Category: Seasons

Marbles Big Loop

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  1. Wooley Creek and Bridge Creek to Cuddihy Lakes
  2. Cuddihy/Deadman/Pleasant Lakes
  3. Ukonom/Independence/Synder/Ticknor Lakes
  4. Burney/Spirit/Tom’s/Rainy/Big Elk Lakes to Shadow Lake
  5. Maneaten and Shelly Lakes
  6. Grants Meadows to Wooley/Heather/Blueberry/Milne/Kleaver Lakes
  7. Wild/Katherine/Ethel Lakes
  8. English/Hancock/Diamond Lakes
  9. Chimney Rock Area to Portuguese Peak

Start at Wooley Creek Trailhead, end at Portuguese Peak Trailhead, walk back to car

Trinity Alps – Big Loops

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Starting and ending at Big Flat Trailhead

  1. Little Caribou Lake
  2. Upper Caribou/Lower Caribou/Snowslide Lakes
  3. Caribou Scramble to Emerald/Sapphire/Mirror Lakes
  4. Morris Meadows to Deer Creek
  5. Four Lakes Loop
  6. Lake Anna/Billy-be-Damn/Echo Lakes
  7. Tri-Forest Trail

Add on a few days:

  1. Tri-Forest to Kidd Creek VS Bear Creek to Swift Creek
  2. Ward/Horseshoe/Salmon Lakes
  3. Landers Lake
  4. Union Lake or Foster/Lion/Conway Lakes

Marble Mountain PCT

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  • Marble Mountain Wilderness
  • Marble Mountain PCT Adventure
  • Seiad Valley Trailhead to Etna Summit Trailhead = 55.8 miles
    • Seiad Valley Trailhead to Grider Creek Campground @ 6.5 miles
    • Grider Creek Trail at Road 46N72 @ 14.1 miles
    • Buckhorn Spring @ 20.8 miles
    • Bear Lake – Turk Lake Trails @ 24.8 miles
    • Paradise Lake @ 26.4 miles
    • Marble Valley Guard Station / Canyon Creek Trail @ 31.7 miles
    • Red Rock Valley Trail / Cold Spring Trail @ 35.0 miles
    • Older PCT route to Kidder Lake Trail @ 40.2 miles
    • Shelly Fork Trail / Shelly Meadows Trail @ 44.6 miles
    • Etna Summit @ 55.8 miles

Mt Eddy PCT

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  • Scott Mountain Summit to Trinity Divide = 37.3 miles
    • Masterson Meadow Saddle @ 4.4 miles
    • Bull Lake Saddle @ 12.3 miles
    • Parks Creek Road 42N17 @ 20.7 miles
    • Upper Deadfall Lake @ 24 miles
    • Porcupine Lake spur trail @ 29.4 miles
    • Road 40N30 @ 35 miles
    • Trinity Divide @ 37.3 miles

Mt Eddy PCT Highlights

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  • Parks Creek Trailhead to Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail = 16.5 milesParks Creek Trailhead to PCT/Parks Creek Junction @ 2.8 miles – 6,860 ft
      • Note: Lower Deadfall Spur Trail to PCT junction = 1.5 miles
    • PCT/Parks Creek Junction to Upper Deadfall Lake @ 3.0 miles – 7,220 ft
    • Sisson Trail 6W06 saddle @ 5.2 miles – 7,410 ft
    • Toad Lake Trail @ 8 miles – 7,310 ft
    • Porcupine Spur Trail @ 8.3 miles – 7,160 ft
      • Porcupine Lake = 0.2 miles
    • Gumboot Trail @ 13.7 miles – 6,510 ft
      • Gumboot Lake = 0.7 miles
    • Upper Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail @ 15.9 miles
      • Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail 6W12 to Laken Helen = 0.6 miles

Bear Lakes – Siskiyou Wilderness

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Bear Lakes are a moderate 3.15 miles to Bear Lake from the Elbow Springs Trailhead in Siskiyou Wilderness. The primary lake lies at an elevation of 4,850 feet with a small pond above it, while the harder-to-reach Lower Bear Lake is a steep cross-country scramble drop to 4,300 feet. The Bear Lake Trail doesn’t appear to have a number or official name, but is located off the Kelsey Creek National Recreation Trail #4204 near Clear Creek on Highway 96 in Northern California.

