Orchid Lake - Sierra National Forest

Orchid Lake, Sierra National Forest. Located west of the John Muir Trail and Bear Creek in the John Muir Wilderness, Orchid Lake provides an expansive view east across Bear Creek Valley towards Seven Gables. Despite its proximity to the John Muir Trail, its distance from the nearest trailhead and the lack of a trail to reach the Lake makes it infrequently visited.

Reaching this lake by mid-morning after a grueling climb and battle with mosquitos, I spent much of the day exploring the surrounding area not seeing another soul. The weather had been threatening rain all day, and as the sun began to set a beam of light appeared underneath the clouds to illuminate the mountains in an intense red hue, and a bit later the clouds as well. A sunset that made every step to reach this location as valuable as the previous.