Please see the gallery for photos of this trip.
Desolation Wilderness is a terrific destination for backpackers in the Lake Tahoe or Sacramento Valley area. There are lots of trailheads and opportunity here.
While the Wrights Lake trailhead (on the west side of the wilderness area) is my favorite take-off point, The Fallen Leaf Lake trailhead (on the east side) is another that I have enjoyed for several trips into Desolation.
Susie Lake is an easy trip from Fallen Leaf Lake. Parking was easy. Another lake, nearby Gilmore Lake, is famous for some enormous trout (never had such luck myself). The Pacific Crest Trail runs lakeside along Susie’s western shore.
An easy trip, but I highly recommend Desolation Wilderness. Susie Lake offers a nice base camp for a multi-day trip with day-hikes to other locations.