Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows, Day 4 & 5: Nydiver & Iceberg Lakes and hike out

Middle Nydiver Lake
Middle Nydiver Lake

On the morning of Day 4 we had a break from packing up camp. Instead we prepared for dayhiking to some of the other nearby lakes. With no rush, David decided to head back to Ediza to try for some breakfast fish, and sure enough, he came back with one for each of us. My own personal breakfast brookie mmmmm.

Our morning destination was Nydiver Lakes, another area that was possibly approachable by trail, but I wasn’t sure. It turns out that the trail was pretty easy to find, and we really needed it, too. The hike along the drainage of the lakes is steep, but the trail is nice enough to switchback up the steepest part, keeping us out of the thick bushes and jumbly rocks. Towards the top (when my GPS had us within 500 feet of the first lake), we found ourselves running out of trail in front of a wall of rock. The water coming out of the lake’s  drainage tumbled down the rock in a waterfall, so that wasn’t the approach. I knew it shouldn’t be that difficult, so I just started scrambling up towards the only direct possibility – a notch in the wall – feet slipping and sliding on the steep scree surrounding an old tailings pile.

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Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows, Day 3: Thousand Island Lake to Shadow Creek

Banner Peak reflecting in 1000 Island Lake
Banner Peak reflecting in 1000 Island Lake

We had an easy day ahead of us on Day 3, so we took our time packing up in the morning. Pavla went for a swim, I wandered around with my camera looking for wildflowers, and David fished a bit. I think we hit the trail around 10 am and headed south along the JMT towards Shadow Creek. When I went through here in 2007 I was flying and barely noticed how amazing this stretch is. Ruby lake is a stunning deep turquoise color, Garnet Lake has a million little things that make it unique and different, and the wildflowers were just popping.

Once at Shadow Creek we left the JMT and headed up the Lake Ediza trail. The plan was to find a campsite somewhere in the area and stay for two nights, dayhiking some of the less popular lakes in the area. We found a nice legal site just before Lake Ediza where we could have campfires (so we could cook any fish we caught!), and set up.

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Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows, Day 2: Donohue Pass to Thousand Island Lake

Climbing to Donohue Pass
Climbing to Donohue Pass

Donohue Pass is the first pass you have to climb when going the north to south direction along the JMT, so it has the reputation of being a tough one. I’ve gone over it a few times now and I have to say I disagree. It’s one of the most beautiful passes in the Sierra – gorgeous meadows with crystal clear glacier-fed lakes and streams, views of the craggiest peaks in Yosemite, and it even has fresh water for you right at the pass in the form of a tarn. The distraction of the scenery, while common on many passes, really keeps my mind off of the climb and a grin on my face the whole way.

Close to the pass, the trail can be difficult to follow due to the landscape. It’s solid granite up there and since it is a gradual slope, there is no obvious trail blasted out of the rock. David ended up missing the pass by about 500 feet, as did I. I was able to catch my error since I’d been up there before, but it was all new to him and he ended up completely missing the real pass and wandering down towards another lake. Pavla, of course, kept to the trail with no problem. After a bit of worry we met up with each other again and continued on towards Thousand Island Lake.

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John Muir Trail, 2007: Day 3 – Garnet Lake to Red’s Meadow

Banner/Ritter from Garnet
Banner/Ritter from Garnet

I was actually looking forward to an early morning wake-up call this day since I was eager to see sunrise over Mt Ritter and Banner Peak. I wasn’t disappointed as I sipped my coffee and sat on a boulder to watch the peaks glow orange as the sun rose. After nature’s morning entertainment I quickly packed up so that I could rejoin the rest of the group and form the plan for the day.

Andrea’s ankle was swollen and bruised so Mary (new trailname: Dr Bono) carefully taped it up so that she could make the hike to Red’s Meadow, 13-16 miles away (depending on the route chosen, heh). I was feeling good so it was determined that I would run ahead and secure a campsite and get things figured out at Red’s.

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