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Our first day we planned to do the trail from Tyee Lakes Trailhead to Sabrina Lake and then the road walk up to North Lake and then on to Lower Lamarck Lake. But we got caught in such a monsoon we ended up aborting and heading back down to Bishop at the end of Day 1 and taking a zero on Day 2 when it was still monsoonal in the mountains.
One thing that may be of interest to folks here is that we did some cross country to avoid the long flat exposed top of Table Mountain during a thunderstorm. The saddle between Tyee Lakes and George Lake is about 200 feet lower and it is also more or less continuously forested, so we felt a little safer dealing with the lightning risk.
Cross country traverse to Tyee-George Saddle
The beautiful last Tyee Lake below the saddle
George Lake from the saddle
Easy class 1/2 on the way down
The only problem we encountered was that the bog above George Lake was immediately adjacent to a very large boulder field. So our choice was swamp, willows, or boulders. And of course that was the peak of the downpour! It took us about an hour to get through that part (it felt like two!).... But on a good weather day it would probably have been trivial to deal with.
We took the high road
After that it was all trail down to Sabrina Lake and we hitched a ride from Sabrina campground back to Bishop.
Lessons learned from Day 1: I should get my wife an umbrella (like mine -- I hook it to my pack for hands-free movement and my clothes and pack were much less wet) and she should bring her rain pants next time!
On Day 3 we headed back, this time to the Bishop Pass Trailhead. We took the scenic route on the way up, past Bull Lake and the Chocolate Lakes, then up to Ruwau Lake.
Bull Lake
Following a steep faint use trail above the last Chocolate Lake
Down to Ruwau Lake
After that we did some cross country, heading to the east side of the Timberline Tarns.
Chocolate Peak from the ridge southwest of Ruwau Lake
Ruwau Lake from the south
Timberline Tarn from the ridge south of Ruwau
We then hopped back on the Bishop Pass Trail, passing the now-infamous "death zone" below the pass and then over into Dusy Basin where we camped at the precipice of a tarn just below the outlet of the large lake at around 11,350.
The Death Zone
Bishop Creek basin from the top of the switchbacks
The lake just below Bishop Pass and Mount Agassiz
Our tarn
Home sweet home!
In the afternoon we did a little cross country day hike through meadows down to the string of lakes below Knapsack Pass and then followed the Bishop Pass trail back up towards our campsite.
Lakes below Knapsack Pass
Mount Agassiz reflection
On Day 4 we did a cross country day hike over Thunderbolt Pass through Palisade Basin and back over Knapsack Pass. This was for me the absolute highlight of the trip!
Camp visitor
Spectacular shadows on Lake 11,400+
Thunderbolt Pass
The approach to the pass is all class 1/2 -- the main challenge is the large boulder field just below the pass.
The last bit takes time
Barrett Lakes and the Palisade Basin from Thunderbolt Pass
Coming down from Thunderbolt Pass was pretty easy, but it would have been easier if we had stayed out of the large boulders in the main stream. Try to stay to the granite benches just to the west of the low point.
Thunderbolt Pass from Palisade Basin
There were a nice series of benches at about 11,700 feet that we traversed to get over to the flat granite slabs on the ridge between the Barrett Lakes.
Barrett Lake 11523
Barrett Lake 11468
We then traversed to the base of Knapsack Pass at about 11,400 feet.
Meadows below Knapsack Pass
Knapsack Pass was very easy class 1/2 - just follow the grass. There's always an easy way from one bench up to the next.
A grassy bench
Almost there
Dusy Basin from Knapsack Pass
We had to drop all the way down to 11,200 feet before heading back up to the lakes in Dusy Basin where I swam in a delicious tarn.
Below Knapsack Pass
Delicious!
When we got back to camp we packed up and headed out. The 8 miles back to Bishop Pass trailhead were hot (and a little long) but straightforward. I can see now why this trail is so popular and why so many people love Dusy Basin!
