I get antsy after Tioga Pass opens and access to Mono Lake is easier. There is typically still a lot of snow and ice on the ground in early summer, but I can never seem to wait until it melts before making my first trip of the year to the east side. It was mid June, and it was time to go!

The plan was to catch the Saturday sunrise from Olmsted Point, hike near Saddlebag Lake, then watch the sunset from Mono Lake. Sunday’s sunrise spot was to be somewhere in Tuolumne near Lembert Dome.

With sunrise around 5:30 AM in mid June, I’d have to leave Fresno early. I got up at my usual 2 AM, made and ate my weekend waffle, packed, said goodbye to my cat CL, and was out the door at 3:30.

The last time I was on Tioga Pass was last November. The morning ended with my 14 year old Rav4 being towed off the pass and my weekend plans done for.

Needless to say, I was reflecting a lot about last fall as I was driving along, and thinking about all that’s happened since.

I made it to Olmsted Point and admired the view of Tenaya Lake. The sun was still hidden behind Tenaya Peak. I got a few shots of it peeking up from behind the mountain.

I drove down to the lake and took in the tranquil scene. I usually drive by during the day after the wind has picked up, so it was neat to see it calm and glassy. I took a few photos and captured some nice reflections of the sun.

I kept heading east, then spotted at least 10 deer feeding in Tuolumne. I got out of my car for a few minutes to watch.

I left the park through the east entrance around 7:30 AM. I had decided to check out Twenty Lakes Basin for the day.

The drive to Saddlebag Lake is on a gravel road, and in between bumps you get an amazing view of Mt. Conness and other colossal peaks.

It had warmed to the 40s by the time I got to the lake. I opened up my back door, sat in the trunk, and looked out over the water. I also ate almost half a box of wheat thins. I find long day hikes gives me a great excuse to eat my favorite food group…carbs.

I finally decided to disrupt my feast and get moving.

The trail had a unique start, and I was immediately greeted with a bridge over the dam. It was quiet as I walked on the other side, and I guessed that I was the first human to wander over there that day.

It wasn’t long before I hit remnants from winter. From the looks of it, there would be numerous stretches through snow. Since temperatures were still down to the freezing point at night, the snow was solid ice. I was careful with my steps, but the ground at this point was flat, so it wasn’t too bad.

More and longer snowy sections appeared, but the flatness disappeared. I was literally on a slippery slope. My voice of reason made sure I was aware that one slip would mean a fast and nasty slide 50 yards downhill into the freezing lake. If I could even climb out of the lake, I’d have a hard time walking back.

I pushed those thoughts aside, and made sure to be extra steady with my foot placements. Why didn’t I think to bring traction devices? There were some frozen tracks from the day before, and I carefully placed my boot in each of them. My heart rate was up and I was extremely alert, to say the least.

I was getting a bit annoyed at the slow pace and mental toughness of what was supposed to be a scenic walk by a lot of lakes, and I hadn’t even made it past Saddlebag yet.

I finally saw life – a man was hiking out after spending a few nights out there camping. I was relieved to find that I wasn’t crazy for continuing on this trek. Or maybe I was relieved to find a companion with a similar mindset.

I asked him if it would be like this for the rest of the way to the next lake. I felt hopeful when he said I was almost out of it. I was glad, then remembered I still had to return that way. I hoped it would be slightly melted and easier to dig my boots in for better footing on the way back.

He was right – another half mile and I was past Saddlebag Lake and looking at a few small “lakes,” which were left from melted snow on the already-saturated ground.

I was surrounded by tall peaks, and I loved seeing the mountains reflected in the little pools.

I kept walking, somewhat on a trail, but kept having to make detours to dodge runoff rivers.

I then stumbled upon Greenstone Lake, with the majestic North Peak towering behind.

I stopped to hang out for a big and enjoy the quietness.

About a half an hour later, a group of guys with backpacks and snowboards hiked by. I assume they were going to hike up one of these huge peaks and ski or board down. THAT is a hardcore activity I’ll never do. I will hike mountains and climb rocks all day long, but add snow, ice, and downhill speed? No thank you.

I watched to see how they did with the trailfinding, as it looked like a mixture of slush, flood, and snow ahead. They split up a few times to find the path of least resistance, and overall seemed to struggle and have a slow go. They finally disappeared, and didn’t sell me on the trail.

It was lunchtime by that point, and I had my typical PB&J. I found a nice flat rock to sprawl out on and read. It was sunny, in the 50s, and there was a breeze. I hate that combo.

When the wind is calm, you feel the sun, and you don’t need much more than long sleeves. When the cold wind picks up, you need a heavy jacket, especially when sitting by snow and freezing alpine lakes. It was a constant struggle to stay comfortable, and I ended up having to re-read all the chapters because I was so distracted.

More people started to show up, so I decided to leave 😊. The way back was far easier with the smushy snow!

I stopped and chatted with an older gentleman for a bit. I picked up on his southern accent right away, and having grown up in the South, I had to ask how he found himself out here.

He was from Viriginia, and was on an annual fishing trip with his friends. He was the only hiker of the group, so he took a day off from fishing and headed out here. He shared a video with me from his hike the day before. He had been taking a scenic video, when a large animal made a growling noise behind him. He said he hightailed it out of there before seeing what it was, but his camera picked up the sound. One ranger told him it was definitely a bear, the other said it was definitely a mountain lion. He then recommended the hike to me, and I decided, no thanks. 🙂

I love hearing other’s stories. It’s so easy to strike up a conversation on the trail!

I made it back to the car in one piece, and decided to head to another trail nearby. I knew there was a waterfall not too far up Lundy Canyon, and I had time to take a little trek.

I only passed 4 or 5 people on the way to Lundy Canyon Waterfall. Flowers were blooming in the woods, and smelled great!

A few switchbacks had me out of the woods and on a nice overlook. The falls were roaring!

I headed back and drove to dinner at the Mobile gas station on the corner of 120/395. Eat there, trust me!

My final stop of the day would be Mono Lake. I’ve spent time there at sunrise, but wanted to catch the sunset behind the tufas.

I stuck around after sunset and admired the milky way until I got cold. It was only in the 50s, but it was windy!

I drove a few miles east to BLM land and got a couple of hours of sleep in my car. I woke up at first light.

I had planned to catch the sunrise in Tuolumne, but I didn’t really feel like waiting around for 2 hours in the 30° meadow. I decided to just head home.

What a weekend! Things didn’t go as planned in Twenty Lakes basin, but I’m glad I at least made it to a couple of lakes.

Getting home earlier than I thought I would was definitely a treat – I could dedicate most of Sunday to CL. 😻