Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Lake Hike

Does anyone have suggestions on beautiful lakes that can be easily reached on a day hike (no more than 7 miles one way, preferably around 5)? I am willing to jump on a trailhead anywhere a bit south of Lone Pine all the way up to the Mammoth Lakes area.

Thank you so much. Your help is greatly apppreciated!

no brainer - glacier lakes loop out of glacier lodge trailhead up from Big Pine

The Cottonwood lakes area is the prettiest I've seen in the Sierra so far. Trailhead is Horseshoe meadows.

Rafael...

Bishop Pass Trail to Saddlerock Lake or Bishop Lake or Little Lakes Valley to Mono Pass or Morgan Pass...pick your poison.

Just a bit N of Bishop -
The "Little Lakes", and up to Treasure Lake, up Rock Creek out of Mosquito Flat Trailhead above Tom's Place

Shadow Lake and Ediza Lake, leave from Agnew Meadows, over the ridge from Mammoth Lakes.

Great views of <a href="http://www.mtritter.org">Mt. Ritter</a>, Banner Peak and the Minarets.

Shadow Lake is about 4 miles from Agnew Meadows, the near end of Ediza maybe 7 miles from Agnew Meadows.

Alan (or anyone else) -

I'm thinking of hiking up to Ediza Lake this Friday/Saturday; however, I've heard that it has been snowed on a few times during the last two weeks. And, with the potential storm rolling in Friday night, I'm not sure what it will look like up there.

What advice can you give me? Will the entire ground up there be covered in snow? Will the lake be frozen?

Thanks a bunch!

Suggest you check with the Ranger Station in Mammoth about the trail conditions. I think the # is (760) 924-5500.
I understand that snow fell there Tues. and was sticking around 8000'. Shadow Lake is about 8750' and Ediza is about 9300'.
It is definitely a beautiful hike. Hope it works out for you.

Lik2hik, that's the same number I have for the Mammoth Ranger Station.

According to the Mammoth Mountain <a href="http://www.mammothmountain.com/">ski resort</a>, they've had about 4" of snow this week at 8500', so I would expect the trail to be passable at least as far as Shadow Lake and most likely all the way to Ediza.

One specific thing to ask the Mammoth Ranger Station, though, is the status of the Minaret Summit Road (Hwy 203) over the ridge past the ski resort and down to Agnew Meadows. I don't know whether they have officially closed it yet, nor whether they would do any plowing if it does snow more later this week or this weekend. If the road is closed, it's a couple of miles longer to hike than if you can drive to Agnew Meadows, plus quite a bit of altitude loss from the ridge down to AM and then back UP when you come out.

Watch the <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=mmh">forecast</a> and be conservative...a heavy snowfall could strand your vehicle until spring. Right now, it looks like it'll be warm enough that anything on Saturday will be rain, but keep an eye out...