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Sierra Nevada Bear Boxes
Details for SC05

Updated 21 Jun 2008, see revision history for details.
CORRECTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED! contact Steve Eckert.
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For bear box data, including maps and location instructions, you can jump to:
  • the main Bear Box Page or a clickable Bear Boxes Map
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    Bear box 'SC05'
    (Ranger Lake East)

    Detail Map: (scroll down for directions, waypoints, and area map)

    1. SC05 is a standard box, at about 9200 feet, in the Silliman Crest region.

    2. Note: The main trail does not go to Ranger Lake, nor can you see Ranger Lake from the junction. There is a side trail which takes you (0.1 mile) up a slight rise (50' elevation) from the main trail to a sign with a somewhat inaccurate map showing the location of the two Ranger Lake bear boxes. The sign is to the right (east) of the lake outlet. The drawing on the sign is rotated slightly, making the northwest corner of the lake appear to be the north end, and the box on the 'east' shore (which is really northeast) is shown too far south. Don't be fooled!

      NOTE: The report from Bob Gross has this box SE of the lake, but that's probably wrong, based on the misleading rotated map provided on the sign by the lake, which shows the east-northeast shore facing southeast if you don't notice the north arrow on the map.

    3. Directions from Steve Eckert, with GPS waypoint, June 2002:
      One box on the east-northeast shore of the lake. The box is about 50' from the lake, in a slabby clearing with lots of large newly fallen trees, a third of the way from the northern end of this straight shoreline. It is directly across the lake from a the only bare slope where boulders and perhaps avalanches come right down to lake level - unique because most of the lake is surrounded by tall trees.

    4. Directions from Bob Gross, Dec 1999:
      The southeast corner of the lake, about 20 feet from shore. One standard NPS box at NAD83/36.665,118.69417. This is about 0.07 mi south of the location the ranger describes, and closer to shore... it may be a third box??

    5. Directions from Hal Murray, Sep 1999:
      There is a sign and map showing how to find them, either at the main trail where the spur to Ranger Lake takes off or closer to the lake. The ranger description is good. (I won't promise the distance is right-on but they are close enough.) We had no problems finding the boxes but we did arrive in daylight.

    6. Directions from Mineral King ranger info sheet, dated 1991:
      One box on the east side of Ranger Lake, mid-lake and about 75 yards from shoreline.

    7. Find waypoint SC05 in region waypoints or all waypoints file.
      (NAD83 decimal degrees or NAD27 UTM data suitable for TOPO! software or Waypoint+ software)
        (lat,lon) = (36.6662500, -118.6946900) in decimal degrees, NAD83.
  (zone,east,north) = (11S, 348628.0, 4058991.0) in decimal meters, NAD27.
    8. Previous box is SC04: Twin Lakes East.

    9. Next box is SC06: Ranger Lake NorthWest.

    10. Scroll down for a regional map of the entire Silliman Crest region.

    11. Use Google Maps or Google Earth to view this region overlaid with roads and trails on satellite images or maps.
      (Click on any icon to get details in a popup, double-left-click to zoom in, double-right-click to zoom out.)


    Map exported from TOPO! software, used with permission.