Twenty Lakes Basin Loop from Saddlebag

Camping at Saddlebag Lake this week with Bandit, and today we did the Twenty Lakes Basin Loop — 8.75 miles by the app, just under a thousand feet of gain, a little over five hours with all the stopping.

We went up the east shore of Saddlebag first, past the talus slopes, then into the basin proper. The lakes come one after another up there, each with its own color — one milky, one that deep windblown blue — and between them the trail crosses little creeks and meadows already gone gold. The big granite face above the far lakes kept showing up around every corner, snowfields still hanging on in the shade under it.

Bandit did the whole thing and is now flattened in his bed under a blanket at camp, done with me for the day.

Back at the trailhead the red resort building by the dam had kayaks pulled up on the rocks. Ours is still strapped to the trailer. Tomorrow, maybe.