Pear Lake, Sequoia National Park

November 04, 2015

Sequoia NP, Pear Lake

Photographer: Cindy Todd 
Summary AuthorCindy Todd

Pear Lake -- a big pain to get to, but worth the effort. The Lakes Trail in Sequoia National Park has gorgeous alpine lakes along the way, including Heather Lake, Aster Lake, Emerald Lake and finally Pear Lake, only 6.1 backbreaking miles (10 km) from the trailhead.

I'm an avid backpacker and do a lot of backpacking in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere in the southwestern U.S. The Lakes Trail is perhaps the most challenging of any trail I've hiked. The unnerving, uneven and unavoidable pointed rocks along the second half of the trail can easily break your spirit. If you've been on this kind of trail, you know what I'm talking about. They're the ones that prevent you from putting your foot down flat. By the way, there's also a considerable elevation climb on this trail.
 
Once you get there, however, Pear Lake is breathtaking! It lies at approximately 9,200 ft (2,805 m) and is fed mostly by melting snow. With a permit, you can camp there. Photo taken on October 10, 2015.

Photo Details: Camera Maker: LG Electronics; Camera Model: LGL31L; Focal Length: 3.5mm; Aperture: ƒ/2.2; Exposure Time: 0.0023 s (1/438); ISO equiv: 100.