Gary-Summer: August 1, 2019

Thursday, August 1, 2019

August 1, 2019 - George Lake

Title: August 1, 2019 - George Lake
Hike Info : Description : Menu : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Badger Flat/Potter Pass Trailhead/Twin Lakes Trailhead

Hike Info:

Type: Backpacking

Trail: 7s32 California Riding Trail to 24e03 Twin Lakes Trail Loop 26e31 from Twin Lakes to George Lake

Destination: George Lake

Distance: 4.76 miles ¹

Start Time: 12:50

End Time: 6:15

Elevation Rise: 1,322'

Maximum Elevation: 9,101'

¹Aaagh! For the second backpacking trip in a row, I forgot my GPS. The information on length and elevation is taken from a trip we made on August 19, 2014. The map and elevation is from the 2014 trip

Description:

Got up a little after 6:00. But that does not mean I did a whole bunch. Sherri got up around 7:30 and I started moving around after that. Last night I had gathered my stuff together, but had not packed yet. So this morning managed to stuff everything into my pack. Pack weighs about 31 pounds. A lot better than I feared. Of course, Sherri’s pack weighs 30 pounds. What happened to the macho man I used to be?

Meadow on the way to Potter Pass

We are off to a late start, about 9:45. We stop by Costco and get gas. then the Ford Ranger decides it wants to go to Yosemite. But after admonishing it to get off of Hwy 41 it turns onto Friant Road. We take Fraint up to the Prather’s Ranger Station and get our wilderness permit. Then off to the Potter Pass Trailhead. The person at Prather says so far we are the only ones at George Lake. I realize that for the second backpacking trip in a row, I have forgotten my hat on the kitchen table, which means no camera-still have my phone, no GPS, no gorp and no jelly bellies. Can I live with that loss?

We reach the trailhead at 12:30 and take our time getting ready. By 12:50, the trail touches our feet. I can immediately see that going up this will be a struggle. After awhile I fall into a rhythm-not a great one, but enough to make it up to Potter Pass. I go for a ways then stop for a breath. then repeat. occasionally wait for Sherri. She is struggling like I am. We are just flat out out-of-shape, even though this is the second backpacking trip in a month. But that is better than staying home and being a couch potato. I have been concerned about the fatigue I have had and the general feeling the body is not right. But that is not hitting me.

Huntington Lake

We stop about half way up Potter Pass for lunch. The usual of peanut butter, Nutella and crackers. The Whole Foods crackers are better than Ritz-they are not breaking and taste a bit better. Then it is off again. We meet one family on horseback going in to Twin Lakes. But then several more groups coming out. One was a person, Todd, which used to go to our church several years ago which knew his ex-wife better.

We make it up to Potter Pass and rested there for what was to be longer than a few minutes. Partly because of the view looking north into the edges of Yosemite and then the drama which was unfolding after a few minutes up there. On the good view part, we could even see Mt Ritter and the area around Lillian Lake-where we were last year. Then a couple of women on horseback came up. One of them had a broken collarbone from taking a fall. The other one was trying to make arrangements for when they got down to the trailhead. We could only offer her some Advail.

Gary and Sherri on Potter Pass

We then descend towards Round Meadow and then onward to Twin Lakes. It is a much easier proposition going down than climbing towards Potter Pass, but Saturday, there will be a need to come up this on the way out. Hope to be better off then. At the lakes, we stop for a Clif bar and decide if we want to go the mile more to George. It is 4:15, but with a 500' climb. We decide we should be able to make it.

Lower Twin Lake

For whatever reason, the climb was not too bad for me. even got a bit of extra energy. Sherri was still on the Potter Pass pace. What was bad was the attack of the mosquitoes-maybe that was my motivation for the little bit of energy. It is the right time of day and there were several little rivulets of water coming down, creating beds of mosquito breeding grounds. I even stopped while waiting to put on Deet and the pant legs.

After crossing the creek flowing out of George, we found our old camp site vacant. We are the only ones at this lake. It is about 6:15. I figure about 3.5 hours of walking and the rest panting.

Upper Twin Lake

We set up camp and have our Mountain House lasagna dinner. By this time the mosquitoes are being bothersome, the sky is darkening, and the air has turned cool. Time to turn in. Nighty night time is 8:30. I am asleep by 9:00.