Wow, these two words have changed a lot for me over the years. When I was still working toward my degree, Sundays were for sleeping in, then getting together with friends for the afternoon. We’d play games and just hang out – that was my idea of fun on a Sunday!

Now, my version of a “Sunday Funday” is to get up early and take on the day. More specifically, I prefer heading into nature with very few people. Less social-ness, more peacefulness. Part of this change is simply attributed to growing up, and part of it is because I’ve become much more in tune with my introvertedness as I’ve gotten older. I recognize that my personality type has certain quiet time requirements on my days away from work. I’ve chosen a career where extroverts thrive, so after talking my way through hours of newscasts every work day,  I need my weekends to recharge. I’d rather unplug by being in nature than being in my home.

Upper Twin Lake, July 2015

This past Sunday, my climbing friend Michelle, her dog Bart, and I took a trip up Highway 168 to the Sierra National Forest. We’d both hiked to Twin Lakes several times, but it had been a while. In fact, the last time I tried to hike to the lakes in 2016, there was too much snow for my taste and we turned around at Potter Pass. It’s a fairly popular hike, but it’s just quiet enough that you can hike for a while without encountering any other humans. There are views of the high country, and a couple of alpine lakes. It’s my favorite hike “close” to Fresno.

Potter Pass, May 2016

Our plan came together pretty last minute on Sunday morning. We got a late start, but we had decided to make it a “chill” day and to not be rushed. The small parking lot off Kaiser Pass Rd. was about half full when we arrived, which seemed pretty typical compared to the other times I’ve hiked there.

The first 1.5 miles or so are in the woods and above 8000 ft. Because of our plethora of snow this past winter, it melted later in the summer, and the wildflowers are still in bloom. This meant that the beginning of the trail was SO lush…in August! Greens, yellows, purples, pinks, and reds were EVERYWHERE. It was unlike any other time I had hiked it.

Wildflowers galore!

One of my favorite parts of the trail is coming up to Potter Pass. You’ve just gotten a beautiful view of Huntington Lake in the distance, and soon after, you crest over the hill, and boom! It’s the snow-capped and rugged high country. Simply amazing.

Michelle, Bart, and me at Potter Pass

An extremely lush meadow is below the pass, and I kept my eyes out for dark dots – wishful thinking that we’d see a bear. I’d even take seeing a free-range cow. But nope, no wildlife on this trek.

Lower Twin Lake is nice, and has some unnamed mountain as the backdrop. We didn’t linger long here; the mosquitoes were thirsty and I was too lazy to get my bug spray out. We also knew what glorious views were waiting for us at Upper Twin Lake.

Lower Twin Lake

At the upper lake, I typically head left and set up shop for lunch on the cliff over the lake. This time, Michelle and I stayed straight and on the right side of the lake. Wow, what a perspective! I have a strange obsession with alpine lakes. Most people have a preference with beach vs. mountains. To me, alpine lakes are the best of both worlds.

Upper Twin Lake

After a bite to eat, we continued on the right side of Upper Twin Lake and headed the extra one-ish mile to George Lake. This was uncharted territory for both of us!

Wildflowers and waterfalls

What a gorgeous add-on that trail was. Most people seem to stop at Upper Twin Lake, so George Lake was ALMOST deserted.

I say almost – there was at couple hiking just ahead of us. We caught up to them at George Lake, when one of them said, “Hi Michelle!”

Ha! The outdoor community is surprisingly small. You’re bound to run into someone you know on the trail at some point! Turns out this was a local author of a new and comprehensive rock climbing guidebook! We all chatted for a bit, watched Bart play with their little pup, then started heading back. My 6 PM bedtime is always the limiting factor to my Sunday Fundays.

George Lake

Back at the trailhead, we were stopped by a gentleman wondering what the mileage was to the pass and lakes. Turns out, he’s been training for a marathon and had already put in 20 miles that morning near Florence Lake. He was very inspiring to listen to! He’s made a great life for his family and himself here in Central California. Best of luck in your upcoming race, Ricardo!

What a perfect day. The weather was beyond perfect. The sky was a crisp blue. We were tired, but relaxed. Bart was full of burrs and dirt, and satisfyingly passed out in the backseat.

It was such a wonderful way to prepare for the upcoming work week! We got fresh air, clear heads, and just fatigued enough to get a good night’s sleep.

I really do love my backyard.