Saturday, May 29, 2021

Stanislaus National Forest & Carson Iceberg Wilderness, CA (Cellphone Photos)

Yesterday, I took a day trip to Stanislaus National Forest in California traveling along SR-108 (my parents drove, as I can't drive anymore). I also visited Carson Iceberg Wilderness on my hike. Here are the photos I took with my cellphone. You can see the photos I took on my mirrorless camera here.

The photos with snow in it are taken on my attempted hike from St. Mary's Pass Trail Head to Sonora Peak via St. Mary's Pass Trail. I hiked in both Stanislaus National Forest and Carson Iceberg Wilderness. I didn't end up being able to make it up Sonora Peak as the last bit of the trail was too steep for my liking (I've been visually impaired since August 2018), and I figured it's beyond my hiking skills. I still hiked up to almost 11,000 ft (3353 m) above sea level. The photos from this hike are taken near GPS coordinates 38° 21' 07.0" N 119° 38' 56.9" W. I hiked further than these coordinates, but I didn't take any photos.

If you do want to do this hike, note that if you head up there from the San Francisco Bay Area (sea level), you will get hit with altitude sickness! I mostly had no symptoms (until I tried to run around up there), my dad was a bit worse off than I was, and my mom got moderately sick from the altitude. Learn the symptoms of altitude sickness, sometimes people might feel a bit sleepy and euphoric, and do something stupid. Altitude sickness can slow down your brain, "dumb you down", and make performing simple tasks hard. Stay safe while hiking, know your limits, and don't push yourself over your limits. I do not recommend hiking this hike alone. I'm not a medical professional, so make sure you do your own research. The information here is just based on my own experience as a wilderness photographer for over a decade.

For this hike I also recommend you bring a physical compass and learn how to use it, as it is easy to lose sight of the trail or get lost on this trail (your phone can malfunction and/or run out of power). Also hiking poles are a necessity. 

The last bit of photos from the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) forest floor were shot near State Route 108 at GPS coordinates 38° 13' 35.8" N 119° 59' 54.6" W. 

A panorama shot in Carson Iceberg Wilderness on St. Mary's Pass Trail.
On the left are Bald Peak and Red Peak. On the right is Stanislaus Peak.

A photo of a sign marking the boundary of Carson Iceberg Wilderness and Stanislaus National Forest shot on St. Mary's Pass Trail.
To the left of the image is Stanislaus Peak.

A scenery photo of the Sierras shot from St. Mary's Pass Trail in Stanislaus National Forest.


A photo my mom took of me on St. Mary's Pass Trail in Carson Iceberg Wilderness.

Photos my mom took of me on St. Mary's Pass Trail in Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
On the left is Stanislaus Peak.

Photos my mom took of me on St. Mary's Pass Trail in Carson Iceberg Wilderness.


Sunset panorama shot from the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) forest floor. Photo shot close to State Route 108.

Sunset photos shot from the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) forest floor. Photo shot close to State Route 108.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.