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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Saddlebag Lake CA loop Hike

Map picture

As a hiker and a water lover I mostly chose hikes related to water ,lakes,waterfalls,rivers and cascades also count,today my choice was The Saddlebag Lake Loop,trail head just before the East Yosemite entrance on Hwy 120, and related to water it was,8 lakes,glacier,waterfall and cascades all in a 5 mile fantastic hike.

Simply known as "The Loop Trail," Saddlebag Loop Trail" is probably the easiest loop trail I have seen in the Sierras. Although it has a respectable six mile length, the amount of the elevation gain and loss does not exceed a few hundred feet. This trail attracts nature lovers of all ages from small children to folks well into their retirement. The views of North Peak and Mount Conness dominate the entire hike. You also pass by Excelsior Mountain and Saddlebag Crest. The elevation of the loop stays at over 10,000 feet for its entire length and passes by several high altitude lakes and streams.

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The trailhead for the loop trail starts on the opposite side of Saddlebag Lake from the parking lot. You have the option to walk around the lake to get to the trailhead. This walk is tedious and not very interesting. The second way and much more fun is to take the water taxi that operates from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. From the water taxi dock you will see two trailheads.

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We started with our light coats on by very soon there were hanging on our back bags.

The trail was very moderate except some rough parts needed to take to see Lundy Canyon and Falls.

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All along the trail we experienced stunning vistas that took our breath away , I must have been repeating myself since started to hike the Sierra Nevada but this loop sure goes into my 3 best ones- it is a WOW hike.

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These are some “samples” from the views we saw on this trail,it was difficult to chose which photo to post from the 75 shots I took but I am sure you got the idea, some time in one glance we could see a glacier,lake,falls,mountain and green trees…I had to stand for 10 minutes only to take this all in.

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Seeing this picture (down) I saw in my imagination a pirate boat sailing silently into the lake and expected Johnny Deff to pup out of it , I suppose I was day dreaming from the fresh air,the atmosphere and the OUTSTANDING nature.

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I have no idea how to chose my next hike, it seems that it would be difficult to top this one.

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Our traditional picnic on the beach with Ruth and Rod was a perfect way to end this great day.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

B E A U T I F U L. Seems like you left alone on the planet.

Danny &Shula Oren said...

Hi Sara, yes this is one of the amazing things we see all over the place when we hike,we are almost all alone....it is not like in our small country that is crowded,here there is so much space that you do not feel crowded even on holidays-WE LOVE IT