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THE ANSEL ADAMS WILDERNESS spans an area of 231,533 acres. Elevations within the wilderness range from 3,500 ft at Hells Half Acre along the Middle Fork San Joaquin River, to 13,157ft at the summit of Mt. Ritter. It is arguably some of the most beautiful landscape to be found anywhere in the world.

The wilderness was renamed from the Minarets Wilderness to honour the famous landscape photographer and environmentalist by the 1984 California Wilderness Act. The 1984 law also more than doubled the size of the Minarets Wilderness, extending it south from its original southern boundary in the vicinity of Hemlock Crossing and Devils Postpile all the way to its current extent near Lake Thomas Edison.

Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak along with the Minarets are awe inspiring for climbers and outdoors men of all types. John Muir considered the alpine beauty in this area to be unsurpassed by any other terrain in all the range. He also considered Ediza Lake to be the most beautiful of all the multitudes of lakes in the Sierra.

The below report is at the 10,591 ft level. It will give you a good idea of the weather conditions at camping spots such as Thousand Island Lake, Garnet Lake, and Ediza Lake.

Friday  7/26  Sunny, with a high near 59. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
 
Friday Night 7/26  Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
 
Saturday 7/27  Sunny, with a high near 52. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
 
Saturday Night 7/27  Mostly clear, with a low around 37. West southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
 
Sunday 7/28  Sunny, with a high near 55. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 
Sunday Night 7/28  Mostly clear, with a low around 38. West southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 
Monday 7/29  Sunny, with a high near 56. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 
Monday Night 7/29  Mostly clear, with a low around 37. West southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 
Tuesday 7/30  Sunny, with a high near 58. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 
Tuesday Night 7/30  Mostly clear, with a low around 41. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
 
Wednesday 7/31  Sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
 
Wednesday Night 7/31  Mostly clear, with a low around 44. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
 
Thursday 8/1  Sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Above Weather Report Powered by the National Weather Service

Shasta Lake Helen

Photo shows North Side of River Trail

Psalm 8:3-9
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!


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