Mineral King to Eagle Lake
Bibi made a great selection in picking this hike for us today. I read about seeing Pika and grouse on modernhiker.com and the trail did not disappoint. in addition to an enchanting variety of flowers and butterflies, as we passed through the meadow at around mile 2 I got to see both the grouse pecking through the grasses and then at about mile 3 we saw dozens of Pika running through the rough talus near the moraine. At the top of the climb of the moraine we were greeted by a small herd of mule deer and I was able to get a great shot of a doe facing me. Once at the lake, the water was so clear, it was easy to take photos of the occasional brook trout lazily swimming by. In terms of birds, I was really happy to get a picture of the Red-breasted sapsucker. That was a first. The Olive-sided flycatcher was a nice shot, but not my first.
One other highlight as we got past 10,000 feet was the appearance of beautiful bristlecone pine clinging to crags and ridges. These are beautiful ancient trees that have seen this valley take shape.
