Big Five / Little Five Lakes Loop

Looking up at the walls and peaks along Lost canyon, you have to wonder why people think only Yosemite Valley has sheer walls. This canyon is another "yosemite", as John Muir called these steep granite walled canyons.

The Walls Close In

Big 5, Little 5 Lakes Loop and Sawtooth Pass, August 4th to 7th, 2000.

I was eventually getting near my goal for the day, and by the map I could see I would be breaking out of the trees and above timberline. I found an excellent forest camp, one of the best I saw on the trip, but it was still early, and I had time to go higher. If nothing worked out ahead, I would return to that camp. I wanted to get as close to Sawtooth Pass as I could.

Continuing on, the trail swung to the right then to the left up the canyon. Almost immediately thereafter the trail broke into the open of tree-line country offering up a magnificent view up canyon of sheer white granite walls, peaks, a pass, and above all, the arrowhead of Sawtooth Peak.