Sierra Nevada | North Lake - South Lake | September 2025

Описание: Finally wrapped the full North Lake–South Lake wander from last September — with the extra detours that somehow turned a perfectly normal loop into a nine‑day saga. The Sierra Nevada — the Range of Light — does what it does: Piute Pass to start, the wide quiet of Humphreys Basin, and a first night at Muriel Lake high and cold enough to make us question both our acclimation strategy and our sleep‑system optimism, all under the massive shadow of Mt. Humphreys. From there the route settles into its rhythm — long miles, big granite, and that slow reveal the range is known for — including a side quest over to Muir Trail Ranch for the hot springs, because of course. Then Evolution Valley opens up beneath you. We camped at McClure Meadow, where the next morning I found fresh bear scat less than fifteen feet from my tent, which felt… pointed. Hard to tell if it wanted to snuggle or just leave its business card. Waterfalls and cascades aplenty carry you down‑canyon after that, then up toward Sapphire Lake for the next camp, which delivered exactly the kind of ‘wow’ the name promises. After that came the climb to Muir Pass with the hut standing there like it always has, Wanda and Sapphire throwing color around like it’s nothing, and then the long drop into LeConte Canyon — a minefield of talus, ankle‑biters, and ‘why is this the trail’ moments — before the granite bowls of Dusy Basin and the final push over Bishop Pass toward South Lake. There were big fires burning nearby at the time, never on us or threatening the route, but the smoke drifted through now and then. Plenty of mornings and evenings cleared enough to remind you exactly why this range has the reputation it does — sherbet colors washing over the peaks and reflecting in the lakes, and the high‑albedo granite kicking back sunshine‑fueled warmth the moment the light hit it, a noticeable shift after those cold starts. Morning coffee was the small ritual as the sun began its climb, then packs were on and we were moving into the cool, fast miles of early light. Byron makes his appearance, naturally. The full edit finally made it out of the wilderness too — slower than expected, but upright and accounted for.