20 Lakes Basin

10/19/08
That was it for Yosemite Valley for me for a while. I didn’t want this beautiful Indian Summer compromised by fire smoke, so I headed back up to the high county where I would gladly take cold nights for clear days. Thick clouds and snow flurries greeted me along Tioga Road, but the ranger at the Tioga Pass kiosk wasn’t concerned with road closures. I took a spot at Lake Ellery, where the host said the day’s weather was a blip on an otherwise fine forecast. So I sat in the sun in some light snowflakes, and it was lovely.

Sunday was an excellent hike out of Saddlebag Lake into a very beautiful area called 20 Lakes Basin. Not sure what delineates the basin; I didn’t see 20 lakes, but I saw a lot. The map says I saw nine, not counting Saddlebag: Greenstone, Wasco, Cascade, Steelhead, Shamrock, Twin, Odell, Hummingbird, and Helen. I had no idea which was which; I wasn’t counting or naming, or following any kind of trail. I just sauntered, meandered, scrambled, climbed, and hopped about, chasing the next surprise. It would have been among the very top hikes of my trip if it had really been a hike at all. Call it a short hike, and call it a great one.

As always, circumstances are determinate. The morning was quite cold but spectacularly clear. The meadows were frosted and the peaks had a couple inches of new snow, adding a glow to the rocks, which had their own glow already. The sun was warming things up just enough, lighting up as lovely a scene as there is, to my tastes.

I ended up at the top of Lundy Canyon looking up at some fine colored spires and down Lundy Canyon. Threatening clouds at midday made me wary, especially as I was off trail and not sure exactly where I was. I wasn’t lost by a long shot. I was in a small basin. I just wasn’t sure where I was in relation to my car, how far or which would be the best way back, given all the little lakes between me and it. I couldn’t have traced my way back the way I came even if I wanted to. I had seen two guys first thing in the morning - a couple of ostensible fishermen sitting on a rock admiring the view - and hadn‘t seen another person all day. But now I heard voices in the distance, seemingly coming closer, when I finally spotted them coming my way I waited and asked them - another two fisher guys - what was the best way back to the trailhead and they pointed out a very quick and easy straight shoot. A relief. I was back to my car at 2:40.