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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.

Tuesday  9/29  Sunny, with a high near 52. Breezy, with a north northeast wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
 
Tuesday Night 9/29  Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a north wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
 
Wednesday 9/30  Sunny, with a high near 59. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
 
Wednesday Night 9/30  Mostly clear, with a low around 40. West northwest wind around 5 mph.
 
Thursday 10/1  Sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.
 
Thursday Night 10/1  Mostly clear, with a low around 42. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
 
Friday 10/2  Sunny, with a high near 60. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
 
Friday Night 10/2  Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
 
Saturday 10/3  Sunny, with a high near 59. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.
 
Saturday Night 10/3  Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. West northwest wind around 5 mph.
 
Sunday 10/4  Sunny, with a high near 57. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.
 
Sunday Night 10/4  Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West wind around 5 mph.
 
Monday 10/5  Sunny, with a high near 55. West wind around 5 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.

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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