Over my years living in Reno, I've visited and hiked in the Mono Basin and in nearby Yosemite National Park many, many times. In fact, those adjacent areas were some of the first I explore after moving to Reno over fifteen years ago. One hike I've always wanted to do, but for whatever reason, just hadn't gotten around to was the loop hike around and and through Saddlebag Lake and the Twenty Lakes Basin. Technically, this hike is outside the national park, but with Yosemite just over one ridge to the west and the sheer amount of granite here, one would never know. With the summer coming to an end and a free weekend day to spare, I decided to finally knock this one off of my bucket list. My friend, Chris, who has been wanting to hike together, agreed to join me for this little adventure.
Leaving Reno about 6:45 and then picking Chris up in Carson City, we were well on our way by 7:40. It's only about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Reno, but we opted to stop for breakfast in Bridgeport. While the food was good, it was waaaaaayyyy overpriced. This isn't yelp and so, I won't name the establishment, but I think you'll agree that $4.99 for a single egg or $11.99 for an omelette with a single add-in seems a bit outrageous. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a nice sit-down breakfast before finishing the drive to the trailhead, though the occasional comment about the prices did resurface from time to time along the hike.
Turning off of US395 onto CA120 at Tioga Pass, and then following the highway along the edge of a deep valley for 15 or so miles, we finally reach the Saddlebag Lake turn-off and the trailhead just a few minutes later. Prior to the winter of 2016/2017, the lodge, located on the southern end of the lake, operated a ferry service from the south to the north end of the medium-sized lake and back, but with the record snow-falls from that winter and the associated damage to the facility, the ferry has been discontinued. And while the ferry is not necessary to complete the loop trail, it does offer a easy solution to what is the most uninteresting part of the hike. Saddlebag Lake sits in a bowl between two small peaks. There is little vegetation, geology, or anything else of much interest, but we'll just have to get in the extra miles today. It's no hardship.
Chris and I talk about our past adventures, politics, and whatever else comes up as we make our way around the western side of the lake. At one point, I notice that he is walking alongside the well-worn trail instead of on it and I politely ask him to return to the worn section. As a Leave No Trace trainer, I can't help myself, but to mention the damage caused by failing to "travel on durable surfaces", when I notice someone not doing it. I know he didn't mean any harm by it and when I bring it up, he quickly returns to the trail and thanks me for feeling comfortable enough to mention it. This, of course, stirs more discussion about protecting the environment, which is always the intention. Like me, Chris, is a great lover of the outdoors and wants to protect it for the generations to come.
Leaving Saddlebag Lake we reach a trail junction and decide that we have veered slightly off-course. We quickly correct ourselves just in time to see the second of the lakes along this trail, Greenstone Lake. From this point on, we encounter one lake after the next. Wasco and Steelhead are the next two. Chris spots a small waterfall on the southern end of Steelhead and we make our way over to it, scrambling over the granite to reach it. It's a nice little tiered waterfall with not much more than a trickle at this time of year, but it makes for some good pictures. Apparently, there are two drainages from this area. The water from Greenstone and Saddlebag Lakes flows south out of the basin and likely, while Steelhead and presumably, most of other lakes flow northeast into Lundy Canyon.
Returning to the main trail, we make our way around the eastern shore of Steelhead before deciding to stop for lunch at a nice shaded area overlooking the lake. While Chris polishes off an apple, I enjoy a cold quinoa salad I had made a few days ago. Though to the trail to this point has not been all that challenging, it's still nice to take a few minutes to relax and just absorb the magnificent beauty all around us. Across the length of the lake, a gorgeous valley comes opens up with North Peak as a backdrop. The majority of this hike is above 10,000 feet, but with both of us avid hikers, we barely notice.
Our break ends as it begins and we pack up and start back towards the main trail. We next come across Shamrock Lake with it's very interesting islands. The sides of some of the islands are like miniature cliffs and quite striking in some locations, as they rise more than vertically out of the water. Continuing on, we make our way around some granite outcroppings for some panoramic shots, before returning to the trail and hiking around Lake Helen. From Lake Helen, we must ascend a dry wash that is very steep and made up of scree. This is, by far, the most challenging section of this trail, but still very doable. When we reach the top, we begin to see Odell Lake, which I, at first, mistake for the northern end of Saddlebag, but the deep gorge running north out of the lake is a good clue of my mistake.
As we come across the shallow saddle that is Lundy Pass and walk by Hummingbird Lake, the north end of the larger Saddlebag Lake comes into view. From here, we simply follow the eastern shoreline back to the trailhead. In total, we hiked about 9.2 miles. The weather and conversation were great and I'm very glad Chris decided to join me for this adventure. After returning to the jeep, we each throw on more comfortable shoes, dry shirts, and are soon on our way home.
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