Mt. Whitney From Cottonwood Lakes

Mt. Whitney peers whitely over the waters of this small warm tarn. You cannot exactly swim in this tarn, but you can get a darn good wade in. Just the thing for the sweaty trail traveler.

A Sierra Tarn

Mt. Whitney Trip from Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead. June 2000.

Intrigued by the tarn across the stream (and finally clean and comfortable enough to feel like exploring), I put on my wading shoes and crossed the stream to the tarn. The first thing I discovered was the old trail in fair condition running along the lake, and a look at the 7.5 map confirmed it was the old trail indeed. Also scattered about were very old overgrown campsites that have not been used in years. The tarn itself was bathtub warm and very shallow, but deep enough for a dip. I trotted back to camp for a towel and returned to the lake for a quick plunge in the warm waters, sharing the pond with dragonflies, pollywogs, frogs and their bug prey. Ahhhh, now I was ready for Whitney!