Park.

Precipice Lake is perched high above Hamilton Lake along the High Sierra Trail just below the pass at Kaweah Gap. (The High Sierra Trail is an east-west trans-Sierra route between Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park on the west side and Mount Whitney on the crest.) I first hike this route and visited this lake perhaps 30 years ago on a long pack trip with my wife. I recall coming upon the lake and only realizing as I saw the view for the first time that I had seen this before in a somewhat famous Ansel Photograph that he made in 1932. His photograph is much different that this one as used a location more like that seen here.

In the summer of 2008 I retraced this trip from Crescent Meadow to Whitney with a group of friends. We camped at Hamilton Lake on the second night and on the third morning began the steep but spectacular climb up the headwall above the lake toward Kaweah Gap and the crossing of the Great Western Divide. Eventually the trail works its way to the right above the lake and a cirque is visible above, with high peaks and cliffs around it. After crossing a lovely section filled with springs, flowing water, and many wildflowers the trail tops a slight rise and suddenly you are at Precipice Lake and looking at almost precisely the view from the Adams photo. This time I was fully equipped for back-country photography, so I spent a half hour or more doing my version of the scene.

Finally I finished, packed up my photography gear and we started up the switchbacks toward the Gap. A moment later as the trail climbed above the lake I glanced back and saw that the sun was breaking through the clouds and intermittently illuminating the underwater talus at the end of the lake – a stunning site in person. For a moment I thought to myself, “Darn! I just finished shooting and now I have to take this pack off and set up all that gear again!” I almost didn’t shoot it. Fortunately, I’ve learned my lesson a few times (“shoot it now or never!”) so I dropped the pack, set up my equipment, and waited for the right light as intermittent clouds moved overhead.

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