(GPS: N37° 46.930 W119° 07.710)
This is the first of a few blogs that will cover what I am calling The Quest for a Gem hike. After driving along the June Lake Loop past Grant Lake we ended up at the Rush Creek trailhead. I expected this one to be a moderate hike with some elevation, but something that could be done in a few hours.
Not to far from the trailhead I passed a stream with some tree cover. Obviously, this was an autumn hike with all those leaves on the ground.
Not to far from the trailhead I passed a stream with some tree cover. Obviously, this was an autumn hike with all those leaves on the ground.
Once passed some of the homes, not too far from the trailhead, the trail rises some. SR 158, the June Lake Loop, runs right by the trail at this point. You can see part of Silver Lake.
I have seen photographers at Silver Lake early in the morning close to where we started while driving through in the past. On those days they are trying to capture the mist look it can have in the morning. As I got higher I looked back to where I started and got to see more of Silver Lake.
In the above picture, if you just continue looking to the right and just past the lake you get the following. An assortment of autumn:
Looking up ahead I could see a waterfall to the left, but a man made structure in the middle.
What is interesting about this hike is you cross into Ansel Adams Wilderness right as you start going uphill; it is not too far ahead of picture #2 above. However, of all the Eastern Sierra hikes I have done, this is the one that had many man made structures on the way that are still used. In the next blog I will mention more about this. 
