The Great Outdoors

Day Five

Mackenzie Lake to Swallowtail Pass to Thimbleberry Grove

The view from Swallowtail Pass is magnificent: each turn of the switchback takes you higher into the heavens—be sure to stop at the scenic overlook once you get to the top.

In addition to Helen Theresa Peak in the southwest, the overlook gives a stunning glimpse of the Three Daughters off to the east. Hikers of all levels should take precautions on these narrow trails, as they are rockier and steeper than the terrain covered previously along the Mackenzie Lake Loop.

—Henry Herrington, Backpacking the Sierras: A Beginner’s Handbook (Fourth Edition)