Finding Umpa Lake in Desolation Wilderness

A Cross Country Day Hike

A young boy thought this small lake, off the beaten track, should be named "Grampa" but he couldn't pronounce that yet, and actually said, "Umpa", which the park adopted.

Twin Lakes taken in Sept. 2012

Distance: 8.44 miles hiked; tracks are for 6.8 (per Garmin BaseCamp) miles.

Elevation changes: 3135 feet actual climbing and descending. 

Elevation ranges between 6636 to 8134.

Driving Directions:

From Highway 50 near Kyburz, CA turn north onto Wrights Lake Road. Note that the sign I saw only said "Wrights Road". Follow the signs passing Lyons Creek Parking, and Bloodsucker Lake parking, on to Twin Lakes Trailhead parking.

Advisories:  There is a vault toilet at the parking, but not water.  Campfires are not allowed.  Even to use your JetBoil or other cooking device you need your fire permit.  Bring snacks, water, an extra layer for warmth, and me?  I wouldn't do it without a camera.  That's just me!  Swimming at the lakes is also an option.  Wind is not uncommon.

Because it was so beautiful, I have posted more photos than usual.  

The trip delivered skies with clouds roaming freely from horizon to ranges above, winds playfully unrestrained and cool, then a sunset and sunrise equally rewarding.  Fall colors splashed all around, even in rocky crevices.  It was a photographers play land!

Umpa Lake from the west side looking east to the notch in the saddle leading to Twin Lakes.  Taken in Sept. 2012

     To find the trail, start at the Twin Lakes Trailhead parking lot.  On the northwest, there is a closed forestry gate.  Follow the road a short distance to the trail.  There is a sign pointing the way to the trailhead near Wrights Lake.  When you get to the bridge there is a large forestry sign at which it only takes a minute to fill out the required day use permit (no fees but donations accepted).  Follow the trail to the right, not over the bridge. 
     At the first junction, there is a wooden sign giving directions; take the trail heading eastward, to the right, on a fairly steep uphill section of clearly marked trail.  (My trek was counter clockwise, but either way works, and a map is posted at the bottom of this article, as well as a link for GPS Tracks.)

 You will pass a sign clearly marking the entry into Desolation Wilderness.

The next junction has a easily visible post pointing left to Twin Lakes and right to Grouse Lake.  Follow it left across the open granite where you will head gradually upward.

There are some creek crossings, although at this time of year (September) most are dry or close to it.

There are also unnamed ponds, swimming holes, and a lake. 



As you climb you are treated to some sweeping views of the valley; have your camera ready.

Hikers are also treated to colorful views of the peaks ahead. 
In the spring and summertime the colors are from wildflowers.

If you feel you have lost sight of the trail on the granite, do a visual sweep and most likely you will see the obvious trail marked by rows of rocks, or stacks of large rocks, resume. 

Volunteering  at Twin Lakes western shore.

The trickiest place for me was at Twin Lakes where I read that you cross the saddle on the left (WNW of the lake) going up. From here it is a cross country hike. I had a hard time finding the "trail" since it is just a use trail and is not maintained or marked. It is narrow at first then disappears. To assist your search, I hope my photos help. This lone tree was right on my way up and a hard to miss landmark.

This photo was taken as I reached the top of the saddle.  The tracks I had downloaded led down through the dirt and grasses.  My personal preference is to hike on the granite, so I went down on the right side of the creek bed using the rocks.

Umpa Lake was smaller than I expected, barely a pond! With all the granite

surrounding it, it is a small oasis.

When you get to the top of the saddle, head downward going northwest.  You will see Umpa in the distance below.  It is small, marshy, surrounded by a few trees.  A scenic distant view will open up on the west to as far away as the eye can see!

Looking back up toward Umpa.

I made the loop by hiking cross country downhill to the west, looking for a place to camp in less wind! As the day grew shorter, the wind got a little blustery with me! The pressure was on!  I spotted sparse trees on the southwest but the wind was still more than I wanted to battle overnight and there wasn't a water supply.

I didn't have an exact destination and I ended up camping near Enchanted Pools largest pool. I got there at sunset and quickly set up camp.

I had somehow not packed my headlamp so I didn't want to be searching for things in the dark.  I got water purified, my tent set up, and was eating my dehydrated teryiaki chicken and rice (two servings!).  The moon was bright and dimmed the stars, but created postcard perfect reflections on the pool. 

  Please respect the no fire orders for this reason.  One tiny mistake could forever change the wilderness.

I hiked out going downstream, from one enchanted pool to another pool, each brighter and more beautiful than the one before!

Once I reached the point where the trail leads back up onto the granite and away from the creek, I headed southwest across the granite. 



To the east you won't miss these tall dark cliffs.

You will head back into these woods, already brightly dressed for autumn,

and will meet up with the familiar Twin Lakes/Grouse Lake trail.  From there it is westward to return to the trailhead through the woods.  Fall colors are settling in already, and although the cold temperatures haven't hit, it won't be long.  Take a rain parka at least; I recommend something for a warmer layer.  When you get up higher, the winds sometimes get colder and have nothing to restrain them!

