Gardisky Lake

Overview

Before I describe the hike up to Gardisky Lake, I’m going to bore you with a short personal anecdote. Usually, when I research where I want to hike, I start by visiting Caltopo.com, which if you’re into using topo maps like I am is pure heaven. This gives me the basic info I need on route-finding, but I don’t see any visual information about any given route. Therefore, most hikes I take end up being a surprise to me, which is often really cool and occasionally really obnoxious. With Sierra lakes, it’s usually pretty easy to know what you’re going to get. With each one, I expect a similar type of scenery: glacial basin, gleaming grey Sierra granite, a jagged peak in the background, patches of subalpine trees (or sometimes no trees), and some rocky outcrops from which to bask in High Sierran resplendence. Gardisky Lake had very little of that, and for that reason it stands out as one of the more memorable lakes I’ve visited, despite the hike and lake being relatively modest in comparison to the more spectacular destinations I’ve had the privilege to visit.    So, if you’re not getting the classic Sierran lake experience, what exactly are you getting? Well, Gardisky Lake occupies a small depression on the Tioga Crest at the base of Tioga Peak. The lake actually drains into Lee Vining Creek in two different directions, making it one of those unusual lakes that drains at both ends. The lake is surrounded by a huge grassy meadow, and the towering summit block of Tioga Peak dominates the skyline. On the western end of the lake, you can see the Sierra Crest capped by White Mountain, looking much more like the typical Sierra scenery. This all comes to you for the price of a rather grueling, but mercifully short climb up from Saddlebag Road through a forest of lodgepole and white bark pine.  The Sierra Crest with White Mountain on the left and Mt. Conness on the right Start out at the Gardisky Lake Trailhead on the west side of Saddlebag Lake Road. Cross the road to find the unassuming, single-track path. Step onto the p

Trail Stats

Photos

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