[continued]
And we finally reached out destination, Little Deer Lake! This is where we would set up camp. Time for pics!
The dog stopped moving long enough for just one photo
Such a gorgeous lake. We had it all to ourselves. Didn't see one other rig running this trail the whole time we were there!
Set up camp right in front of the water!
The next day it was time to pack up and get some more shots in front of the lake with the early morning light.
Why we do what we do!
The trail after Little Deer Lake wasn't bad at all, just a few more steep rocky climbs as we made our way down towards the beginning of the loop.
After passing the junction we continued on south on the Deer Lake trail. Fun little drive, moderate, suitable for stock rigs. When we reached Deer Lake, we took the short downhill drive to the parking area which is a surprisingly steep downhill climb!
After Deer Lake we continued on south ever further till we eventually came up on the Sierra Buttes OHV trail. This would take us to the Sierra Buttes lookout tower. This is an easy drive suitable for anything except a car but you will climb A LOT of ground. I ran the whole thing in L/L and truck was definitely working to get to top. You'll eventually come to a parking area but if you keep going you can skip some of the hike. You'll reach a locked gate where we parked the truck and hiked on up. I'm not a hiker so this was a tough 3/4 mile climb.
You'll eventually reach the stairs to the lookout tower. 8,600ft!!!!!!!!
The unmanned tower that is now open to the public
The breathtaking views. When you're this high up, there's not much you can't overlook. It was freezing up here, but well worth the effort.
And one last picture before climbing down!
Made the easy drive down the mountains and aired up before heading on home. We drove out through Highway 49 which was a beautiful drive all in itself. We had never driven down this stretch of 49 before so it was worth the long detour.
All in all, great trip. If you live in the area, this is a MUST DO!
