Cabin Twenty-Four

Mineral King to Eagle Lake

(June 2020)
My coworkers and I planned our first post-lockdown hike – Eagle Lake. The two-hour drive to the trailhead, the never-ending incline, the scramble up the rocky mountain and the multiple mental breakdowns I had during this hike challenged me. However, the views of the lake were definitely worth it. Hiking with people who encourage you to make it to the top was also definitely worth it. The dinner and the pies we grabbed at Silver City on the way back to town was the cherry on top for this difficult hike!

Mineral King to Eagle Lake Trail

Length: 6.5 miles (out and back); my watch recorded 7ish miles
Elevation: 2,214 ft (hike starts at just about 7,800 ft)
Directions: Take HWY198 and right before entering Sequoia National Park, make a right on to Mineral King Rd and take the 25-mile drive (approximately 2 hours) until it stops at the Eagle-Mosquito Lake Trailhead. The drive is a long one so plan accordingly if planning to hike in and out in one day!

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  1. Oooh I love that you took advantage of the temporarily lifted lockdown and went on a hike. Totally your vibe here hehe. Wow, a 2 hour drive up, totally worth it for the views! Going through the hikes takes a lot of mental capabilities. I remember having mine whenever I went through hikes in the past :(. I am glad that you challenged yourself and finished the hike!! 7 miles is impressive!! Wow, that 25-mile drive took a while but I am sure it’s because of the curves and stuff. Glad you had a blast!! The views look AMAZING!

    Nancy โœจ exquisitely.me

  4. Holy cow 7 miles girl, that’s so amazing!! It’s great you got to do this hike with your fellow co-workers who pushed you to the end!! The view of this place is amazing!!

  5. It is great that you and your co-workers got a chance to get together and go hiking. I don’t like the name Mosquito in the trailhead name. It reminds me of getting bit by mosquitoes even though it is just a name.

  6. The lake looks stunning in that photo! I love how it reflects the background of rocky hills. I am so jealous that you have hiking trails within easy access. Where I am from, it there are hardly any hiking trails and even fewer have views that are worth the effort. That is why I love hiking to nature spots whenever I travel!

  14. Amazing photo’s! Looks like you had a great time, it looks like a beautiful place. I went on a little hike a few weekends back, it ended up just being under 7 miles but it was pretty much flat ground so wasn’t too bad but this one looks a little tough! Glad you had a lovely time, and thank you for sharing these amazing pictures.

    Chloe xx

  15. These photos are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing, I hope you’re doing well!

    melissakacar.blogspot.com

  17. Amazing photos, this looks absolutely beautiful. I love that you picked a challenging hike for your first one post lockodwn too, it looks tough! But I’m glad you guys had an amazing time x

    Sophie

  18. Oh how I miss nature hikes. The view is fantastic and itโ€™s liberating once you reach the end. Thanks for sharing these moments.

  19. Wow the photos alone make me want to hop in my car and head straight there! Sounds like quite the adventure. Itโ€™s definitely been added to my travel list! Thank you for sharing

  20. That looks like a fun hike! I always enjoy hikes that go to lakes or other water more than peak climbs. Plus the rock scramble sounds challenging and cool.

  21. Thats awesome u guys went out and enjoyed nature! Thats something i rlly need right about now ๐Ÿ˜…

  25. Your photos are absolutley stunning! What an amazing place, and experience for you. Sounds like it is quite the trek, which makes the views even more rewarding, I bet! I love how you organise hikes like this with your co-workers too.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Aimsy xoxo
    Aimsyโ€™s Antics

  29. Sounds like you had a great time I have always wanted to go on a proper hike, I think it would be not only good exercise but mentally helpful too, being outdoors and experiences the lovely views! Great photographs! Thank you for sharing.

    Lauren | http://www.bournemouthgirl.com

  32. You always find the coolest places!! Love that the trails are part of your lifestyle – would love to ultimately live somewhere that has lots of outdoor type things to offer! For now, I shall incorporate them into my travels – when we can do this again haha! So excited for things to go back to normal. took so much freedom for granted!!

    hope you are well xx

    Hayley || hayleyxmartin

  34. I am literally living vicariously through you, so loved this post!! I want to travel so bad right now and the pictures in your post were so nice and now I’m craving travel!

  35. It’s so nice to hear about your hike experience, especially how your colleagues pushed you to finish the hike.
    Great read and the pictures look amazing.

  36. This reminds me of the hike my aunt and I took when I went to visit her in Arizona last year! We went up and up and finally looked down at the the cacti and the faces of the white rocks.
    Eagle lake is beautiful; I love how it is tucked away into a little hollow. ๐Ÿ™‚

  37. It looks well worth the drive. I’m all about hikes at the moment too. Perfect way to get out of the city and explore a bit closer to home