A THOUSAND (ISLAND) REASONS TO TAKE HIKE TO THIS SIERRA LAKE : SNOW DELAYS SUMMER, BUT TRIP WORTH PLANNING.

Byline: Terry Wood Special to the Daily News

The arrival of the summer backpacking season in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is met by trekkers with a combined sense of glee and irony.

The cobwebs can finally be dusted off those trusty lug-sole boots, but as maps are unfolded and routes are sketched out a hurry-up-and-wait mentality soon sets in. For in years like this, when El Nino-fueled storms pummeled the High Sierra with impossibly deep banks of snow, backcountry passes remain glaciers well into July - or beyond.

Nothing like good ol' planning to help wait out the thaw. And here's an idea for an overnight outing that could be altered to serve as a day hike: a nearly 20-mile loop trip to Thousand Island Lake.

An overvisited Alpine gem, the Thousand Island area in Inyo National Forest's Ansel Adams Wilderness still offers abundant charms that make the journey worth the effort. If you plan to do this as an overnighter, though, be sure you are in better-than-average physical condition.

One of the most gratifying routes to the lake (there are several) originates northwest of Mammoth Lakes at Agnew Meadows, via the Pacific Crest Trail or, as this portion of the PCT is known locally, the High Trail.

Starting at a trailhead situated at nearly 8,400 feet - and equipped with a pit toilet and piped, potable water - between the Agnew Meadows campground and a nearby pack station, hikers begin, and soon complete, the sharpest ascent of the entire trip. An early start will ensure that most of the major climbing is done in the shade.

Eventually the route turns northwest and hikers are granted a panoramic view across the San Joaquin River valley to the imposing Minarets and Volcanic Ridge.

At an elevation of about 9,400 feet, walkers come to a splendid viewpoint that visually positions distant Shadow Lake in the center of an expansive series of serrated peaks and dramatic ridgelines. Reaching this spot early in the day is reward enough for making an early-morning start from the trailhead.

The course's undulations from this point are moderate and the views remain far-ranging and unimpeded for much of the 9-1/2-mile march to 9,833-foot Thousand Island Lake.

As beautiful as the lake is itself, probably the loveliest spot in its environs is its outlet, which northbound PCT hikers encounter about a quarter-mile before reaching its eastern shore.

Sections of the outlet are abundant with Indian paint brush and other wildflowers, which combine with rushing waters and the towering backdrop of massive Banner Peak to offer a picturesque setting.

Anglers may be tempted to test their skills. Careful where you tread; this is fragile territory. It is a difficult place to leave, even after you spend a long time absorbing all the beauty.

The area around Thousand Island Lake is justifiably closed to camping. If you get a late start, you may have to find a campsite prior to reaching this spot; several options appear once you pass marshy Badger Lakes. Other layover possibilities are found south of Thousand Island Lake at Emerald and Ruby lakes along the John Muir Trail.

In the morning, continue south on the JMT to stunning 9,678-foot Garnet Lake, found 2-1/2 miles from Thousand Island Lake. Camping is also prohibited here. The lake outlet, traversed by a rickety wooden bridge, is a popular subject among backcountry photographers - and brook trout anglers. The vantage here is nothing if not sterling.

Hikers who are tiring may opt for the trail that wanders northeast of Garnet's outlet to cut 1-1/2 miles off the trip's total distance . . . at the expense of much of the high-country scenery.

The best route, however, is to continue south from Garnet, where travelers will spot a T in the trail in 2-1/2 miles. To the west lies 9,265-foot Ediza Lake - definitely worth a visit if you have the energy, but add 6 miles round-trip to your journey.

Continuing east from the junction for 1 mile, hikers will reach 8,737-foot Shadow Lake in a large bowl formed where Shadow Creek empties. (Camping is forbidden around the entirety of the lake.)

From Shadow Lake's west end, trekkers drop 2 miles to Olaine Lake on the valley floor (8,000 feet) and walk 2 miles along the River Trail back to Agnew Meadows to complete the loop.

If You're Going . . .

Mammoth Lakes is the jumping-off point for Agnew Meadows and the trailhead to Thousand Island Lakes. From Los Angeles, drive north about five hours via Highways 14 and 395. At Highway 203, travel west to the famous ski-resort town. Turn right at Minaret Summit Road, following the signs to Mammoth Mountain. Here things get a little tricky.

The road to Agnew Meadows is closed and not expected to open until at least next week. But that's not the biggest dilemma. This is: The backcountry remains buried under snow - with drifts in some spots exceeding depths of six feet - and won't clear until mid-July or later. The good news? That just gives you more time to secure a wilderness permit, which is required for overnight trips originating in the Inyo National Forest from the last Friday in June through Sept. 15.

Permits are $3 per person and can be reserved by calling [phone] at least two days in advance of a trip or up to six months beforehand. Be prepared to give dates and points of entry and exit, as well as up to four overnight destinations on your itinerary.

Agnew Meadows and Thousand Island Lakes is found on the Devil's Postpile 15-minute series topographic map and Tom Harrison's ``Trail Map of the Mammoth High Country.''

Road and trail information can be obtained by visiting or calling the Mammoth Ranger Station and Visitor Center in Mammoth Lakes, [phone]. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Thousand Island Lake can also be accessed from Reds Meadow, farther south from Agnew Meadows on Minaret Summit Road, and from Silver Lake on the June Lake Loop (Highway 158).

--- Terry Wood

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO (Color) Banner Peak rises to greet hikers who reach the outlet of Thousand Island Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Terry Wood/Special to the Daily News

BOX: If You're Going . . . . (see text)