

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 3/24 Sunny and cold, with a high near 18. Wind chill values as low as -14. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. |
Friday Night 3/24 Mostly cloudy, with a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -7. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. |
Saturday 3/25 A 20 percent chance of snow after 9am. Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -3. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. |
Saturday Night 3/25 A 20 percent chance of snow before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around -2. Wind chill values as low as -18. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. |
Sunday 3/26 Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 17. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. |
Sunday Night 3/26 Partly cloudy, with a low around 2. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. |
Monday 3/27 Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 21. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. |
Monday Night 3/27 A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. |
Tuesday 3/28 Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 18. Windy, with a southwest wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. |
Tuesday Night 3/28 Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 8. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. |
Wednesday 3/29 Snow. High near 16. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. |
Wednesday Night 3/29 A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 4. West northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. |
Thursday 3/30 A 50 percent chance of snow. Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 18. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. |

Photo shows North Side of River Trail
Psalm 8:3-9When 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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