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DAYS 4–6 (Martha Lake to Florence Lake Trailhead, 19/23 miles): Retrace your steps to the trailhead.

15 Red Mountain Basin

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Trip Data: 11S 370824 1184859; 43.5/51.5 miles; 6/1 days

Topos: Florence Lake, Ward Mountain, Blackcap Mountain, Mt. Henry, Mt. Goddard

Highlights: Red Mountain Basin offers backpackers the type of scenery for which the High Sierra is famous: Alpine peaks, glacier-scoured terrain, and sparkling lakes highlight this rugged area on the west side of the LeConte Divide. A bounty of picturesque lakes—some near the trail and others a short, easy cross-country jaunt away—make excellent base camps for the exploration of the extensive basin. Travelers can expect to find solitude on this multilayer journey along the lightly used trails necessary to reach Red Mountain Basin.

HEADS UP! You can save 4 miles of uninspiring hiking along the shore of ssss1 by arranging for a ferry ride across the lake.

DAY 1 (Florence Lake Trailhead to PCT/JMT Junction, 5.5 miles): (Recap ssss1.) Follow the trail 4 miles generally southward around Florence Lake, or take the ferry to the dock on the far side and take the ferry dock lateral east to meet the Florence Lake Trail. From this junction, go ahead (east) over granite slabs and up dry gullies on a combination of single-track trail and jeep road around Double Meadow and across Alder Creek to a junction with a lateral that accesses campsites at Lower Blayney Camp. Follow a forested path southeastward around Blayney Meadows and continue across the private property of Muir Trail Ranch. In the midst of the ranch property, reach a crudely signed junction and follow single-track trail southeastward across Sallie Keyes and Senger creeks, past the ranch boundary, and to a junction with a lateral to Blayney Hot Springs and Muir Trail Ranch. To visit the hot springs, follow the directions in the sidebar, “ssss1,”.