Hence the lack of blogging...I'm trying to catch up now.
First, let me introduce my parents:
Sorry guys, I know you like anonymity, but I don't actually know if anyone other than you guys read this, so I think you're safe. My parents live in Montana where I grew up. They were the ones who taught me to love and appreciate mountains in the first place, so it's really fun when they come visit me in the Sierras. The mountains here are just a little bit more of everything than the mountains in Montana: a little steeper, a little more rugged, a little (well, actually a lot) higher. My parents are currently in training for a pretty epic 14-day trek through the Alps for their 35th anniversary (!!!) so it was great for them to come to the Sierra's and get some practice hiking steep mountains at higher elevation.
Our first hike took us up Lundy Canyon, over the crest, through the Twenty Lakes Basin and out at Saddlebag Lake. This hike is incredible diverse and satisfying, though there is one section that is a little treacherous. Because of this, I would probably only take this hike from Lundy to Saddlebag, not the other direction.
Lundy Canyon is one of the jewels of our area. It's steep walls are vibrantly colored with different kinds of rock interspersed here and there with aspen groves, white bark pine stands, occasional juniper trees and lush meadows full of gorgeous wildflowers. This year we've had mariposa lilies, sierra lilies, larkspur, indian paintbrush, mountain pride and many many more. There is an active colony of beavers that are constantly recreating the landscape, damming Mill Creek in different places to create new ponds, moving their lodges from one area to another, and generally re-engineering the place so that it seems like it's never the same from day to day.
Busy beaver hard at work
This hike starts at the Lundy Canyon trailhead and the first three miles follow Mill Creek up the canyon. The climbing is generally pretty gentle with a few steeper pushes that are well masked by the beautiful scenery alongside the trail - a waterfall, a gorgeous beaver pond, some really neat geology, etc. After about 2.5 miles, you reach a long, cascading waterfall that marks the end of the canyon. From here, the only way to go is up. A beautiful waterfall descends from the southwestern edge of the canyon and the trail switchbacks up alongside it for awhile before it's lost in a slope of scree that, according to summitpost.com "has not yet reached its angle of repose." That is the most apt description I can think of. You fight your way up in a two steps forward, one and a half steps back manner that is both tiring and frustrating. It also has the potential to be dangerous to any hikers below you so it's important that you keep an eye out for sliding rock.
The steepest scree slope of all time (not really, but it felt like it)
Once you reach the top, the view is incredible. You've crested in the Twenty Lakes basin, a gorgeous basin surrounded by huge, jagged mountains whose names I do not know. Lake Helen is the first lake you pass, and its sparkling cobalt waters look so inviting! We didn't have time to swim, but I can only imagine how cold the water was.
Lake Helen with some beautiful mountains in the background
The rest of this hike is very mellow. You climb up and over a saddle and through the lakes basin passing by a few more lakes on the way to Saddlebag. Once you reach Saddlebag you have the option of taking the water taxi across the lake and to the parking lot, or you can walk around either side of the lake. We chose to walk along the east side because the trail on the west side was still partially covered in snow, but the east side trail is probably about 3/4 mile longer (though you can't tell at the start).
This hike is really beautiful. I definitely recommend doing it and even considering camping overnight in the Twenty Lakes Basin. The only downside to this hike is the shuttle. One car is left at the Saddlebag Lake parking area, most of the way up Tioga Pass. This drive is beautiful but it's slow moving and if you're lucky enough to catch it during road construction (which my parents and I did) it takes FOREVER. At least it felt like it. The other car is left at the Lundy Canyon trailhead, about 7 miles north of town on 395 and then 7 more miles up the Lundy Canyon road. It takes almost an hour each direction. However, all that aside, this hike is definitely worth taking!
