One of the more
colorful characters of the 19th century was Lola Montez, who
claimed to be a Spanish dancer, although she was actually
Irish. She was best known for her "Spider Dance" and the
inspiration for the expression, Whatever Lola wants, Lola
gets”. When performing her dance, she would appear in
flesh-colored tights with chiffon circling her waist and
tarantula sized cork spiders. Lola would spin and whirl so to
flick the spiders off her skirt, writhing more frantically as
the dance went on. This frantic spinning eventually provided
the spectators with generous views of her person. Today this
might seem somewhat tame but at the time, this woman with
voluptuous bosom and tiny waist, dressed in flesh-colored
tights, both thrilled and shocked audiences.
Among other exploits, she became the mistress of King Ludwig I
of Bavaria, who made her a countess; she was the virtual ruler of
the country until she was ousted during the revolution of 1848.
During a rare quiet period in her life, Lola lived in the
California Gold Rush town of Grass Valley where she gave dancing
lessons to the local women. She later moved to New York where she
died in 1861 at the age of 42.
This hike will lead you to a mountain meadow and then onto a
beautiful alpine lake (pictured below) that is surrounded by large
granite boulders. The approximate 3-mile hike to the cache is
relatively easy, except for a moderately steep ½ mile section of
trail and a 60' creek crossing. The day we placed the cache the
creek was about 18" deep and we did it in our bare feet. However, I
would suggest that you bring along some aqua boots to change into,
or wait until later in the summer when the creek is smaller and
lower. Once you arrive at the lake, you will see that the hike was
worth it for the spectacular scenic views of the surrounding area.
You should plan on packing a lunch so that you can sit and enjoy
the tranquility and you may be lucky enough to spot a bald eagle,
as we did!
Park your car near the trailhead located at N39°19.682
W120°23.372. I would suggest that you follow the trail
all the way to the north shore of the lake before proceeding
to the cache which is hidden near the lake's southeast side. As you
get closer to the lake and into a meadow, the trail becomes sketchy
due in part to the snow in some areas. Some easy scrambling over
boulders will be required. Because of the creek crossing, I would
not consider this cache "kid friendly" unless you carry them
across, as we did with our dog Scoutin' Sam (he hates water).
Have fun, be safe and tread
lightly!
The cache is an ammo can containing:
- Light sticks
- Monocular
- Insect repellent
- Waterproof match container
- Ditty bag
- Space blanket
- Animal tracks pocket guide
- Playing cards
- Nalgene plastic bottle
