A Backpack Trip through the Mokelumne Wilderness on the Pacific Crest Trail… Part II

/ Curt Mekemson

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” – Albert Einstein.

A view from the Pacific Crest Trail as it makes its way through the Mokelumne Wilderness.

I’m continuing my trip through the Mokelumne Wilderness today, a 30 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail between Carson Pass on Highway 88 to Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range south of Lake Tahoe. I made the trip in 2018 as part of my 750 mile trip down the PCT to celebrate my 75th Birthday.

This post is part of the series Peggy and I are doing that stresses the great value and need to protect our national parks, monuments, wilderness areas and other public lands in light of efforts by the Trump Administration to reduce them in size and— in some cases, totally eliminate them— to open new areas for economic development and exploitation as part of his Make America Great Again plan.

There have been two instances of administrative and legislative actions since my last post that are particularly worrisome:

One: A decision by Trump’s Department of Justice this past week that the President has the right to abolish National Monuments on his whim without any public input or due process.

Two: A Senate Bill in support of Trump’s efforts was introduced by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah to require that not less than 50% or more than 75% of BLM and National Forest Service land be sold off. Lee’s claim is it will provide land for affordable housing. Really? Given that his support for accessible housing in the past has been to introduce legislation to eliminate or defund affordable housing programs, one can only wonder what his actual motivation is.

Now, back to our celebration of the beauty and value of our remaining wild areas with photos I took while backpacking through the Mokelumne Wilderness.

As in the first half of the journey, there were flowers to admire.
Including thistles.
And one of my all time favorites, a monkey flower.
There was even a ‘dried’ floral arrangement.
The trail climbed up and over a ridge and then worked its way off into the distance across a seemingly barren landscape as smoke from forest fires continued to fill the air.
But small streams complete with flowers and cool water provided a welcome respite…
And the smoke could not hide the area’s beauty. In ways, it even enhanced it.
I even found a photo frame.
The trail soon provided other views. This rock formation was the result of an ancient volcanic mud flow.
A juniper tree stood beside the trail, adding its unique brand of beauty.
I remembered this juniper and its boulder from a previous trip 22 years ago. How could I forget?
Rocky crags soon dominated the views along the trail.
Looking south from my campsite above Pennsylvania Creek.
Hiking out of the Mokelumne Wilderness the next morning provided many classic northern Sierra Nevada scenes.
And in conclusion: More volcanic mud flow working its way down the mountain.
Colorful lichens.
A close encounter between a bumble bee and a flower.
And a bit of humor to end the post. Two limb monsters going head to head. My money was on the guy with tusks.
Next up, in our continuing focus on the beauty of wilderness areas, I travel north of Mokelumne Wilderness to the Granite Chief and Desolation Wilderness areas west of Lake Tahoe. This is an evening reflection of Little Needle Peak in Little Needle Lake. I’ve camped there many times over the years.

21 thoughts on “A Backpack Trip through the Mokelumne Wilderness on the Pacific Crest Trail… Part II”

  1. This land is your land, this land is my land…what wonderful pictures and I love your comments. Here on the flat land, I dove into the midst of 5,000 at our Capitol on Saturday. It was a grand day! I can’t believe some of the ideas for destroying land in the name of housing! Good grief Charlie Brown! Love to you both!

    Reply

    • “…From California to the New York Island
      From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream Waters
      This land was made for you and me. ”
      And the Redwood Forest is now preserved by a national park and a state park. May it continue to be, Wendy! Assume you went to the No Kings protest!

      Reply

    • So far, the proposal has been for BLM and National Forest Service land. But if Trump gets away with that, my sense is that he would like to turn national parks over to for-profit operations. Environmental and other public oriented groups are making a massive effort to stop the administration. I think he will be eventually, but the question is how much damage will be done in the meantime.

      Reply

      • I think you’re right about his intentions… Building hotels everywhere…
        And your last question applies to everything. How much damage will done until he’s stopped.
        Take care Curt…

  6. Absolutely breathtaking journey — thank you for taking us along with your words and lens! Nature’s quiet strength and stunning resilience are always humbling. Your advocacy for public lands is inspiring — these wild spaces are treasures we must fiercely protect. 🌿✨

    We’ve shared similar reflections on our blog Twin Chaos & Toddler Giggles and on Instagram @twintales2025 — would love to connect and celebrate nature, storytelling, and shared purpose together! 💚

    Reply

    • Thank’s D. It’s a very special area that few people are aware of.
      We can only hope people will wake up before too much damage is done. The longer it takes, the more difficult picking up the pieces will be.

      Reply

  8. Reading the politics boils my blood, Curt! He needs to be stopped, but by who or whom? Anyway, your photos are glorious, to say the least! I’m not jealous but maybe a slight shade of green. Hiking the PCT is still on our bucket list, but my husband’s had some arthritis in one of his knees and with my stenosis, a lot of walking isn’t the best for my back. These are changes in the last year or less. This is why we’re biking a lot, better for our bodies. We’re in our mid sixties but have to take what comes with a smile, right? So, we’ll see how we feel in a couple of months. We were thinking in August but not sure. Even if we hiked in a little, it would be worth it. Just seeing the photo of the trail makes me want to go! I love the bumble bee photo too.

    Reply

    • History provides clues, Lauren. In ways, I am reminded of McCarthyism, which was eventually defeated. I think Democrats need to get their act together and work with moderate Republicans to provide a vision for America that counters Trumpism. And that’s gong to call for some leadership and courage that hasn’t yet emerged. The bottom line is the future is scary, even with the best intentions, but we can’t give up hope.

      As for being in nature, you live in one of the world’s most beautiful areas! I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years, and even led bicycle treks up and down the coast as well as walking tours. I’m a little green myself when it comes to where you live, grin.

      Plus you escape to the Sierras and camp out on a regular basis. 🙂

      Reply

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