Red Slate from Mildred Lake

The trail to Mildred Lake is one of my old favorites. Five miles up above Convict Lake, the trail ascends a spectacular canyon of red, white and gray rock. Fantastic rock swirls adorn the treeless cliff faces. Boulders and scree fill the gorge sliced by the white cascades of Convict Creek. The stream crossing at the Dorthy confluence was manageable with only slightly wet feet, but he challenge would be the steep snow fields further up canyon. Nothing quite  like viewing the fall line into the raging creek 100 vert below. I successfully kicked steps across the snow without incident. Gropple greeted me at the lake and I ate lunch tucked into a group of scrub  pines. Slowly the pricip waned and sun raked across Red Slate and the lake glassed off. I scurried around like a Pica in spring hunting for  interesting angles to shoot from. This  is my favorite.