McCabe and Fremont

[woodhog]

Has anyone made the trek from 10 lakes basin over to McCabe and Fremont Lakes?

[Phil]

Yes, I know the entire route(s), but haven't done it all at once from Ten Lakes specifically. What is it that you want to know? Did you want to go via Rogers Canyon or Cold Canyon. Fwiw, I would go Cold Canyon via Glen Aulin. Coming up out of Pate Valley is a lot of grueling, hot, not as pretty climbing.

[woodhog]

I was thinking about going from Saddlebag lake to 10 lakes then up over Shepherds Crest into upper McCabe and then over to Roosevelt (sorry, not Fremont) Was wondering about the fishing also...

[Phil]

I'm not getting how Ten Lakes fits into your loop. Double check your map and lake names. Ten Lakes Basin is way off course, roughly between Glen Aulin and White Wolf...basically above the south side of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.

You could also include Young Lakes in your route, too, as either an exit or entry from Roosevelt.

[AlmostThere]

Yeah, I'm thinking you mean 20 lakes basin.

Going to 10 lakes is a good 14.5 miles as the crow flies - and you would need wings, for it not to be the gnarliest route ever...

Fishing is "good" -- depends. Do you mean good for catching fish, or for catching lunkers? Sitting at the inlet at Saddlebag gets you nice rainbows. The rest of the lakes? you can theoretically catch goldens, cutthroats, brook, brown, rainbow... but the browns are in Saddlebag itself, the smaller lakes have very shy fish that see a whole lot of lures, the brook trout always bite but the rest are more careful.

[woodhog]

maybe I am confused. What I was thinking about was leaving Saddlebag Lake, heading North, towards Lundy Canyon. I was told that was the 10 lake loop. There is a trail shown to the top of that ridge to the West to Shepherd Crest, near Conness Glacier. From here down to upper McCabe lake then south to Roosevelt is high elevation cross country, no shown trails. Was wondering if anyone had made this trek, and what fishing was like @McCabe and Roosevelt lake. Sorry for the confusion.

[AlmostThere]

That's the 20 Lakes Basin. See the Saddlebag resort page: http://www.saddlebaglakeresort.com/amenities.html

Here is a report about McCabe from 2011. http://sierrafish.com/lakes/upper-mccab ... ake-tc.php

[balzaccom]

There are fish in the McCabe lakes. Not in Roosevelt, so far as I know...

[markskor]

Reading AlmostThere's TR...there is a better way.
Same as above...walk to Hess mine and up to Secret lake -
Class 2 switchbacks, generally up west and north, till atop Shepherd's Crest but, when at the top/ saddle many (like AT above) err and go down and south...initially looks like the easier way but later, become "cliffed out" when working your way down to Upper McCabe (see AT's picture). Instead, at the top of the crest, head north, still uphill towards the head-wall. Soon enough a sign "Yosemite" and a gully down.
Good fishing at Upper McCabe and Middle too...never fished 9820. Roosevelt was gill-netted years ago.

[AlmostThere]

Reading AlmostThere's TR...there is a better way.
Same as above...walk to Hess mine and up to Secret lake -

FYI, That isn't MY trip report. It's one of very few posted online that also talks about the fishing. I would assume that anyone would choose the route they are comfortable doing. Your route is probably a better one.