Sword Lake — Hiking and Camping in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness through Calipidder’s Eyes

by John Soares on July 22, 2010

I love the Calipidder blog. Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd, the woman who writes it, paints vivid descriptions with her words, and she backs it all up with dozens of beautiful photos.

Calipidder specializes in exploring the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada, hiking the trails, swimming the lakes, and finding excellent campsites. If you haven’t already, subscribe to her blog and follow her adventures.

I was particularly captivated by her recent post about her hike to Sword Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness:

I had originally planned to spend the afternoon exploring the area and possibly heading down to Spicer Reservoir to fish, but my plans were quickly squashed when I sighted our private ‘beach’. On the shore of Sword Lake, just below our campsite, there was the most wonderful little spot where the granite sloped gently into the water, providing a perfect place to lounge around and have easy access to the water. Just next to this ramp was a nice cliff with enough height to allow for some fun jumping into the deep cool water.

Swimming in Sword Lake. (Photo courtesy of Calipidder)

I just love this photo:

Sword Lake. (Photo courtesy of Calipidder)

Rebecca has a link to bunch of other Sword Lake photos in her post.

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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

Gambolin' Man July 22, 2010 at 3:37 pm

Thanks for profiling Calipidder, John! I love her blog, too! She really keeps it up and gets out there more than most of us, and it’s always a pleasure when she shares her adventures so we can vicariously join in wherever they take her!
Gambolin’ Man recently posted ..GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA- Pedal Powerin Across the Golden Gate Bridge- from Berkeley to San Francisco to the Marin Headlands and Back

John Soares July 22, 2010 at 4:57 pm Twitter: @TheJohnSoares: I really appreciate her pics. She has great flower shots of her trip to Sword Lake.

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Rebecca July 22, 2010 at 5:09 pm

Aw thanks guys! I’m out the door for another adventure – the second best thing to getting out there is coming back and reliving it through photos and blogging!
Rebecca recently posted ..Backpacking for Beer Snobs

John Soares July 22, 2010 at 5:19 pm Twitter: @TheJohnSoares: Have fun Rebecca. We look forward to your next post.

Don’t forget to charge your camera battery!

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Eric July 24, 2010 at 7:31 am

Thanks for the intro! I just commented on her beer snob post and followed her. Look forward to reading her more.
Eric recently posted ..Keeping Kids Safe in the Summer Heat

John Soares July 24, 2010 at 7:40 am Twitter: @TheJohnSoares: Eric, I’m glad I could introduce you to Calipidder!

I just checked out your blog and I like it a lot. I left a comment and put you in my feed reader.

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Maribelle September 10, 2010 at 10:21 pm

Oh! This is so amazing. I never been to Sword Lake but you made it sound so great. I am jealous of you swimming in the lake. I hope one I can go camp and visit the place one time and experience the wonders of the lake.
Maribelle recently posted ..Use A Tarp To Block Your Tent

James September 23, 2010 at 12:25 pm

I love those photos. The outdoors has so much beauty to offer if we just stop and look around.
James recently posted ..DRY PAK Waterproof Large Duffel Bag

Scott April 2, 2011 at 3:06 am

Awesome awesome pictures. Will have to add Sword Lake to our list of places to visit. We visited Lake Louise near Banff many years ago and that was a beautiful place as well.