Rivets, Sean 2006 Journal "Fourth of July Chutes", Ellis Peak area, Eldorado National Forest, Placer Co. and Conness Lakes, Inyo National Forest, Mono Co., CA Aug.12 Yesterday, I hiked out from Smith Lake and drove to the Echo Lakes trailhead. I hiked to the southeast end of Lake Aloha along the PCT. The west side of the lake looked like it had some seep habitat below large patches of snow, but I didn't have time to hike all the way there. I hiked out since I couldn't see any nearby habitat to search, and camped at the Cascade Falls trailhead. This morning I met Will Richardson and Chris Seiger, grad students at the University of Nevada, Reno. Will had discovered a new population of H. platycephalus at a place called "Fourth of July Chutes" near Ellis Peak in mid-July. We drove up Barker Pass Rd. and parked in a turnout at a trailhead near the top. We then walked up the trail, which goes from the road to Ellis Peak, until we reached a switchback near the top. We continued south off the trail from here, putting us on the talus slope just below the top of the ridge on the east side. We walked ~100m to the base of the cliff below the ridge, where Will saw the first salamanders last time (39.06666°N, 120.22490°W [WGS84, 9m acc.], 2473m elev.). This spot had no snow, so we walked S and turned rocks around a small patch of snow but found nothing. We continued south to a large patch of melting snow beneath larger cliffs. We turned rocks on the talus slope next to the snow and found 2 juvenile and 2 adult H. platycephalus. All were under stones or moist soil from the melting snow, and 1 adult was under some of the abundant Griera primrose on the slope. I collected both adults (5MR146+147: 39.06560°N, 120.22768°W [WGS84, 5m acc.], 2484m elev.).