Backpacking Ansel Adams Wilderness (Ediza Lake, Garnet Lake, Thousand Island Lake)

Ansel Adams Wilderness is in the Eastern Sierras in Inyo National Forest near the town of Mammoth. We did a four day, three night backpacking and photography trip from Agnew Meadows to Ediza Lake, Garnet Lake, and Thousand Island Lake. The hike was about 3700ft of elevation gain and about 30 miles round trip if you include the distance we hiked to find campsites. This hike is full of all kinds of beautiful sights including waterfalls, wildflowers, bristlecone pine trees, snow clad mountains, and alpine lakes. This trip was truly awe inspiring and made for some of the most amazing landscape photos I've ever captured.
We stayed at Mammoth Mountain Inn the night before and took the shuttle bus to Agnew Meadows. We started hiking on Shadow Creek Trail to Ediza Lake, then took the John Muir Trail to Garnet Lake and Thousand Island Lake, then took the High Trail section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) back to Agnew Meadows where the shuttle took us back to Mammoth.
Here is a link to the All Trails route we followed: www.alltrails.com/trail/us/ca...
Wilderness permits and bear canisters are required for overnights in Ansel Adams Wilderness. Permits can be reserved at recreation.gov.
Check out our photos from this trip and more at the following links:
donaldcarlton.com
/ donaldcarltonphoto
/ pinoyscapes
Music: (Licensed from Music Bed)
Yearn by Chris Coleman
Under The Stars by Analog Heart
Sweet Indy by Davis Harwell
Endings by Will Pearce
Short Story Seven by Analog Heart
Aspen by Future of Forestry
Trees by Future of Forestry
Morning Texture (with Light of Woods) by The Field Tapes
Removed by Bytheway-May
And So Do The Memories by Async Ross
I am new to creating videos, and the shooting and editing of this film was a learning process I hope to improve on in the future. This entire film was shot on iPhones and a Go Pro. The style of this film was inspired by one of my favorite hiking film creators Kraig Adams.

[@maxgomez2832]

Amazing views!! Thanks for sharing your experience

[@kellystevens6464]

Haha I love the end where you show the run to pick up the camera. Beautiful trip!

[@lopezexplora]

It’s so beautiful!!

[@Roger-er5df]

Osprey packs! 👍👍

[@mikekenney1947]

This hike should be on everyone’s bucket list. I took high adventure Boy Scouts on 4 day trips there. We’d terminate at Devils Postpile and shuttle back. Given the altitude gain the boys renamed the trailhead from Agnew Meadows to Agony Meadows. Was always everybody’s favorite hike. Watched boys become men before my very eyes. So much beauty

[@ralphdady3728]

Thanks for taking me along. I’m 71 and most likely not go on this hike. I feel I could just taking the time to do it.

[@lopezexplora]

Got my subed 🥾🥾

[@timothyzaspaljr.7878]

Your videography is spectacular & truly captures the beauty of the area. Would love to see you up your game with LNT principles & campsite selection. Night 1 placing tents on alpine meadow is a big no-no & a great way to get eaten alive by mosquitoes. Night 3 it looks like camp was set up right on the water and right on the trail.

[@akiraday]

It’s gorgeous! One of my favorite hikes to the heart ❤

[@leedavis6269]

What a great movie! The filming, the editing, the music… blended perfectly. That was a lot of work, but you captured the beauty and adventure well. One of best I’ve seen on this part of the JMT. Thank You for sharing it. I’ve hiked those trails several times many years ago. I wish I had the cameras they have now back then. Great to see the beauty again… without the mosquitoes. :-)

[@mariedesroches6884]

Thanks for such a great video of one of my favorite hikes. Getting on in years so haven’t made this hike in 20 years but still love it. I appreciate the music and very little commentary. Really gorgeous video. Thank you 🎆

[@jaxbaumhaus8063]

Thanks brothers. I’m going solo for 6 nights, 7 days starting tomorrow. Thanks again.

[@peterhickox9137]

What a majestic site 💯♥️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@joshoedewaldt5208]

This video was amazing. Raw, no talking, and showed the sierras well. Love the ending too! Thank you, would love more content like this!

[@fabman101fabman5]

Thank you for such a great video experince. Felt like I was on the trails with you. Great work!

[@prwoolrich]

Thank you for enabling me to remember a trip I took here in 2007 truly remarkable place so majestic and beautiful and so pleased you enjoyed your time there ATB

[@mermeg3783]

Excellent video. Very calming to watch/. Thanks for creating and sharing.

[@markapuan]

I just did this hike, but from Silver lake side starting at Rush Creek trailhead. It was just an amazing hike, the views were absolutely breathtaking and every step and elevation gain you worked for the payoffs. This was my first time in the Sierras and huge introduction to backpacking and more adventures to come for myself!

[@Kendogi]

Well done. Very soulful. John Muir would approve.

[@mariachernoff774]

For all the.effort of positioning the camera and for the fantastic views of the sierras, well done! I enjoyed the video very much!!❤.

