High Sierra Topix

In July 2018, I did a bit of a "lazy" backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness. My wife and I hiked 4 miles in from the Twin Lake trailhead and set up camp near Island Lake. The next day we went on a ~4 mile day hike to find a nice view of Lake Aloha. The 3rd day we hiked 4 miles back to the car. Hiking only 12 miles over three days allowed us a lot of time to enjoy the scenery and relax. It was really great. I'd advise anyone who hasn't done a low mileage trip to give it a shot!

The Twin Lakes area in Desolation was more beautiful than we expected. I'd recommend it for anyone who enjoys camping near alpine lakes. Here is a full report I wrote with all my pictures, maps, etc. https://backpackers-review.com/trip-rep ... win-lakes/

Here are a few of the pictures from the journey:

Hi jartelt! Your pictures are beautiful - all of them. I completely agree with you about enjoying the Sierra Nevada at a leisurely pace. It's joyful to be able to take as much time as needed to enjoy the scenery and the people you're with. Thanks for sharing this trip report.

I totally agree! I typically want to hike the longest loop possible to cover more ground... Sometimes it's nice to force yourself to slow down and just camp at the same spot for a couple nights. The bonus is that you can then explore on day hikes without carrying your full pack around!

Nice report! Desolation is a great area. The only drawback is the intense hiking pressure and quota system. Makes it hard to get to where you want to go sometimes.

Keep the beautiful photos coming!

1) How many Twin Lakes are there in the Sierra? I can count at least 4 off the top of my head.
2) This is still in the Sierra Nevada.
3) Everyone is a better photographer than me.
4) Nice trip report . I fully agree about slowing down when backpacking. I prefer camping & fishing when I'm carrying a heavy load.

1) We need more lake naming creativity!
2) I. Feel. Dumb. Yes, still the Sierra. When I posted I guess I was just thinking it wasn't in Stanislaus, Yosemite, or Sequoia-Kings Canyon so it is not the Sierra. Totally should have been smarter.
3) There is hope - smartphone cameras are getting better every year! These were all taken with my Pixel 2 phone. For me the key is take a bunch of photos throughout the hike and delete the many bad ones after the trip...
4) Thanks!