Ediza Lake

Ah-​May-​Zing!
I heard about Lake Ediza last year while on my way to Garnet via Shadow Creek. Fortunately I had a chance to trek up to Ediza this year.
I was told that between the split off from the JMT to go towards Garnet and Lake Ediza there was a piece of Heaven on Earth. Truly the scenery was enlightening. Shadow creek was booming (even in this drought). Like all the high elevation lakes it’s quite a trek to get there but the payoff is well worth the pain.
When we arrived there wasn’t too many good camping spots. We had to go around the lake towards the southwest section and camped a little off the trail. If we had just gone a bit further crossing a small creek to the «island» we would have found an even better spot by the beach area under the cover of some trees. My advice: Get there early and grab a good spot.
As beautiful as Lake Ediza is it can get busy. Not Thousand Island Lakes busy, but busy nonetheless.

Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Mammoth Lakes
Length: 13 total miles
Elevation Gain: 1,700 feet
Trail Type: Out-​and-​back
Skill Level: An overall elevation gain of about 1,700 feet makes this a challenging hike.
Duration: 7 to 8 hours, though 2 days is preferable.
Season: Late June through mid-​October.
Trailhead Elevation: 8,300 feet
Top Elevation: 9,300 feet
Other Uses: Equestrians and leashed dogs are welcome. Bikes are not allowed in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
In a region of exceptionally stunning lakes, Shadow and Ediza are two of the loveliest. Both harbor views of the Ritter Range that are among the finest mountain landscapes in the Sierra Nevada. Rolling through green meadows, conifer forests, and rocky outcrops, the trail rises by gradual degrees up the valley of Shadow Creek in view of Volcanic Ridge, to the left (south). Some stretches have been finessed through rocky benches by the vigorous application of picks, shovels, and maybe a surgical stick or two of dynamite. The best of company, frolicsome Shadow Creek entertains us with music and assorted pretty little tricks, including a very clever cascade around an island of polished granite