A Solo Hike Along the Silver Divide

One of the meadows on the way to Graveyard Meadow. Note the pink Shooting Stars, my favorite flower.

Meadows, Forest and Trails

Silver Divide Trip from Edison Lake Trailhead, August 2001

Day 1, August 31st, 2001:

The next section got annoyingly steep again in a way only true wilderness trails seem to get. This track was a four-wheel drive jeep road at one time, and occasionally you could see evidence of this, along with the fact that forest never closed in on the trail. After a long slow climb the trail leveled off again and only undulated along for a good distance. At one point the trail branched off to parts unknown, but kept to the left forks. Having done this trail before was a help. On some maps this is marked as an un-maintained trail, but it gets heavy use by packers. It is as good and well defined as any trail in the Sierra.

The wilderness and trail shows its 4-Wheel past in places. Good riddance.

The trail passes a few meadows along the way, climbing gently in places before it finally hits the main trail at Graveyard Meadows. Here also is a spur trail that heads for the meadow and seems to cross it, or at least starts to before it fades away in the grass. I went over and into the meadow, noting the small heard of cows grazing in the shade. I really do not think cows belong above 7000 feet in Wilderness areas. At least they are not sheep.