Sabrina Basin Trail

The hike up and around the Lake was really nice (bring a hat). There are switchbacks right before the lake, so be aware of that. It’s good that they’re in the shade. We didn’t fish, but saw lots of people hiking up with their poles in hand. There was even a group that was taking a dip in the chilly water! We hiked all the way to Mt. Haeckel during a 3 day trip. It gets even more gorgeous as you continue past Blue Lake, but you need a permit if you want to camp overnight.
I would be wary, especially if you have small children, that horses are allowed on the trail which makes it annoying having to navigate the manure in addition to the trail itself. It’s really too bad because there are pockets of sweet smelling flowers along the trail (lavender?) and the horsey poo would overpower it. At some points the crap would cover most of the trail forcing us to make the difficult choice to step off the trail, or step right into it. It would be nice ask horse owners to pick up after their animals.
Other than the dung, it was a nice trail!

WHAT DO UNPREPARED HIKERS DO WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN & THEY ARE STILL ON TRAIL?
ESSENTIALS:
At least 2 liters of water (depends on distance and temp)
Know how elevation effects you
Know your limits
Comfy hiking shoes with good lugs
Trekking poles
Layered Clothing
High protein food/​snacks
Electrolytes
Camera
Hat (optional)
STATS:
6 Miles
10,400 top elevation
OUR ROUTE:
SisTa and I headed up to Mammoth Lakes for a weekend of adventures with The Crew a day early so we could get acclimated to the altitude and do some of our own hiking. She wanted to hike to Blue Lake from Sabrina Basin. We arrived at the basin at about 2 p.m. plenty of time to do a five mile hike before the sun went down.
In shorts and short sleeves shirts, we grabbed our packs and off we went. We climbed and climbed in elevation. After a few hours I told her that this five miler isn’t a five miler. Sure enough GPS already had us at three miles and we still weren’t at Blue Lake. Eventually we ran into a couple coming down trail and asked them how much further. They reply, «oh, about another half hour. Good golly!!! It’s already 4:30, we have no other clothes or our headlamps. We best start bookin’ it. Sure enough, we reached Blue Lake at 5:00 p.m.
Blue Lake was amazing. So vast in size and beauty. The water, although ice cold, was so peaceful just sitting there all clean and clear. There were a couple young girls camping along the lake, we chit chatted for a bit and took pictures for each other.
The sun was beginning to set and SisTa and I knew we had to get to the car before sundown or we’d be in big trouble. So we hi-​tailed it out. Thank goodness it was an in and out trail, we didn’t need to stop and look at the views of the other lakes or take pictures along the way. That saved us a lot of time.
We were down the mountain within an hour. Funny, the couple we saw going up, had just arrived at their car. They couldn’t believe how fast we were. Humph! When you’re not prepared, you do what cha gotta do.
It turned out that the hike was a seven miler, not five. But in the end, we accomplished what we set out to do; stretch our legs, get acclimated to the elevation and hike to Blue Lake.
If ever in the area with more time on our hands, we will be back to do some more exploring of the Sabrina Basin. So so amazingly beautiful.
DISCLAIMER:
Hiking is not something that can be taken lightly. It can be life-​threatening as you see and hear on the news, people die or get lost all time. Please, if you are going to hike, never go alone and prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Remember when going for a hike, no matter how short you think it may be, always be prepared. Carry at least two liters of water for every five miles (more if the weather is warm), protein bar, nuts, and electrolytes. Wear sturdy lug sole shoes and protective clothing. Some areas the weather can change quicker than a fireman can put on his gear. It is also very important, always always always let a family member or friend know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Lastly, have fun when you hike it up.
#HIKING #BLUELAKE #HIGHALTITUDE #INTERMEDIATEHIKE