Backpacking The Thousand Island Lake Loop

We got an early start at Agnew Meadows where we had spent the night. Despite the heavy wildfire smoke in nearby Mammoth, the sky was clear and the air was cool as we began following the switchbacks upwards. I was excited to see Thousand Island Lake again. It had been a highlight of my Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail adventure I had ten years earlier. This time I would get to share the experience with Sam. We had just finished an awesome three day trip in The Little Lakes Valley and she was excited to explore more of the Sierras with me. This loop trail would take us not only to Thousand Island Lake, but also Garnet, Ediza and Iceberg Lakes, which were supposed to be among some of the most spectacular lakes in the Sierra. This first leg of the trail was on the Pacific Crest Trail. The PCT and the John Muir Trail diverged some miles before Agnew Meadows and reunite at Thousand Island Lake. Once reaching that lake we would follow the JMT South until Shadow Lake then we would follow the Shadow Creek trail back to Agnew Meadows, completing the loop.

After a substantial bit of elevation gain, the trail leveled out on a bench and we were rewarded with some great views of the mountains across the canyons to the West. As we continued, a great view of Shadow Lake emerged across the canyon. The dramatic Ritter Range, a sub mountain range of the Sierras, made for an epic backdrop to the cradled lake. We stopped and took lots of pictures before continuing on. The first person we came across was a park ranger who checked our permits. As we continued North West on the high granite bench, the familiar Banner Peak came into view which signaled we were getting closer to our destination.

Our views were obscured as the trail entered some woods. After a while the trail started to follow the lakes drainage uphill. It was late August and the creek was pretty dry. The ever visible Banner Peak acted as a beacon as we hiked up the final stretch of trail. Finally we arrived and gazed at the massive alpine lake. It was just as beautiful as I had remembered. As you would expect by the name, Thousand Island Lake is speckled with countless small islands. The iconic Banner Peak towers majestically over the lake. After taking in the epic lake view, we began to search for a camp spot for the night. I had just purchased my first "real" camera, a Sony a6400 and I was excited to get some nice photos of the lake. I knew I wanted a camp spot with a nice view, so we followed the trail uphill for a ways before I spotted an outcropping on the hillside which provided an incredibly scenic campsite. We dropped our packs and made ourselves at home.

We still had plenty of daylight left so we headed down to the lake shore for a hike. I took a refreshing but chilly dip in the cold alpine water. Thousand Island Lake was notoriously windy and today was no different. We followed a trail along the shore of the lake. The area was peppered with granite boulders and small rugged trees. By now most of the grass had yellowed which was brilliantly illuminated in the late afternoon sun. After a substantial hike we got near the end of the lake and decided to head back.

We returned to our epic campsite and had our Mountain House meal dinner. The sun set behind the Ritter Range and we watched the shadows stretch across the landscape as the day came to a close. A very memorable day was in the bag. I was excited to catch the sunrise the next morning from our scenic vista.

I was up early with my tripod set up and ready for the sunrise. Thanks to the epic hill top perch we had camped on, I didn't have to go far. Banner Peak was the first to be kissed by sun. It turned a pinkish, orange color. I took many photos and some panormas of the beautiful spectacle unfolding. Slowly the light expanded and illuminated the beautiful alpine lake.

After loading up on pictures, Sam and I had our breakfast and coffee while taking in the incredible scene. The day was going to be pretty laid back. Our only task for the day was to make it to Garnet Lake which was only a few mile hike away. We had brought our Alpacka Pack raft and I was eager to get some use out of it. Though the powerful winds were not ideal for our small raft, I had an idea to hike up to the end of the lake where we had gone the previous day and let the prevailing winds blow us back towards our camp. We had done something similar on our trip to the Wind River Range in Wyoming a couple years earlier.

We made the long hike to the end of the lake, inflated our raft and set sail so to speak. The plan was working. The strong winds blew us quickly. I used the oars to navigate around the many islands. It was incredibly fun and required little energy since the wind was doing all the work. After a memorable boat ride we reached the end and went up to our camp to pack up.

With our camp packed we began the hike away from the amazing Thousand Island Lake along the John Muir Trail to Garnet Lake. We followed the trail for a few miles past a couple of medium and small sized lakes. Eventually the views opened up again as we arrived at our destination. Garnet Lake was also very large and peppered with islands. Banner Peak towered above this lake as well. However Garnet Lake was much less windy than Thousand Island Lake which was a nice change. We headed towards the far end of the lake towards Banner Peak. After a bit of searching we found a great camp spot on a large peninsula. We set up our tent as the last rays of sun dissappeared behind the shoulder of Banner Peak. We had dinner and turned in for the night

Again I was up early, ready for the dawn. The lake was very calm as Banner Peak was once again lit up by the morning sun. An epic reflection of the peak was cast on the waters surface. I spent the whole morning running around taking pictures of the photogenic lake. I used the packraft to boat to the far side of the lake. I scrambled up the granite cliffs which offered great vantage points.

