Sporty Sunday: Hiking Shealor Lake

Today’s hike is a lot like last week’s. Both trailheads are easily accessible from a major highway. Each is about 3 miles, out and back. The destination is a water feature (a falls last week, a lake today). Both trails takes one through forests, along streams, and across open granite. The views are stunning no matter which hike you take. But, while Horsetail Falls is thick with folks, Shealor Lake is almost deserted.

Granted, Hwy 88 isn’t the thoroughfare that Hwy 50 is, but I’m still surprised at how few hikers we encountered (3 people and a dog). This is a superior hike to Horsetail Falls. It’s easier to follow, it has better views, and the lake is a more pleasant destination. I’m guessing it’s the trek from 50, along the winding, 26-mile Mormon Emigrant Trail Road, to 88 that puts most people off exploring this area.


Or maybe no one was out because theydidn’t expect the trail to be snow-free. I can verify that the snow level is well above this trail’s high point of 7600 feet. We’ll be trying for a 9400-foot saddle on our next hike (Winnemucca-Round Top Lakes Loop, also accessible from Hwy 88).

Source: Evans, Stephen L. "Shealor Lake Trail." Top Trails Sacramento. 4th ed. Birmingham: Wilderness, 2012. Print.

Length: 3.2 miles

Water: The snowpack is still melting and runoff is evident. Shealor Lake is currently full to the brim!

Use: Light. During prime hiking season, this trail is reputed to be busy.

Differences from published description: None.

Jasper’s rating: 5 paws out of 5.

Sporty Sunday is a recurring feature in which I share my fitness routine and offer and solicit advice. While this content might seem a little out of place in an outfit diary, a healthy, strong body is the foundation of my wardrobe. I hope to inspire my readers to be fit as well as stylish!