Highway 168 from Bishop CA splits in 3 and each side ends in a lake side trailhead to the high Sierras: Sabrina Lake in the center, North Lake in the north and not surprisingly South Lake in the south. Starting at the North Lake trailhead one can cross the Sierra Crest at Piute Pass, pick up the John Muir trail at the junction near the South Fork of the San Jose River, head south climbing through the Evolution Valley and then the Evolution Basin, over Muir Pass, cross the Sierra Crest again at Bishop Pass and finish at the South Lake trailhead. This 58 mile loop is the North Lake to South Lake Loop. The highlight of this trip is the Evolution Basin with it’s amazing scenery, but the rest of the trip is nothing to look down at. I like the scenery from McClure Meadows in the Evolution valley, Helen Lake and LeConte Canyon, the rapids along the San Joaquin, the far vistas from the 3 mountain passes and the view of the Palisades from Dusy Basin, to name a few.
On a moonless night, the sky seen from the mountains is extremely dark. It makes for a perfect sight of the Milky Way.
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