July 17: Saddlebag Lake (yes, again)

Day 4: Had to go back and find that Heather Blue. The skies are clear today so my hopes are high. I'm also planning to find Secret Lake; its around 11,000 ft but if off-trail -- I'm just not sure how obscure it is.

I get to the lake around 8am. Decide to take the water taxi today and I'm the only tourist on the boat (w/ 2 employees). One guy asks where I was going - Secret Lake - and he sat down and told me how to get there (and that the only real trail was to follow a stream up). He also told/showed me how to follow a ridge to get up to a crest from which I can peer down into Yosemite. Sounds pretty cool.

I get off the boat and I pretty much have the whole place to myself. North Peak (and the surrounding mts) look better in the sun -- and so do their reflections in the lakes.

Many more butterflies out today - go figure, its sunny out. But I head directly for the southern edge of Steelhead Lake. There's an official trail (probably made by fishermen) that veers off that heads to its southwest corner. I'm actually excited because there's a waterfall (small one) on the west side of the lake and I can finally (hopefully) get close to it. (I'm getting a sideview from this trail.)

The trail stops at some rocks. There are monkeyflower and white heather -- I'm looking for the Heather Blue but see nothing. Had to do some scrambling up the rocks and at the top was greeted by a wonderful view of Cascade Lake (and many other unnamed lakes/waterholes) and an awesome views of North Peak and the mountains.

I see a large grey ground squirrel??? with a long tail. He's sounding the alarm as I approach.

The reflections are just amazing back here.

It's very tricky moving around because its either a dead end into water, a cliff or higher rocks. So I'm up/down, backtracking, weaving all around. I finally find a way to a creek -- the creek that is the waterfall and I cross at the source of the creek.

I make my way down next to the waterfall. Much better up close than from across the lake.

Well, I decide that it may be a little too rugged for me to go Secret Lake. It's off trail and if I twist and ankle, I'm in a bit of a pickle.

So I continue down the west side of the lake and head up to a ridge (which I was on last year) that will take me above Steelhead Lake back to the actual loop trail where I will finish out the rest of the 5 mile loop.

I guess I should mention that the Saddlebag Lake hike also has plenty of lakes (along the loop, I'll pass Greenstone, Wasco, Potter, Cascade, Steelhead, Excelsior, Shamrock, Helen, Odell, and Hummingbird). The west side, in my opinion, is the prettiest with the mountain backdrop. The east side is drier and rockier.

Anyway, I'm back on the trail and heading toward Helen Lake (past Excelsior and Shamrock). This part of the trail is a bit more rugged as it crosses rockside areas, has a cliff you have to make your way down (tricky but at least there are some cairns this year to help -- unfortunately, there was a misplaced one that I followed and ended up at a steep drop-off -- helpless feeling cause I can see the trail below but I'm not getting there from where I'm at ....alive. But there's a couple coming up and they point me in the right direction.)

Even with the rockiness, there are patches of grass and flowers.

There's a bit of snow on part of the trail on the way down to Helen Lake but that's easily skirted. Helen lake is a bit strange (too me anyway) as it sits in a bowl -- coming from the west I have to go down to get to it but to get around it I have to climb a rocky/scree snow chute.

But the lake is beautiful and it still has views of North Peak.

Coming around the north side is tricky. I remember this from last year when there was people jammed up to get down a cliff and over the creek. No people this year -- only fishermen and they were down by the lake - but still tricky. I see the cairn and see only a steep cliff; I see a side trail and head down. There are rocks in the water that I could hop across but most a bit underwater (not the best option) and the way to the log (to cross the stream) had a rock wall/water in the way. So I went back up for another look --- I still see no easy way down. So back down I go, I find some small rocks just above the water that perhaps if I hug the rock wall I can make it around to the log. And it works!!! And I still have dry feet! I look up and now I see the way down -- it was to the right of the cairn not the left (oh well, store that away for another day).

The trail is now all rocky as it follows the lake down the east side. There are white columbine along the way. I meet one of the fishermen --- he's with his buddies who were now all around the lake. Said they were at the Conness Lakes below the Conness Glacier the other day and recommended it to me -- still part of the Saddlebag Lake area. Maybe next year.

I continue to the snow chute to get my way up and out of here. There's more snow off the trail as I start up the chute and there's a big glob of snow in the chute (thankfully off the trail).

There's Rockslide Checkerspots in here! And there's water running down next to the trail (I don't remember that last year).

When I get past the snow, it gets a little grassier/flowery around the creek and I see a Parnassian and its landed on monkeyflower. Super-zoom time as I'm not heading back down. I find out later that this is a Sierra Nevada Parnassian -- and as per its name, only flies in the Sierra Nevada Mts above the treeline (lifer!!) [This bfly has white/black banded antenna where the Clodius which flies in the same region has black antenna.]

I finally make my way totally out the Helen Lake bowl.

And am heading to Odell Lake (the east side). I find another batch of white heather and I see a blue. But it flying and when it lands on a flower, the wind (its very windy) blows the flower around so its next to impossible to get a good look. I see what looks like a little rock on a bigger rock - it may be a bfly. But for some reason, instead of using my camera to take a look, I try to get closer -- and of course it flies :(

So I wait for one to land, and wait. Finally, one lands on the heather -- it has to be a Heather Blue!!!!
Success!! (Lifer!)

As I continue around Odell Lake, it seems that the trail ends at a scramble up a steep (but short - 10ft) screen slope. I don't remember this and really don't want to climb up that especially since I'm already walking on a 3ft ledge. But its looks like the only way up so up I go. But the trail wasn't there. I look around and the trail is 20ft ahead of me -- it never ended, I just couldn't see it from trail below.

I find some shade above Odell Lake for a quick lunch.

Once I get around Odell, it opens up, less rocks but dry. There are lots of blues and Sierra Sulphers flying in the few wetter areas. (Actually have seen a lot of Sierra Sulphers today -- I think I saw 2 last year - probably 30+ today.)

Its still early so I go and try and find the white heather off the trail from Monday. Never found it. But did see Sierra Blues (yes, endemic to the Sierras)

Take the boat back across the lake and stop at the Saddlebag Resort for some of their famous pie (which I did have last year) -- Cherry today. Oh the joys of hiking, you can eat all this fine dessert!