We ventured over to the east side to take advantage of the natural hot springs (and of the famous Mobil Station cuisine—the fish tacos are worth a drive!). Because of a rockslide, we had to wait in a long convoy to return to the park and only had a half-a-day to hike. A friend recommended Twenty Lakes Basin and we decided to give it a try. It’s a quick jaunt up into the high country and alpine lakes abound (hence it’s name), perfect for swimming if you don’t mind cold water.
And despite the cold water, we take a swim in Hummingbird Lake, which is quite a contrast to the warm hot springs we had just visited. As we dry off, we gaze at the glistening granite of North Peak. We see no sign of hummingbirds, but we do see several Clark’s Nutcrackers frequenting the trees around the lake.