Trip: Tyee Lakes

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Trip: Tyee Lakes

The Tyee Lakes are a beautiful string of lakes climbing the sierras just outside of Bishop, CA leading towards the top of Table Mountain.  As you climb higher into the sierras the lakes become more pristine and the fish are more plentiful.  I recommend three days for this trip, especially if you wish to explore the large plateau of Table Mountain.  For the dayhikers, it is possible to see all the lakes in one day, but doing so will not allow the time to truly appreciate them.

How to Get there: Located just outside Bishop, CA off of South Lake Road, the Tyee Lakes Trailhead has parking alongside Bishop Creek.  Cross the footbridge across Bishop Creek to start onto the trail and head up towards the first of the Tyee Lakes.

The Climb: The climb to the first and second Tyee Lakes is relatively quick and easy.  While you might not need it, taking a break at the first Tyee Lake offers some beautiful views.  Be careful, the first Tyee Lake has been known to be quite buggy at times.  Traveling from the second Tyee Lake on becomes more of a climb with a number of switchbacks and steep ascents.  The path is clearly defined along the way as hikers are pretty common in this area.  The trail does not pass close to the third Tyee Lake, but the view from the top of Table Mountain allows you too see it.  Once you reach the 4th Tyee Lake you have done the majority of the climbing.  A quick route around the lake takes you to the inlet/outlet connection to the 5th Tyee Lake.  Follow the path up the 5th Tyee.  About 100 yards from your first view of Tyee Lakes the path with lead you straight through the best camping in this area.  Ample tree cover blocks wind and there is enough distance from the water to help limit any bugs that might be present.  The camping area is very noticeable.  The path to the 6th lake requires some boulder hopping and can be seen by looking directly across the 5th Tyee Lake from the outlet of the lake to the 4th Lake.

Things to Do: Aside from exploring the area and all the lakes, both the 5th and 6th Tyee Lakes provide amazing fishing opportunities, especially for Rainbow Trout.  Be sure you are properly licensed and the season is open before fishing.  Special regulations may apply to this area.   Another "must do" is the day-hike to the top of, and around, Table Mountain.  This large plateau offers spectacular views of the valley, Tyee Lakes, George Lake, and Lake Sabrina.  The climb to this top is short from the 5th Lake and traveling around the perimeter of the plateau, while long, is relatively flat.

Route Options: Many hikers follow the Tyee Lakes trail to the top of Table Mountain and then down to Lake George and Lake Sabrina.  This is a short, but fun through hike that requires transportation arrangements.  There also exists an "off trail" route that follows a ridge from the top of the plateau down to the campground off South Lake Road.  None of our authors have followed this trail (yet), but it was highly recommended by others if you have good navigational skills.  Do not attempt this route unless you are very experienced with, and knowledgeable about off trail navigation.

Distances: Trailhead to 5th Lake: 4 Miles 5th Lake around Table Mountain (as shown): 8 Miles

Length: This makes for an excellent, relaxing 3 day trip.  Can be done in 1 or 2 days, but 3 days allows you to really enjoy everything the Tyee Lakes has to offer.

Permits: Permits are required and can be obtained through the Inyo National Forest ranger district.

This article can also be seen by visiting: http://www.peakpassages.com/tripideas/trip-tyee-lakes/

Trip: Dry Lake in the San Gorgonio Wilderness

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Trip: Dry Lake in the San Gorgonio Wilderness

The trip to Dry Lake via the South Fork Trail in the San Gorgonio Wilderness is a quick and fun overnight or single day hike.  Even during the cold winter months, this quick hike is doable in a single day including travel time to the trailhead from most of the Southern California area.  During the summer, you can easily summit Mt. San Gorgonio at 11,502 feet in a long day or easy overnight trip.

How to Get There:
The South Fork Trailhead is located off of Highway 38 on Jenk's Lake Road.  There are multiple trailheads off this road so be sure you are at the right one!  The easiest way our authors use is this:  If you are traveling up Highway 38 from Redlands, CA you need to turn right at the second intersection of Highway 38 and Jenks Lake Road.  Follow Jenk's Lake Road and the first trailhead parking area on the Right will be the South Fork Trailhead.

The Climb:The hike to Dry Lake is considered a moderate hike as there is about 2000 feet of elevation gain on the way from the South Fork Trailhead.  Fortunately, long switchbacks in the steepest areas allow you to more easily scale these elevation gains.  Starting from the trailhead your first major milestone is Horse Meadows at about mile 1.  This picturesque meadow allows a nice stop to take a quick break and there are a couple picnic benches as well as some general information posted by the rangers.  From here, the next stop is "Poop-Out Hill" which marks the boundary into the wilderness where permits are required.  If you elect to poop out here, you can follow a slightly different path around poopout hill and back towards your original trail.  Our authors have not taken this trail so we cannot advise on its exact path.  From poopout hill you start a more gradual climb towards Dry Lake.  Intersections with other trails are clearly marked. This section is more uphill than the earlier section of the hikes, featuring both "S" shaped switchbacks and long, sharp switchbacks.  The last mile before Dry Lake follows a small valley defined by the outlet of Dry Lake (when there is water).  As the trail opens up at Dry Lake you are given spectacular views of the surrounding peaks, including the popular Mt. San Gorgonio.  Follow the trail to the left around the edge of Dry Lake and you will come across a sign designating the camping areas.  The camping at Dry Lake is a relatively small area while the Lodgepole Springs camping area is much larger.

Water:
Depending on rainfall and snowfall in a given year water can be relatively scarce or abundant in the area.  Lodgepole Springs provides some of the most consistent water at any given time, while Dry Lake is frequently dry.  As you can see from the pictures, there are a number of creek crossings along the route; however, these are a number of miles from the camping areas near Dry Lake.  You can view many water source conditions in the San Gorgonio Wilderness here.

Things to Do:
The most common activity in this area is peak bagging, including Mt. San Gorgonio.  There are numerous routes to this, and all the peaks, please consult your trail map regarding these various routes.  For recommendations, we recommend Hikin' Jim's Blog.

Route Options:
The San Gorgonio Wilderness is crisscrossed by trails meaning you can reach Dry Lake, Dollar Lake, Mt. San Gorgonio and a multitude of other peaks via numerous trailheads.  We recommend Hikin' Jim's List of Loops for a variety of ways to explore the San Gorgonio Wilderness.  Look for another featured trip showcasing the "Grand Tour Loop" coming soon to Peak Passages.

Distances:
South Fork Trailhead to Dry Lake is about 6 Miles

Length:
This trip makes a great overnight trip with a summit of Mt. San Gorgonio

Permits:
Permits are required.  During peak season the more popular trailheads such as South Fork Trail can be difficult to get permits. Permits can be reserved and picked up from the Mill Creek Ranger Station.  The ranger station can fax you your permits.  A Forest Adventure Pass is also required to park.  Day Passes or Annual Passes can be purchased from a number of vendors.

You can also view this post at Peak Passages by visiting:  http://www.peakpassages.com/tripideas/trip-dry-lake-in-the-san-gorgonio-wilderness/