Tioga Pass suggestions!

[Fran]

Would like to try a few day hikes in an area I've not explored. With a base in Lee Vining, can anyone suggested some gentle treks of 6-8 miles round trip, preferably with scenic water features and flowers?

[maverick]

Hi Fran,

Would recommend Gaylor Lakes and Granite Lakes from Tioga Pass trail starts right inside the park at the ranger station. Conness Lakes in the Hall Natural Area are very scenic, as are the lakes in 20 Lakes Basin from Saddlebag Lake area.
http://www.hikingwalking.com/destinatio ... sin_detail
http://www.yosemitehikes.com/tioga-road ... lake-4.htm

[balzaccom]

That's my favorite hike near Tioga Pass, too, Mav. But she also asked for something not too strenuous...and the first mile of the trial to Gaylor Lakes goes straight up.

I'd suggest Dog Lake, Pothole Dome, Elizabeth Lake...and the hike up Lyell Canyon as being easier, if not more scenic hikes!

We have logs on them all on our website...

[SSSdave]

Immediately one very popular classic trail came to mind.

See this web page, read the information, look at the Images page and print out the topo map image.

http://www.summitpost.org/saddlebag-lak ... ail/645638

Save 2 miles of boring hiking by taking the taxi boat across the mile plus long reservoir. That leaves about 6 miles on the loop although I'll recommend dispensing with the loop and just hiking the western section. Leaving early morning best to hike clockwise as Conness and North Peak are then in best light. The more interesting features and wildflowers are also on that west section of trail as the eastern side is mostly rocky rusty metasedimentary geology with not much soil for plants. The Wasco Lake area is particularly scenic early morning. A spur trail leads up to the Cascade Lake area and that is where most backpackers camp at. Lots of beautiful turfy mossy meadows full of wildflowers.

Rainfall maps show in this otherwise droughty year, that area has received more precipitation (mostly thunderstorms) than any other in the Sierra over the past couple months. So ought to be nicely green. Much of the "trail" is actually old mining roads.

David