Next weekend I start the John Muir Trail. As part of my preparation for the hike I wanted to spend the previous weekend at altitude, but not overdo myself as far as physical exertion. The result was a weekend of car camping at Sawmill walk-in campground to the east of Tioga pass and three stunning dayhikes in the Tioga/Tuolumne region.
On Saturday we arrived around noon and set up our campsite. After claiming our spot we headed down the road to Saddlebag Lake where we hiked a ~8 mile loop through a beautiful basin – obviously named 20 Lakes Basin for a reason. Following a delicious dinner at Tioga Pass Resort we settled in for the night at Sawmill, watching the nearly full moon rise over the Dana Crest.
On Sunday we dayhiked up to Gaylor Lake (the trailhead right by the Tioga Pass entrance station) and kept going to the Great Sierra Mine ruins. Back at the car before noon, we drove down to the May Lake trailhead and bagged Mt Hoffmann. We were out of the park by 6:30 and even had time to grab a yummy bite at the 50’s Roadhouse in Knight’s Ferry.
