McGee Pass and Tully Lake: Sierra Nevada

Big McGee Lake sunrise

Camo eating breakfast

hiking up and out of Big McGee Lake basin

Camo dwarfed by rock

Hiking up towards McGee Pass

Looking down towards little McGee lake

Small snow melt lake

McGee Pass 11,895 feet

meadows still appeared to be unusually dry

Tully Lake

Camo and I woke up after the sun rose over the ridge and broke down our tents after breakfast. We still had a climb ahead of us to get up and over McGee Pass. We were not sure what our final destination for the day was going to be, and we began the guessing game of locating the pass from the trail below as we hiked. We made several guesses that all turned out to be wrong. Just below the pass, we met a woman who was returning from her trip. She changed our entire itinerary after talking to her. She suggested we camp near Tully Lake and do some cross country hiking off trail near the lake and do some exploring. Our current plan, according to her, was ambitious, but also would take us into crowded areas. Her suggestion would take us away from the crowds, and allow for a much more leisurely, enjoyable experience. I was a little leary of hiking cross country with an unfamiliar map and not quite feeling "in the zone" yet, but Camo and I ultimately agreed and took her advice. After saying our goodbyes, we continued our task of hiking up towards McGee pass.

I was definitely feeling a bit of altitude, Camo and I took it slow and reached the pass around 11:00 or so. Visibility was pretty good, although there was still a noticeable light smoky haze, distorting the usual crisp clarity one usually finds in the Sierra. After hanging out at the top for 20 minutes or so, Camo and I began our decent, our destination for the day was Tully Lake, only a couple miles away. We grabbed lunch near a waterfall, I did my best to keep my skin covered from the intense sun. 

By early afternoon, some clouds rolled in again, keeping the sun's intensity at bay, before we knew it, Camo and I arrived at Tully Lake where we planned to set up camp. The views were outstanding, the day's hike strenuous, but not overly so. We had plenty of time to relax, enjoy the views, and do some exploring. It was a great day...