After our detour to Stanislaus National Forest, picking up hitchhikers for the first time ever, taking in the beauty of Mono Lake, and getting our first dose of Yosemite at Ellery Lake, we were more than excited to be at Gaylor Lakes.
We were so excited to be at the trailhead that we jumped right into hiking. Water? Check. Food? Check. Sense of adventure? Double check. Our mistake: altitude sickness at 8,600 feet. Whoops. After a minute of hiking, we felt winded, dizzy, and weak. What to do? Drink a lot of water and take lots of breaks. That’s pretty easy because the view gets better and better as the hike nears the crest of the mountain. (The easiest way to acclimate to high altitudes is to sleep so the body can acclimate to the higher elevation)
Eventually, we made it to the lakes and were rewarded with a view that has no words for its beauty. Sometimes, I wish the English language had more words to express the grandness of seeing something so beautiful for the first time!
We strolled around the lake and frolicked in the meadow and hunkered down beside some rocks to shelter ourselves from the wind as we ate our dinner. What bliss!
The trail can continue to a mine to the east or to another lake nestled beneath the mountains in the north east.
Gaylor Lakes Trail
Start: Tioga Pass exit/entrance parking lot
Duration: 1-2 hours (depends on altitude acclimation)
Difficulty: moderately strenuous
Length: 2 miles RT
Exposure: shaded in the beginning and open at the ridge and lake
Danger: high winds at the lake
Happy travels!
Cat
