Having a couple of weeks of calm and warmer weather, the snow that fell earlier
had all but gone away. This offered me the opportunity, on December 4th, to take a trail that I normally avoid due to
over visitation in the summer.
Duck Lake is a two mile walk southward, from the Lake Alpine
area of Highway 4. Duck Lake is close enough for day hikers and the highway access, so it gets constant use during
the summer time. The result is an often crowded and noisy spot to visit. Not to mention, the ever present ding-dong
of cow bells. The area is on federal grazing lands and gets plenty of use.
This trail is also an easy walk, on an old jeep trail, of moderate sloping runs,
up and over one ridge line, and offers good vistas for photos of the surrounding areas and old Cowboy Cabins at
the lake. Duck Lake is within the Carson - Iceberg Wilderness area of the Stanislaus National Forest.
This day hike, like others, was made in the late afternoon (2:00 to 5:30).
I decided, with another storm predicted to come in over the coming week, that this would definitely be the last hike
for 2002. So, off I went.
