Saddlebag Lake, Hoover Wilderness, Inyo County
Key Reasons to Go: Driving to an alpine environment at just over 10,000 feet is not common. This is a trip that gives you a chance to find some plants that usually take lots more effort. There's nothing wrong with getting to take it easy once in a while and still get around to see nice plants!
Secondary Reason: A chance to stop in Bridgeport for a Jolly Kone sundae. For a burger, however, go next store and eat at The Barn.
Best Time to Go: When Tioga Pass finally opens, maybe wait another few weeks for some snow to melt. It could be worth calling the Saddlebag Lake Resort and asking about snow around the lake. UPDATE: In 2009 the resort opened on 27 June. (It’s a few miles up a side road from Hwy 120). It seems it would be worth waiting until July for a hike or for flowers and butterflies. (Click here to check Tioga Pass weather.) UPDATE 2: My trip in early August was following a week or more of heavy thunderstorm activity. What I found was hammered vegetation, patches of slushy hail in the shadows, and almost no butterflies; species were minimal; individuals few and far between!
The eastern Sierra is such a spectacularly different environment from what we know on the western slope that it is simply a “must do” trip. If you have never been to Mono Lake or entered Yosemite from Lee Vining to Tioga Pass, do not hesitate to plan a weekend drive. And even if you go in spring or summer, it’s still a requirement to go in October to drink in the fall colors of aspens against clear blue skies.
Tioga Pass for a Day Trip?
Simple answer: Sure, why not?
Driving back and forth to Carson Pass is such a familiar (and enjoyable) trip that it may be a surprise to some to see what changes are to be found by extending that drive. Heading over Carson Pass, on to Markleeville and then up over Monitor Pass puts you about half way to Tioga Pass. As autumn takes hold of this area the aspens turn to bright flickering groves of buttery to orange-tinted yellow leaves, and their fluttering shadows dapple vertical stripes of white trunks. This is about as good as it gets for northern California leaf-peepers: miles and miles of golden aspens and rugged mountain scenery, including snow-capped peaks—even in September—of the eastern Sierra.
The trip that inspired this entry for Sadddlebag Lake was made in mid August (2006), and despite the lack of aspen foliage, the color of the landscape was already providing a forecast of the season’s change; mountain slopes of drying mule-ear leaves, and the appearance of the splendid yellow rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), aka, "rubber rabbitbrush" because it does contain latex. The 'nauseosus" part of the name refers to this rubbery smell of the crushed foliage.
Dropping down from Monitor Pass to find Hwy 395 south, continue on past Walker (if you need to buy gas, do it here. As expensive as it will seem, you won’t want to assume things get better in Bridgeport or Lee Vining; gas will be another 50 cents per gallon higher, but even then, Lee Vining is where to get gas before you go to Tuolumne Meadow. No, the is no gas at Tioga Pass), on through Bridgeport (watch for the Jolly Kone, a drive-in with red and white decor and awnings. Mmmm, good soft-freeze! For an excellent burrito, go next door to The Barn where the food is better than the Jolly Kone’s), then up over Conway Summit. This area is also a prize for autumn day-tripping. The valley you see between you and the mountains is simply amazing in autumn color. It isn’t too bad to see in new spring green, either.
Pass Mono Lake and go through Lee Vining, then soon you will see the turn to Tioga Pass. Ten miles up that breathtaking road, turn right onto Saddlebag Lake Road. Two miles farther, you’re there.
Saddlebag Lake is just over 10,000 feet. The trail leads off to an area dubbed 20-Lakes Basin, and while we sampled only two or three (not counting Saddlebag), we found much to enjoy, plenty of slow-poking to photograph and identify flowers, and still managed to get in a very beautiful hike before heading back for the drive home.
The hike along the east side of the lake is a gentle hike, with only a 400-foot elevation gain over the seven mile loop we hiked. The flowers, even on 12 Aug., were abundant (note: this was in 2006; in 2007 there were far fewer flowers). I particularly enjoyed the mix of lavender mint and red paintbrush, but there were plenty of other species to ponder. I confess that I don’t get as wired up on specific plant IDs when I visit a place out of my usual range. I’m generally content to simply recognize to family, the exceptions being those plants that are unusual enough to warrant the attention, as the examples that will be shown below. I’m not there to create a plant list, I just like to wander and shoot pictures.
The east side of the lake is a path that is lined with vegetation the whole way, providing an opportunity for butterfly watching as the mints and senecios do attract some interesting bugs. The one to the left is a Mylitta Crescent, the one to the right, a Ruddy Copper. Both of these are also found in the areas of El Dorado County, but I’m told that finding the Ruddy Copper at 10,000' is a bit of a surprise. As always, this interprets as amateurs having something to add to the information base if you just keep your eyes open.
Beyond Saddlebag Lake you get to explore why it’s called 20 Lakes Basin: Trails meander across a generally flat terrain, the backdrop of peaks is wonderful, and the streamsides and grassy slopes offer a variety of flowers to enjoy.
Note: it may be of interest to know that there is a water taxi available, and for $7 you can cut a few miles of walking off the trip. There is a boat ramp at the north end of Saddlebag and you can just show up and wait a few minutes for the boat to return. I have taken this trip once and it was fun to see the view, never minding that it was fun to ride that last bit after hiking up to Saddlebag from Lundy Canyon! (No, I’m not kidding. Check a map to see why this was a pretty grueling up climb. We had zero interest in going back down as the trail is, in many places, filled in with slippery slabs of rock. Slipping down? No thanks!)
The west side of the lake is almost nothing but rock! over a mile of trail across the broken chunks of talus (it is a trail, just a bit rough) with precious few bits of vegetation aloing the way, certainly not much was calling out for butterfly visits. The primary botanical interests were the chance to see a couple of high-elevation treats:Sierra columbine (Aquilegia pubescens) and Alpine Gold (Hulsea algida) both of which are only found above 9000'.The columbine is much prettier than the typical columbine (A. formosa) we usually see on the western side, because Sierra columbine can show up in any of several colors, including the pale yellow or white that we find at Saddlebag Lake.
Alpine Gold (Hulsea algida) is usually hard to find (in El Dorado County, anyway) because it only grows from about 10,000' and above. Here at Saddlebag Lake it’s almost cheating to simply walk over to it from the parking lot! I’ve been here twice to see it and if I have any complaints it’s just hard to find in picture-perfect form, but it is sill a nice plant to see. It also has a pleasant spicy scent reminiscent of arnicas.
So the area is a really nice place for a good day hike. A little far for just a day? Maybe a little, but it can actually be done enjoyably (It only takes about three hours one way from Placerville). It may also be a trip where spending the night in Lee Vining (or camping out in the pine forest on 120 E) would be worth doing because Mono Lake is worth spending a day exploring after a stop at the Visitor Center.
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