Overnight permits
GPS Tracks

More trails to discover:

Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous

See the Full Table of Contents.

                                                                                       
                                                                                          Added updated links and Table of Contents 06-2016

 Happy Trails!

Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake, Desolation Wilderness 2013



There are some amazingly rugged waterfalls and cascades along the creeks,

with especially inviting pools on the way to Island Lake.



Fall colors are vivid contrasts to the granite along the Twin Lakes Trail. 

Taken in Sept. 2012

Miles: Our round trip was 7.95 miles with stops at ponds, lakes, creeks and waterfalls.

Elevation range:  7,000 - 8,120 feet  (3,197 total per Basecamp, Garmin 62s)

Difficulty:   Moderate~Strenuous.  It is uphill, rocky, and around 8 miles.  Some skill is needed to look for and keep on the trail.  Avoid following cairns.  They are often down on your return trip and unreliable.  You never know who placed them or why, or if their destination was the same as yours.  Same idea if you set them up. They could very well be gone on your return trip.  Use the terrain, lakes and creeks as guides to stay found, and GPS, map, and a compass if you can.

Driving Directions:  From Highway 50 near Kyburz, CA turn north onto Wrights Lake Road.  Note that the sign I saw only said "Wrights Road".  Follow the signs passing Lyons Creek Parking, and Bloodsucker Lake parking, on to Twin Lakes Trailhead parking.

To the Trailhead:  From the north side of the parking lot you'll see a closed metal gate.  Go around it and follow the pavement a short distance until you see a sign for the Twin Lakes Trail and Grouse-Hemlock Trail that points to your right.  Follow that and there is a big sign at the trailhead where you need to fill out a day permit, no fees, for entering Desolation Wilderness.  The hike is pretty strenuous up to the fork toward Twin Lakes and Island Lake.  It is rocky and has carved boulder stairs off and on.  It winds through the trees alongside a creek, in and out of the sun.  Once you head north again toward the lakes you'll spend a lot of time on the granite in the sun.

Notes:   Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must.  I suggest packing along a parka or hoodie in case of weather changes.  It tends to be more windy up top too.  Take plenty of water and snacks.  Hiking poles are a fantastic help!  To backpack, you'll need to contact a ranger station or go online to Desolation Wilderness website and get a permit there.  There are minimal fees.  Other regulations or restrictions can be found on that link also.  Fishing there is very popular; be sure to have your license with you.

WILDFLOWERS IN JUNE:  I am no expert but try to name them for the curious. 

Along with wildflowers come moths and butterflies like this beauty, a Field Crescent Butterfly, and this one was camera friendly!

Buckwheat

Lily, the dog is playing in the water behind the Camas Lilies.

Crimson Columbine

Meadow Larkspur

Pink Indian Paintbrush

Monkey Flowers

Small Larkspur

Along the way the views behind you are startlingly clear and distant.

Lily found every pond and creek to play in!

We were looking up along the way to the uppermost lake, Island Lake.

We found the trail fairly easy to follow by looking for landmarks like these rock walls.

Other places were rocky but had a well groomed path leading into sections like this one of well placed rocks, obviously not built by nature, but unobtrusively leading the way.  Desolation Volunteer and his dog hiking to Island Lake.  Volunteers are out on the trails to help visitors, so feel free to approach them.

There were stunted trees along the mostly granite hike on Twin Lakes Trail that 
offered us some shady respites
from the glaring sun.  Wear sunglasses.



The trail over large areas of flat granite slabs were lined with large stones that made it clear enough to follow without doubt.

This is one of several inviting brilliant pools along the way.  They
stood out vividly from the grey acres of granite.

Not so inviting, but very helpful stones placed in the path so hikers
didn't have to slug through the muddy area.

Peachy Hiker (take by me) at Twin Lakes on the west side. My tripod was almost useless
due to the winds up there, but the weather was perfect for this hike.

Boomerang Lake

And finally we reached Island Lake!  The wind up there was pretty cold and swimming wasn't a big option.  It can be though and backpackers have plenty of room to camp at this lake and others along the way.

This was the south side of Island Lake, still snowy in September!

Another lake along the way.

The last part of your return hike will take you back through the woods and shade, and yes, the dreaded carnivorous biting black beasts some kindly call mosquitoes.  Repellent didn't seem to phase them!

Nearing the end of a long day, sunset makes the trailhead picturesque. The parking and restroom will be to your left after you stroll through the cabin area.

This map courtesy of Every Trail shows my GPS tracks and our speed.

GPS tracks of my hike can be found at
Every Trail:
Island Lake in Desolation Wilderness has elevation profile graph too!  But ignore the stated speed.  We were doing trail work along the way.
Island Lake in Desolation Wilderness at Wikiloc.

Related Posts

Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous

Happy Trails!  Thanks for dropping by!

Updated links and facts, corrected spelling 06-2016

HAPPY TRAILS!

Updated Oct. 2013