Wild places > Central Sierra: Regional Map

Night Potential Addition to the Emigrant Wilderness

Size: Approximately 7,887 acres

Managing agency: Stanislaus National Forest

Location: In Tuolumne County, south of Highway 108 in the rugged alpine terrain of Sonora Pass. From the Stanislaus National Forest boundary at the very crest of the Sierra Nevada, the Night potential addition stretches back to the west for nine miles, encompassing Night Cap Peak, the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River, and roughly 4,000 acres of the original Dome roadless area (RARE II).

Description: The Night area is an outstanding addition to the adjacent Emigrant Wilderness, given its steep granite mountainsides, avalanche chutes, high elevation forests, and picturesque scenery. Elevations range from 6,000 to 10,600 feet. Snowfall within the area is extremely heavy, creating snowfields that last well into summer—adding to the high mountain scenic beauty of this rocky, rugged area.

High elevation wildlife is abundant within the area. The Middle Fork Stanislaus river canyon, the public land section of Kennedy Meadows, and the north-facing slopes above Baker and Eureka Valley are especially high-quality habitat. The entire north-facing slope stretching from above Eureka Valley to Relief Reservoir is a maze of delicate waterfalls and cascading streamlets in the early summer season. The numerous streams plummeting down into Deadman Creek are also highly scenic and reveal the routes that winter avalanches follow as they thunder down the sheer slopes in natural events seldom seen by humans. Only the stick-like shambles of forests sliced through by the avalanches reveal the power and the drama of the unseen, but massive snowfalls.

For wilderness seekers heading into the Emigrant, a variety of trails cut through the Night area before cresting the ridgeline and dropping into the existing wilderness. The Blue Canyon trail is one of the most popular, but trails into Kennedy Lake, Relief Reservoir, and other destinations all meander through the Night area's granite or lava boulder-fields and outcrops.

The western half of the Night area was originally part of the Dome roadless area evaluated in RARE II. This western half contains especially rugged cliffs, fir forests, and prominent rock formations looming high over the Stanislaus River. Giant junipers, sage meadows, aspen groves, and lush stream drainages exist within these wilds. The large block of rocky, forested lands north of Haypress Lake, the Bennett Juniper, and Martins Cow Camp is important habitat for species avoiding human disturbance, such as wolverine and fisher (a rare carnivore in the mink family).

Despite the extensive conifer forests that stretch along the steep slopes of the upper portion of this area, almost all of that forest lies in terrain that makes it unsuitable for logging. The shallow, rocky soils of the area, combined with the long winter and short growing season, make this area's forest ideal for recreation and scenic beauty, but marginal for logging.

Wilderness designation would create minimal conflicts. There is very little grazing, there are no known active mining claims, and no approved off-road vehicle routes would be closed. Most of the terrain is steep and mountainous, except for the rocky ridges in the western half of area. Thus, the wildness of the area is naturally enhanced by the difficult terrain. Yet for those who reach the heights, the wilderness views into the existing Emigrant Wilderness or north into the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness are worth the effort.

For additional information, please contact:
California Wilderness Coalition
(510) 451-1450
info@calwild.org

Or:
John Buckley
Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center
Box 396
Twain Harte, CA 95383
Phone: (209) 586-7440
Email: cserc@sonnet.com
www.cserc.org