Illustrated Pelican Canyon Climb to Fishlake Hightop

A picture (or two) are worth a thousand missteps

The purpose of this short report is simply to present updated pictures of key points along the Pelican Canyon route to the summit of Fishlake Hightop. I hiked this trail on August 27, 2009.

At the northwest end of Fishlake you will see the following sign. Turn left and take the less-than-friendly ruts posing as a road up to Pelican Overlook.

At Pelican Overlook enjoy the view of Fishlake. This point is impossible to miss. On the lake side of the parking area are the following two objects.

On the west edge of the parking area you see the next sign and look up at the forested and wide Pelican Canyon. Sagebrush dominates the foreground while aspens and evergreens fill the canyon.

After 100-150 yards you see this sign. Take the left trail.

One half mile along the pleasant walk through mostly aspens this sign is on your left. Continue westward.















At about the 2-mile point these two signs have been set solidly. A small meadow is to the northwest, and after proceeding to the right and as you are standing next to a cairn, you can glance 90 degrees to your left and see a small pond surrounded by lush vegetation.














The trail is easy to follow by either a well-worn set of tracks or by cairns. Once on the first plateau, you see this view looking northwest. As you cross the plateau heading generally for the north end of the long rocky rise, occasional cairns will help point the way.

Here are pictures of a forest service sign/message board which includes a rough map of your location and Fishlake Hightop summit.

I climbed up the northeast end of the highest boulder outcropping and found myself reaching the summit adjacent to the biggest boys there including the actual "summit boulder."

I hope these pictures help the first-timer reach the summit of a very interesting county highpoint. It took me less than two hours to reach the summit from Pelican Point and less than one hour twenty minutes to get back to my waiting vehicle. I am a fairly aggressive hiker, so make appropriate adjustments to those times. It was very dry the day I accomplished this hike and the wind was not a factor.

Images

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