A Solo Hike Along the Silver Divide

Graveyard Meadow, and the peak over Arrowhead Lake above the ridge.

Graveyard Meadow

Silver Divide Trip from Edison Lake Trailhead, August 2001
Day 1, August 31st, 2001:

Back on the main trail I walked another mile to the end of the meadow and found an excellent camp with good access to water. I weighed my options: to continue on and perhaps camp at Upper Graveyard Meadow or stay at this camp. I had been hiking for over three hours with a too-heavy pack, and it was getting near 6PM. I decided to stay.

The camp was a nice one, even with the small section of powdery dirt and the scattered cow-flop. I was able to clear out the worst offender cow piles, some dry thank goodness. I usually do not ever have fires, but it was late season, I was by myself, and I had two hours of darkness and chill to kill, so I had a nice fire from the load of wood that was already there. The area was a near level slab of granite, with a large erratic conveniently near to lean my pack on and pile stuff on. The tent area was level and packed dirt from other previous tents, and I had no trouble sinking my three stakes for my bivy-tent.

After a dinner and fire I gratefully retreated to my bag. It had been a long hard day: a long drive followed by a long hike into the late afternoon. Tomorrow would be worse. Sleep would be fitful, as usual for a first night in the high Sierra. After reading for a while, I turned off the light and enjoyed the full moon illuminating the landscape. Sleep eventually came for me.