Pear Lake

The route starts at Wolverton and passes Heather Lake and Emerald Lake before climbing into more open, rocky country around Pear Lake. The Watchtower option adds a ridge walk with views over the Marble Fork valley and Tokopah Falls. Snow or ice makes that section dangerous, and it closes in winter; plan around the Hump route when winter travel is open.

A tarn is a lake left in a bowl carved by glaciers. Pear Lake sits in just that kind of granite cirque, with steep bare rock rising around the water. Foxtail pines cling to the high, rocky slopes. They are rare, long-lived pines of the treeline, related to bristlecone pines.

The Pear Lake Ski Hut stands near the lake basin. The National Park Service built the 17-by-30-foot stone hut in 1939–1941, near timberline at about 9,200 feet. Its granite masonry, pine-log rafters and steep shake roof were designed to sit naturally among the surrounding rock. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There is no food service at the lake, so bring what you need for the long hike and return. The camp area has backcountry sites and a pit latrine; overnight trips require a wilderness permit. Wolverton has flush restrooms at the trailhead before you set out.

The rocky shore makes a useful foreground for the pale basin and Alta Peak above it. Keep a little shoreline in the frame so the water has scale against the broad granite walls.