Friday, July 16. In through a mostly open fir forest.

Hackelia velutina (velvet stickseed). Unsure of the species but the long corolla appendages suggest velutina. Emigrant Wilderness. July 2010.

We had lunch at Camp Lake. Didn't have to climb much to transition from firs to lodgepole pines.

Nuphar polysepala (Rocky Mountain pond-lily). We came to a long, narrow pond we dubbed Lilypad Lake. The whole plants were nicely visible in the clear water.

One last push up the well-constructed trail. This trail -- by no means extreme by Sierra Nevada standards -- had more ups and downs than Alex really counted on.

Then down to Piute Meadow and camp. Golden Brodiaea were all over the place along with sedum, jewelflower, lupines, and others.

Triteleia ixioides. Possibly ssp. anilina. Mountain Pretty Face. (Golden Brodiaea.) Emigrant Wilderness. July 2010.

Sedum obtusatum ssp. obtusatum (Sierra sedum), although a bit a maybe on the identification.

Viola pinetorum ssp. pinetorum (goosefoot yellow violet). I have no alternatives, but I'm never 100% sure on the yellow violets.

Alex.

The ford at Piute Meadow -- a fairly easy rock-hop.

Saturday, July 17. Heading out. A look down to Piute Meadow.

Piute Lake.

Jewelry Lake.

From Jewelry Lake we followed a cross-country use trail up the hill to Long Lake.

Long Lake has a small dam. Our camp was just off to the left on this picture. We had to cross the stream below the dam.

Long Lake.

Long Lake.

Long Lake.

Long Lake.

Long Lake featured swarms of mosquitoes. We set up camp to avoid the worst, but they were still bad.

Bad insects meant, in turn, that this was a very good area for flowers. Red Mountain Heather and White Mountain Heather.

Mountain Pride and Phlox in the granite.

Sunday, July 18. Camp at Long Lake. Today we reverse our route and begin the return to Crabtree.

Crossing the West Fork of Cherry Creek.