Grouse Lakes, Sierra Nevada

I first started visiting this area in June 2024, when there was still some snow on the ground. Here's a vernal pool near Upper Rock Lake.

June wildflowers.

Upper Rock Lake in June. Water level is at its highest.

Wildflowers on trail to from Upper Rock Lake to Penner Lake.

Penner Lake. This is a very popular site for backpackers, so I didn't camp here. But the water was fine for a refreshing swim.

Long Lake. This is a small lake off the main trail that I found by accident on my only backpack trip in 2024. It was deserted, so I camped here instead of trying to find my way back to my original destination.

My Ray-Way tarp, bug net, and quilt at Long Lake.

A view overlooking Island Lake. This is a large, popular lake. I didn't camp here.

There's a longer trail to Upper Rock Lake from Loney Meadow that traverses around Bowman Mountain. From the high point there are some long views to the north. Below is Bowman Lake, a large reservoir that is reached by a rough jeep road. I'll probably not try to visit the lake; it doesn't look like a good camping spot, due to the jeeps and artificial shoreline.

When autumn returned, it wasn't nearly as colorful as my former home of Vermont. The aspens turned yellow, instead of red or gold.

I visited Upper Rock Lake in November, after a light snowfall. The water level was very low. To take this picture, I was standing where the water would have reached back in June.

Snow at Upper Rock Lake

More autumn colors in the quaking aspens.

Lupine

Penstemon and butterfly

Indian Paintbrush and Mariposa Lily

Dead tree

California Goldfields

Acres of lupines buzzing with bees on the Bowman Mount Trail

Creek in Loney Meadow

A lake-filled region of the Sierra in Nevada County. I started visiting this area on a weekly basis after moving to the Sierra foothills in May 2024.

© 2025 Mark Alexander