Near: Oakhurst
Trip Type: Day Hike
Distance: 8 Miles
Elevation: 7,000 - 9,200 ft
Vegetation: Pine Forest to Moonscape
Last Visit: 11/25/17
**Note: the Ansel Adams Wilderness was heavily impacted by the Creek Fire of 2020. Check the Sierra National Forest website for up to date information on trail closures.**
It was that awkward time in late fall when there's enough snow at higher elevations to make following the trail near impossible, but not enough at lower elevations to go right into ski season. Poking around on some NOAA snow depth maps, it looked like there was a relative dearth of snow in the far western corner of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, so we resolved to take a trip out there on Thanksgiving weekend. We decided to hike up to the Jackass Lakes on the southeast side of Madera Peak. As usual Ansel Adams did not disappoint.
At 10,500 feet Madera peak is not particularly outstanding as a high Sierra summit, but it sits on the western edge of a large basin drained by the San Joaquin River. From its eastern slopes you therefore have an unobstructed view across this basin to a dramatic panorama of high Sierra peaks stretching from Mt Ritter and the Minerets in the north to the head of of the Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon to the south. That's about 50 of some of the most dramatic miles of the Pacific Crest. This is a view that must be taken in with the human eye to be fully appreciated. The pictures included in this post are an even more pathetic representation of the real experience than usual. We didn't have enough daylight to try for the peak, but it looks eminently hikable and should offer further views into Yosemite National Park to the north as well. A return trip in Summer is on the to-do list for sure.
The only down side to this hike is the trail is a bit sketchy at points and only indicated with tiny cairns here and there. We were able to find it OK most of the way, but I felt better having a topo map loaded up on my cell in case we needed it. I very much recommend Backcountry Navigator as cheap emergency off-line GPS option.
