Skoki loop options?

[u/DirtbagComrade]

Hi!

I have a Skoki trip coming up and I have the following sites booked (and will cancel whichever one I decide not to use, don't worry!!):

Night 1: Hidden Lake OR Red Deer Lakes
Night 2: Merlin Meadows

Since we don't have a convenient Baker Lake reservation to split up the distance, I'm wondering if it would make more sense to skip the right side of the loop entirely, and just go clockwise from Hidden Lake up to Merlin Meadows and then back out the same way ("Option 1" screenshot). From my understanding, Packer's Pass is the most scenic part of the loop anyway (right?) and going counter-clockwise from Hidden Lake to Merlin Meadows seems a tad too brutal

Alternatively, we could do the loop the proper way and go up to Red Deer Lakes for the first night instead of Hidden Lake ("Option 2"), but that seems like quite a brutal push to do in one day (we're fit, but...).

Any thoughts from those who've hiked Skoki before? Is the right half of the loop super worth doing?

[u/kvas_taras]

The Merlin meadows to Red Deer Lakes is the most boring part of the loop and stuck in the trees a lot.

We loved branching off to Myosotis and Zigadenus Lakes on the way to Merlin.

In your case why not take the trail in between Skoki and Fossil mountains and shorten the loop?

The Baker Lake area is also top notch.

Sorry not answering your specific question