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From the junction at Potter Pass, the merged trails continue ahead (north) as one and descend 0.7 mile to Round Meadow and a junction with the George Lake Trail (8650´). Turn left (generally west) and skirt the broad meadow, which offers wildflowers in summer and fall colors in autumn, thanks to aspens fringing it.

The trail briefly joins Lower Twin Lake’s outlet before reaching that lake’s shallow, sedge-lined shores. Lower Twin Lake (8610´) is a snow-fed lake set in 800-foot granite cliffs that rise toward a rugged 9559-foot peak to the south. The lake has a gentle, mature feel, with large trees and smooth, lichen-covered cliffs. Small brook trout are plentiful. Although there are a few campsites, better ones lie ahead at Upper Twin Lake and George Lake.

Continuing to Upper Twin Lake, the trail skirts a diminutive seasonal pond and traverses an easy half mile to exquisite Upper Twin Lake’s east shore (8601´; yes, Upper Twin Lake is lower than Lower Twin Lake). The lake’s sparkling blue waters are interrupted by smooth granite slab islands that host surprisingly large Jeffrey pine, red fir, and lodgepole pine. But that’s not the lake’s only peculiar feature: It has no outflow. A few steps north, a conspicuous boulder masks a rocky pit that indicates water moving underground from the lake toward Kaiser Creek.