Middle Fork San Joaquin River curves north below distant Mammoth Crest, which separates the river from the Mammoth Lakes basin.
From the junction at Potter Pass, the merged trails continue ahead (north) as one and descend 0.7 mile to Round Meadow and a junction with the George Lake Trail (8650´). Turn left (generally west) and skirt the broad meadow, which offers wildflowers in summer and fall colors in autumn, thanks to aspens fringing it.
The trail briefly joins Lower Twin Lake’s outlet before reaching that lake’s shallow, sedge-lined shores. Lower Twin Lake (8610´) is a snow-fed lake set in 800-foot granite cliffs that rise toward a rugged 9559-foot peak to the south. The lake has a gentle, mature feel, with large trees and smooth, lichen-covered cliffs. Small brook trout are plentiful. Although there are a few campsites, better ones lie ahead at Upper Twin Lake and George Lake.
Continuing to Upper Twin Lake, the trail skirts a diminutive seasonal pond and traverses an easy half mile to exquisite Upper Twin Lake’s east shore (8601´; yes, Upper Twin Lake is lower than Lower Twin Lake). The lake’s sparkling blue waters are interrupted by smooth granite slab islands that host surprisingly large Jeffrey pine, red fir, and lodgepole pine. But that’s not the lake’s only peculiar feature: It has no outflow. A few steps north, a conspicuous boulder masks a rocky pit that indicates water moving underground from the lake toward Kaiser Creek.
As the path leads 100 feet north around the lake, it meets a marked junction with a trail branching right (8650´) and another 0.1 mile farther (8680´). Take the left fork at each junction, first north and then west, as the trail climbs above the Twin Lakes’ northwestern basin, passing towering juniper pine among sugary, quartz-white granite.
Curve southwest as the trail weaves under massive western white pine to and from the creek that connects George Lake to Upper Twin Lake. The tread eventually crosses the creek and in 70 feet reaches the first of several campsites along George Lake (9100´; 11S 307566 4129484). The most scenic sites are located along the western shore between the inlet and the large granite wall that rims the northwest shore.
A cross-country route from George Lake climbs past College Lake to meet the Kaiser Loop Trail.
High above George Lake on the Kaiser Loop Trail, look east for views deep into the headwaters of the San Joaquin drainage.
SIDE TRIP: CROSS-COUNTRY DAYHIKE TO COLLEGE LAKE AND THE KAISER LOOP TRAIL
From George Lake, an adventurous cross-country route leads to College Lake and, with a bit of scrambling suitable for a daypack but not a full backpack, to a saddle where your route can join the Kaiser Loop Trail (Trip 13) to Kaiser Peak. Follow a use trail counterclockwise around George Lake and ascend approximately west-northwest from the scenic campsites mentioned in the main text. Loosely follow the creek connecting College and George lakes. From College Lake (9520´; 11S 307025 412955), bear south toward a visible, rocky saddle. The last 150 feet of the ascent is a loose, rocky scramble to the saddle, where this route joins the Kaiser Loop Trail (9770´; 306958 4128973). If you are venturing for a grander tour of the wilderness, turn right (north and then west) at this unmarked and unofficial junction to go 1 mile farther to 10,310-foot Kaiser Peak.
DAY 2 (George Lake to Potter Pass Trailhead, 4.7 miles): Retrace your steps to the trailhead.
Deer Creek Trailhead 7240´; 11S 307375 4125871
Information and Permits: This trailhead is in Sierra National Forest: 1600 Tollhouse Road, Clovis, CA 93611, 559-297-0706, www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/. Permits are required for overnight stays, and quotas apply; reserved permits and on-demand permits are available.
Driving Directions: From Clovis (near Fresno), take State Hwy. 168 northeast for 42 winding, slow miles to its end at a T junction on the east shore of Huntington Lake at the community of Lakeshore. Turn left (west) on Huntington Lake Road and, in 0.9 mile, turn right at the posted turnoff for the D&F Pack Station (just before the entrance to Deer Creek Campground). Turn right on Upper Deer Creek Lane after 0.1 mile and right again onto Deer Lane after another half mile. Park in the small dirt lot before the road horseshoes over the creek and enters the pack station. This trailhead for Kaiser Wilderness is at the north end of the pack station’s customer parking lot.
13 Nellie Lake
Trip Data: 11S 300888 4128413; 21 miles; 2/0 days
Topos: Kaiser Peak
Highlights: This demanding trip’s highlight is the ascent of Kaiser Peak, with its spectacular views that encompass the central Sierra Nevada and the San Joaquin River’s watershed. Note the shuttle alternative for Day 2.
HEADS UP! For an easier trip, take this trip in reverse. Whichever way you go, take plenty of water, for long stretches of this strenuous trip are usually dry (watercourses are seasonal). The rugged terrain means that mapped lakes are often impossible to reach, so campsites are almost nonexistent unless you are prepared to dry camp. Nellie Lake is the exception.
DAY 1 (Deer Creek Trailhead to Nellie Lake, 11 miles): From the trailhead, two trails diverge. Your route turns left (northeast) toward Kaiser Peak and reaches another junction in 100 yards, where you continue straight ahead (northeast). Ascending under mature and fragrant Jeffrey pines, the trail narrows and steadily rises 400 feet in the first half mile to meet Deer Creek on the right. Paralleling the creek, the trail begins a long series of switchbacks ascending to College Rock. After a steep 2.5 miles, College Rock (9055´) is an ideal resting spot.
THE VIEWS FROM COLLEGE ROCK
College Rock can be reached with a little scrambling that’s rewarded by encompassing views of the Huntington Lake basin. To the southwest, views reach into the Central Valley, and, on an exceptionally clear day, the silhouette of the Coast Range often appears more than 100 miles along the western horizon.
Continuing, the path narrows and continues its switchbacking ascent a half mile farther before leading to a broad meadow where wildflowers abound in season, including lupine, Indian paintbrush, and hound’s tongue. The path meanders toward and away from seasonal Bear Creek, through lodgepole and western white pine as it ascends a massive granite crest (9800´). Past a false summit, the tread reaches a gap; Kaiser Peak is visible as the trail descends from the gap. Jewel Lake (larger) and Campfire Lake (smaller and farther away) can be seen nearly 400 feet below to the northeast.
Gain Kaiser Peak’s summit by taking a short, signed spur trail (10,250´) on the right that leads northward a short distance.
VIEWS FROM KAISER PEAK
Atop lone Kaiser Peak (10,310´), a western spur of the Sierra ridge, ambitious hikers get outstanding
