Ralston Lake

A glacier water pool at the base of Ralston Peak with Tamarack Lake in the foreground

Ralston Lake sits in a dramatic granite cirque at the north base of Ralston Peak in California's Desolation Wilderness. Relatively deep Ralston Lake is separated from its larger neighbor lake, shallow Tamarack Lake, by a low ridge. From the southeast shore of Tamarack Lake (lower left corner of picture), a loop trail connects the three lakes of the basin in Ralston Peak's shadow: in addition to Tamarack Lake and Ralston Lake, there is little Cagwin Lake—the smallest of the three.

I am fascinated by the tiny rock islands dotting Upper Echo Lake and also the rock bar in Tamarck Lake (seen at the center bottom in the picture). If you like to hunt for small-lake islands, follow the trail along the west side of Ralston Lake to marvel at another beautiful islet: an emerging pile of rocks with a few conifers holding their ground—just a rock slide away from the cliffs and steep, debris-covered slopes of Ralston Peak.

The picture was taken on August 11, 2017, while hiking Lily Lake Trail (Echo Peak Trail) from its intersection with Triangle Lake Trail to Haypress Meadows.