After a morning of photography I returned to camp and had breakfast with Sam. We had another lazy day ahead of us. Todays destination was Ediza Lake which was not terribly far away. Around noon we both piled on our raft and explored some of the many islands while enjoying numerous alcoholic beverages. It was a fun and leisurely afternoon.

After our afternoon boating adventure we packed up camp and headed for Ediza Lake. The trail eventually took us into a wooded area and some pretty alpine meadows where we spotted a deer. It took us a little longer than we planned but we arrived at the stunning Ediza Lake in the evening. It was small compared to the other lakes we had just came from but it was no less gorgeous. The Ritter Range made for a dramatic backdrop. Apparently John Muir considered Ediza Lake to be the most beautiful in the Sierra. It would be hard to argue with him.

We made our way around the lake which we appeared to have all to ourselves. We found a nice camp spot in the hills behind the lake and set up our tent just as it got dark. We made our dinner and went to bed. I got up in the twilight hours that night and attempted my first astro photography shots.

As you might imagine, I got up early in anticipation for the sunrise. I scrambled a nearby granite hill which provided a phenomenal view of Ediza Lake and the mountains behind it. The sunrise was absolutely incredible. The Ritter Range was set ablaze by the morning sun. I took many pictures and spent a lot of time taking in that view before returning to camp. Sam and I had a late breakfast and headed down to the lake for some more boating. We had a nice long float around Ediza Lake and drank some wine.

After thoroughly enjoying Ediza Lake we packed up and began our short hike up to Iceberg Lake, our final camping destination of the trip. From Ediza Lake the trail immediately heads up hill. We passed through some scenic alpine backcountry before arriving at the cirque lake. The spikey pinnacles known as the Minarets towered imposingly over the lake. We had the whole lake to ourselves.

We spent the afternoon lounging about and finished up the rest of our wine. It was a beautiful spot to wrap up our trip. We chased the sun as it got later in the day by climbing the slopes above the lake. From there we had a great view of the lake and the Ritter Range. Eventually it got dark and we had our final dinner of the trip and hit the hay.

I scrambled the steep grassy slopes above Iceberg Lake in the early morning. I climbed higher than the previous day until I reached a rocky outcropping that provided a great view of the Ritter Range and surrounding area. I took some great panos of the Ritter Range in the pinkish orange morning light. This was the final sunrise of our trip and I was glad to capture it. I descended down to the lake after getting my shots. Iceberg Lake remained mostly shaded with the exception of the massive East facing wall which cast a beautiful reflection over the still water. I took some photos of the blue ethereal scene before having breakfast and coffee with Sam.

It was time to head back to Agnew Meadows. We ventured back down the short scenic trail to Ediza Lake. After taking one last break at the photogenic lake, we continued down the trail towards Shadow Lake. We passed some beautiful creeks that cut right into the granite slabs we hiked upon. There were waterfalls abound. Our trail descended taking us back into the tree line.

After a short while we reached Shadow Lake and left the JMT behind. Shadow Lake was pretty by any standards but compared to the lakes we had just spent our time at it was rather underwhelming by comparison. Continuing past Shadow Lake, the trail began a set of many switchbacks as it followed the lakes drainage down steep terrain. There were great open views of the valley below as we meandered down the trail. Eventually Shadow Creek joined the confluence of the Middle Fork San Joaqine River in the valley. We followed the now level trail down the river and back to our car at Agnew Meadows.

This had been a perfect trip. I can't recall another route of this length which featured so many phenomenal destinations in such close proximity. The relatively short distance between these magnificent lakes means you get to spend more time reveling in their beauty than hiking to them. I was very surprised by the sense of solitude we had. There were definitely other people especially at Thousand Island and Garnet Lakes, but the lakes were so huge you didn't notice. We had Iceberg Lake all to ourselves and only shared Ediza Lake with one other group. I’m sure this is in part due to the permit system of the Sierras which I found to be much more reasonable compared to the permitting systems in the Washington Cascades. Anyway Sam and I had the time of our lives and would love to return some day. Thanks for reading and happy trails!