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Thank you very much!

[@gregskolozdra]

What an amazing and beautiful video! Thanks for sharing!

[@f1346m]

Thank you for showing us this beauty!

[@Raevenswood]

Very nice! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this.

[@TrilogyHiking]

Lovely video!!! The end clips where you run back to grab the camera were great! I'd love to see a pack listing for the fellow with the GG Mariposa. I can never get my Mariposa to look that small 😭

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Thank you! Here's a link to my pack list for this trip, not including food and water. lighterpack.com/r/mb0cpg

[@TrilogyHiking]

@@DonaldCarltonPhotography Thank you SO MUCH! 🙌

[@MaryannHazel]

Wonderful video Donald...and I especially appreciated all the running back and forth you did. LOL! I swear going back and forth to grab the camera adds at least a mile to the longer trips. Those lakes are spectacular, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again soon. Happy trails!

[@jeffreypennjohnson]

Beautiful video. Love the storytelling and musical choices!

[@donzioldbuddy]

pure art.. keep them coming!

[@adeserti]

That coffee helped your partner

[@toddgrant7190]

A very nice video. Thank you for uploading and sharing.

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheAdventuresOfDougan]

Awesome video! I believe I did the same hike while in college. Some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. Thanks for taking me back there. I got a shot of the mountain and what was then a glacier backdrop to Garnet Lake with mirror water reflection, perfect light on the mountain. I printed it probably 50 times for cards, burl wood clocks. But don’t have a copy left 😁 Great choice of music too.

[@bisonic1]

Very nice video and a gorgeous area! Do note that camping should be done on areas that are free of vegetation - alpine meadows are very fragile and take a long time to recover.

[@darklyte24]

Very cool video. I have yet to Backpack here. Been wanting to go since watching Sheety33's videos. Subscribed to your channel now.

[@livinglifejill3924]

This was a beautiful hike to watch! I grew up going camping in the Sierra's, but I didn't do any back country treks. I live on the East Coast now and want to come out and do a loop in the Sierra's. This trail didn't seem to have as many major steep drop-offs as the JMT or the HST, at least, that I saw in the video. Did you see any wildlife? I can watch this over and over. Beautiful video!!

[@nickacoutin2505]

Did that 50 years ago I’m sure the road in has changed it was dirt back then .

[@richclark7475]

Great video. We are doing the same hike August 24th. How were the mosquitoes? Was there a reliable water source from the trail head to Olaine lake? Thanks

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Thank you! You’re gonna love it! The mosquitos were pretty bad, especially at Thousand Island Lake. I definitely recommend bringing deet and a headnet. I didn’t use deet for the first two days and I was covered in welts. They’ll get you through your clothes too so maybe spray them with permethrin. There was a small creek near the trailhead but Olaine lake isn’t very far from the trailhead, only about 2 miles. Have a fun trip!

[@richclark7475]

Thank you Donald. Very helpful.

[@bisonic1]

@@richclark7475 We did the same area last week and almost zero mosquitoes. Never used repellant or headnet. Leave them at home now,

[@richclark7475]

@@bisonic1 Thank you so much!

[@Halfpace52]

Which trailhead permit? Can’t find any Agnew TH and Inyo has the River trail and high trail. Snarl Adam Wilderness has no permit site and it seems all through the Inyo. 😢

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

My permit was for Shadow Creek. The entry point on my permit was Shadow Creek - AA07 and the exit point was High Trail - AA09. I got them through the Recreation.gov.

[@hikingmule]

Beautiful location and you showcase it perfectly. The sunset shots are stunning and amazing how different they look with the color change. Was a permit required for this journey? You say you're new to the video process, but you did a beautiful job filming and editing. Your level of effort really came through. Kudos!

[@klayisbae3144]

Beautiful! Which permits did you apply to camp on Ediza and Thousand Lake? Was it River Trail or Shadow Creek?

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Thanks! We got permits for Shadow Creek.

[@klayisbae3144]

@@DonaldCarltonPhotography Thank you Donald. I didn't know Shadow Creek would allow to camp at Thousand Lakes! Good to know :)

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

@@klayisbae3144 Yeah I wasn’t sure either but I called Inyo National Forest and the ranger said to get the permit for the trail we’re starting on.

[@andrewtestin9080]

I attempted 2 Bears got us once, second time Rain, third time magic Agnew Meadow to Yosemite Valley perfect weather spent 4 hours a day climbing trees to make a bear cable must have had 10 pounds of rope. You have none I assume you all carry bear box

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Yeah bear canisters are required in that area. Unfortunately adds to your weight but I guess rope does also haha.

[@opaarthib15]

Amazing videos ! What camera and lenses you used ?

[@DonaldCarltonPhotography]

Nikon D850. I had prime lenses, which I regret because a zoom would have been more convenient and easier to pack. Lenses: Nikon 20mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8, and a 70-200m f/4. I filmed the video on my iPhone and GoPro.