Stayed at Piute and Gem lake. Did the 26 mile buck lake loop. Really nice! 3 days 2 nights. Kept tent and bin at Gem lake after Piute lake making Day 2 a nice 12 miler.
Day 1: 7
Day 2 12 miles
Day 3: 9 miles
Bring mosquito repellent. Horses are allowed on trail so there is poop but manageable. Camping at Gem lake on the south side was super nice. Stream crossings were reallg manageable but had to take boots off in a few areas.
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The boys and I went out of our general area to hike this gem of a hike. Beautiful views, high into the sierras. Hiked to Piote Lake the first day and used that as a base camp to explore the area. We saw gem lake, scaled the granite ramps. You can practically climb any where you want to explore. Went back thru the ground hog trail. And made it back in 4 days. Excellent trip.
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The boys and I went out of our general area to hike this gem of a hike. Beautiful views, high into the sierras. Hiked to Piote Lake the first day and used that as a base camp to explore the area. We saw gem lake, scaled the granite ramps. You can practically climb any where you want to explore. Went back thru the ground hog trail. And made it back in 4 days. Excellent trip.
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Beautiful, especially the north half! Consider rerouting the last bit via the northern route, purely for visual preference. Lots of water when hiked 7/1/22.
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This was my first backpacking trip and it was a wild experience. The views are amazing and perfect for photos. We took the Camp Lake route to start the loop and it was much more difficult than the lower loop but the views were worth it. Will definitely try again someday. Personally I don’t think the trail is too difficult but I am a bit more athletic, the altitude can def get to you
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Great time to be on this trail while everything is green and creeks are running with plenty of water. A well marked trail worth the trip.
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Love this hike! Can be a bit annoying when it’s crowded with backpackers-but amazing when you get to the lake-and super refreshing to take a little swim!
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The views here are spectacular. Just like the rest of the Sierras, you see majestic views of granite mountains at every turn. This year, there was a lot of water, which unfortunately meant lots of mosquitoes. Still, the views made it worth it.
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