Got to take 6 days to cool around exploring this hard-to-get-to plateau. The John Muir Trail used to go through here before they finished the “Golden Staircase” north of Palisades Lakes in the early thirties. The old trail has since been neglected and the basin mostly overlooked. It’s not easy to get up here! Started at Taboose Pass, almost 6000 ft. up the eastern Sierra wall, then cross-country west off the JMT and over Cartridge Pass from the south. More photos and a trip report on my site PlanetRambler.com
Unnamed lake atop the first plateau. Across the valley is Bench Lake.
First glimpse north in to Lake Basin from Cartridge Pass
Part of the big L-shaped lake in Lake Basin
Marion Lake
Palisades at Marion Lake
North side of Cartridge Pass is simply a goat trail on a talus slope
Arrow Peak from the old John Muir Trail
The S. Fork Kings Creek valley below Bench Lake, east (L) to west (R). Don’t miss the big version of this on my site
