Backpacking The Sabrina Basin

We got a late start at the Sabrina Lake trailhead. We had been recovering in Bishop from the North Lake to South Lake trip we completed a couple days earlier. This would be a much more leisurely adventure by comparison with multiple zero mile days so we could relax and take in the scenery.

We followed the trail above the shores of beautiful Sabrina Lake in the late afternoon sun. We passed some day hikers as we followed the trail up some rocky switchbacks. We arrived at Blue Lake after about five miles, just as it was getting dark. We found a great camp spot near the lake and set up our tent. I scrambled up a granite cliff behind our camp and was able to get some great panorama shots of a vibrant sunset over the basin. I headed back to the tent and we had our dinner before retiring for the night.

I ventured back up to the granite overlook in the early morning to get some more shots of Blue Lake. After taking my pictures I returned to camp and slept in a bit. The day brought numerous rain showers which we evaded in our tent. I had wanted to do a day hike up to Baboon Lakes further up the basin, but decided to instead push it off till the next day because of the weather. We spent our time drinking wine and snacking. The weather cleared up towards the end of the day and I got some more sunset shots of the lake before calling it a day.

After sleeping in, we were greeted to a sunny day in the basin. Spending so much of the previous day trapped in our tent left us anxious to stretch our legs a bit and go explore. Our plan was to go check out Baboon Lakes then pack up camp and head towards Hungy Packer Lake and the Sabrina Basin. We had breakfast and followed the trail for a couple miles up to Baboon Lakes. The trail offered great views back down towards Blue Lake from where we came. We hung out at the larger of the Baboon lakes for a while before returning to camp.

We packed up our camp and headed toward Hungry Packer Lake in the Sabrina Basin. The trail entered into the woods for a while and we crossed a few alpine creeks and marshes before reaching Dingleberry Lake. From here on the trees thinned out and we enjoyed sweeping views of the scenic Sabrina Basin.

After crossing a large creek we continued our scenic climb through the Sabrina Basin. The many large cumulous clouds further enhanced the natural beauty of the area. The trail began to level out as we reached the upper part of the basin. The snowy granite mountains stood majestcally in the late afternoon light. We got our first glimpse of Moonlight falls which poured from Moonlight Lake above. We reached a scenic tarn in the center of the basin before heading South West towards Hungry Packer Lake.

After following the outlet creek we reached Hungry Packer Lake in a large cirque. A large granite mountain towered over the blue alpine lake. We found a scenic camp spot on a peninsula and settled in. As the sun started to set I grabbed my camera and scrambled the South ridge of the lake and got some great shots of the sunset. I returned to camp, had dinner and settled in for the night. It had been an exciting first look at the upper Sabrina Basin.

I got an early start on the day and headed towards a granite bench on the West side of the Basin to get some photos. I was a cloudless but chilly morning. I scrambled up a granite boulder field until I reached the bench which offered a birds eye view of the Sabrina Basin and it's many lakes. I got some nice panorama shots and hung out a while taking in the view. By the time I headed back most of the Basin was now lit up by the morning sun. On my way back I got some pictures of Moonlight Falls.

I met up with Sam back at camp and we had a late breakfast. Though our lake camp spot was cool I thought we should relocate to the small tarn we had passed near the waterfall in the center of the basin. We quickly moved our stuff and enjoyed a day of pack rafting and drinking in the scenic shallow tarn. Once again the storm clouds gathered in the afternoon and we took refuge in the tent from some rain showers. Later in the evening I ventured back up to the bench and took some panoramic shots of Sabrina Basin at dusk.

I awoke early on our final day and took some pictures of the suns rays kissing the peaks of the granite mountains. We enjoyed our morning coffee and slowly packed up. It was hard leaving such a beautiful spot. Eventually we were ready and bid farewell to the spectacular Sabrina Basin. We enjoyed a nice down hill hike back down to Sabrina Lake and the trailhead. This marked the end of our 2023 Sierras adventure and it was time for the long drive back to Yakima.