Hike to 10 Lakes

I have trail permits to hike to Ten Lakes via Lukens Lake Trail Head in early September. Does anyone have trail information in regard to water resources on the trail? Also, how strenuous is this hike? Any other information that you may have would also be helpful. Thanks.

I'm curious why you are going in to Ten Lakes via Lukens as opposed to just going in at the Ten Lakes trailhead, was the Ten Lakes trailhead already full when you tried to reserve? It does add a few extra miles.

Anyways, as to water, Lukens Lake is about a mile in and will have water. Also past Lukens at the trail fork that branches off to White Wolf and the other fork goes to Ten Lakes there's a creek. On a typical year it would be close to being dry in September, but given the snow fall this year (as of 4th of July it was still pretty patchy past Lukens), I'm pretty confident there will be water. If I recall correctly, there is spring that wasn't on the map a little off the right hand side of trail about a 1/4 mile before you make it to Halfmoon Meadow. There also is a trickle of a creek at the end of Halfmoon Meadow as you start the climb up the ridge, but that one is seasonal. Also, there's usually a swampy bog of a pond at the top of the ridge past the Ten Lakes/Grant Lakes fork, but once you reach the top of the ridge, you'll be down to Ten Lakes in no time.

Same questions as oakroscoe...in any case I don't think the hike is such that the question of whether there's a water supply is a huge problem, just have a sensible amount of water and treat anything you find as a bonus.

If you're doubting whether to do it...here's some pictures from September 2009:

The meadow:



Two of the lakes, from the pass:



The lake where I camped:



(Yes, this was also a swimming hole...surprising in late September, but it was surprising warm for the time of year. Two weeks later, at Lake Dorothy, there were snow patches on the ground)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2011 08:42PM by ttilley.

Was just in the area last weekend....

From Lukens... obvious Lukens has water... Middle Fork always has water (there's fish in it) where you cross it...
and also further up... once you hit the turn to the actual Ten Lakes trail you immediately will cross water
where a meadow is. I xcountry from Grant... so not certain about other locations... cept there's a whole lotta
more wawa and snow this year than any other recently... and def. more further up...

Here's one of the Ten Lakes last Sunday:


If you got the gumption... go check out Grand Mtn. Some Grand views... and some nice Quartz
feature up there too... (I slept up there) (Ten Lakes is wtf too crowded for dis bird)

Half fun

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Correct, the reservable trail permits weren't available for the 10 Lakes Trailhead (and I live too far away to get there in time to think I have a chance at the First-Come-First Served Non-Reservation Permits). Thank you for the information, by the sound of it, I should be pretty well covered in terms of water supply. Still, any further information is welcomed.

I will answer your PM here for all.

I presume you are going in and coming out Lukens. Lukens is nice... so although it does add miles.. it's not a bad route in.
For the day you are at Ten Lakes area... the only trails in the area are to Grant Lakes and the trail dropping into
the South Fork of Cathedral that heads towards May Lake and Glen Aulin.
Since you list your hiking ability at Super Human I suggest you hike around and check out most of the lakes
and then also highly recommend heading up Grand Mtn.

Something like this:


If you go to Grant you should go up to the higher lake. Here is the view from between the two lakes:


Grand Mtn is fairly simple. Here's looking to it from just a bit south of it:


If you go ahead and keep going down you will get nice views of GCT and Falls Ridge along with all of the northern portion of the park.
This is looking down at the Tuolumne River. You'll see some spectacular glacial polish on the walls.


Also on top of Grand is a very nice example of some Quartz vein.

Have fun. It's a spectacular area.

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We spent two nights at Ten Lakes earlier this month, but not being Super Human and having an interest in fishing, our layover day was much much lazier than the one chick-on has suggested!

One good story and one question:

1) When we arrived at Lake 3 & set up camp, we noticed a beer can on the snow. Garbage to carry out. Grrrr. But when my brother went over to grab it, he realized it was still full. One nicely chilled beer for our group of 4. My husband was very happy that two of our group no longer drink and that I wasn't interested.

2) Following Jeffrey Schaffer's naming, the trail descends between larger Lake 2 on the left and Lake 3 on the right. But he only describes seven lakes. Where are the other three? (And if anyone is wondering, Lakes 2, 3, & 4 have fish and Lakes 1, 5, & 6 do not. Don't know about Lake 7.)

w/r to fishies. #5 doesn't have fish? really? back when I didn't take a camera and had a fishing pole
I swear that there were fish in the stream between #4 and #5... so I assumed there were fish in #5
#7 I'm pretty sure does not have fish.
It's always amazing to me where I see fish. Fish in some areas of a creek and none in a lake due
to waterfall. Fish in way out there streams.. and... check this out...
there were fish in the little bitty creeklet SW of Starr King where the higher trail crosses the trail.

Anyway, as for 10 lakes... I dunno... if you include the 2 Grants and WL 9499 you get 10. But it's anyone's guess.
Could be the little bitty ponds that were counted that are truely in the basin.

This is Lake WL 9499 SE of the basin w/ Tuolumne Peak in the bg:

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Super human? Must be genetic ...

Quote
ryanmj
Super human? Must be genetic ...

Don't you mean Super Chick-on?

Ten Lakes is one of my favorite hikes in Yosemite.

There is a lot of bear activity there. I've done a day hike of Ten Lakes where I go 10 miles in and 10 miles out countless times and have invariably seen at least one bear on the trail. Last September I saw a mom with yearling eating something near the trail (looked like a marmot, but I didn't think bears ate such things). They bolted as soon as they sniffed us and tore out of there.

Ten Lakes is not strenuous at all. The elevation gain is moderate, though you will do some climbing on the way out.

Really? You should tell the clowns who had their food hanging from a tree...
Unfortunately didn't see any rangers on the way out... although not like I kept to the trail...

I wouldn't tell anyone it's NOT strenuous... the last up is a doozie to some.

EDIT: Schaffer calls it moderate... that's a fair assessment..
although dayhiking is always much easier than carrying a backpack...

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2011 09:09PM by chick-on.