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Micah Burress

I've outrun people who traveled from over 500 miles away in the International Midnight Dome Race in Yukon Territory. I've slid on my butt as my bike hit an icy patch on the Foresthill Divide Road above the American River in California. Although 13,560 feet on the saddle of White Mountain Peak can send me packing home, there are still seemingly unlimited things for me to still do. Waterfall season is never long enough and my current focus is on that but late summer beckons finding other places to see.

I don't know if I'm the only one with an outdated topo of the area but I'd like to mention the spur trail to the upstream Heath Falls Overlook no longer exists. There are a couple of blazes near where the trail junction should be but its a cross country route. I did not attempt it. Also Devil's Peak is much nicer than the postpile you see at the Devil's Postpile National Monument down near Mammoth.

There is a route with much less elevation gain via the Salmon Lake Trail from Husyink Road. It also has no granite slab traverses with duck cairns (although still rocky with short steep sections) and the least visited lake, Salmon Lake is at the end of a short spur trail about half way through the hike.

Despite the picture there are palm oases that could be considered paradise. The best time to go is in March.

I helped build the frienship ridge trail shortly before the area gained an upgrade to designated state wilderness.

If you have four wheel drive there is an impressive arch (lexington arch) near the southern boundary of the national park.