Oregonnator.com appears to have a recent photo of the burn and lakes, and a good description of Bear Lakes and vicinity:

USFS – Siskiyou Wilderness

Bear Lakes – Zach’s Adventures Article

Bear Lakes – Oregonnator Blog Post

  • 2.85 miles one-way, 1.5 hours hiking time

Alpine, Smith and Morris Lakes

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Alpine & Smith Lakes – Trinity Alps Wilderness

  • Distance = ~22 miles
    • Stuart Fork Trailhead to Alpine Lake = 8 miles one-way
    • Stuart Fork Trailhead to Smith Lake – 10 miles one-way
    • Stuart Fork Trailhead to Alpine Lake = 17.4 miles roundtrip
    • Alpine Lake to Smith Lake = 4 miles roundtrip
    • Smith Lake to Morris Lake = ? miles roundtrip
  • Season: Mid July – Late September
  • Recommended Route: Stuart Fork Trailhead to?
  • Difficult Trail – Steep Climb
  • Stuart Fork Trailhead
    • Highway 3, Stuart Fork Arm of Trinity Lake
    • 3.5 miles to Stuart Fork Trailhead
    • Bridge Campground nearby
  • Cross Stuart Fork @ 5 miles in from Stuart Fork Trailhead – Dangerous in high water or after rain
  • 2,600 foot climb from Oak Flat to Alpine Lake over 2.5 miles = 4 hours
    • Last 2 miles are steep and exposed
    • Water at 1.75 miles from Oak Flat where trail meets outlet
  • Alpine Lake (14 acres) – Brook Trout3 campsites at lower end of Alpine Lake. Fishing is better in Stuart Fork than Alpine Lake
  • Trail to Smith & Morris Lakes – 2 miles
    • Easier to day-hike due to steep terrain and bushwhacking
      • 1/2 day for 2 miles with backpacking bag
    • Trinity Alps Photo Blog – Smith and Morris Lakes
    • Avoid during lightening storm
    • Smith Lake @ 6,950 feet (24 acres) – Rainbow and Brook Trout
      • Camping on east shore, north of outlet crossing
        • Camping better up at Morris
    • Morris Lake (? acres) – ? miles
      • Camping on west shore near inlet
  • There is an alternative route to Smith & Morris from Canyon Creek Trail or Morris Meadows

Graph of Climb from Oak Flat to Alpine Lake – from Jan’s Jaunts Blog

Graph of Climb from Alpine Lake to Smith Lake- from Jan’s Jaunts Blog

 

 

Sierra Nevada Highlights

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Blitz through the highlights of the Sierra Nevada while avoiding the crowds…

  1. Drive to Tahoe through Lassen Volcanic National Park (~7 hours driving)
  2. Stay at Manzanita Lake Cabins
  3. Hike to Sierra Buttes Lookout on the way to Tahoe
  4. Stay at Tahoe State Recreational Area
  5. Stay at Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground for two nights and paddleboard/kayak the lake for a day
  6. Stay in Desolation Wilderness for two nights, hike to Lake Aloha and back
  7. Drive straight to Devil’s Postpile
    • Could stay at Grover Hot Springs that night but it burned in the Tamarack Fire of 2011
  8. Drive from Tahoe to Devil’s Postpile (~3.5 hours driving)
  9. Hike Ansel Adams Wilderness from Devil’s Postpile area
  10. Drive Tioga Pass to Yosemite
  11. Drive from Yosemite to Weaverville (~7 hours)
  12. Or Add on Seqouia & Kinds Canyon National Parks
  13. And/Or add on driving back up the Coast

DL Bliss State Park Camping Permits on ReserveCalifornia.com open at 8am PST 6 months before the date:

Note: DL Bliss Campground is not open in 2023 😦

Other Campgrounds to check near DL Bliss:

Desolation Wilderness Permits: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233261

Desolation Wilderness Planning Guide with Zone Map: http://desowv.org/files/Desolation_Wilderness_Trip_Planning_Guide_2022_08_18.pdf

Best paddleboarding Spots on Tahoe:

  • Carnelian Bay
  • Cave Rock
  • DL Bliss
  • Echo Lakes
  • Emerald Bay

Yosemite Camp Sites are reservable 5 months ahead of the date

Yosemite Wilderness Permits

Yosemite Wilderness Trailhead Maps

Yosemite Trail Information

John Muir Trail permits ARE NO LONGER through the Yosemite Conservancy only Recreation.gov

Top Trailheads for Permits:

  1. Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley or beyond
  2. Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon
  3. Glen Aulin
  4. Sunrise
  5. Lyell Canyon (John Muir Trail and PCT)
  6. White Wolf Campground
  7. Lukens Lake to Yosemite Creek
  8. Cathedral Lakes to Half Dome
  9. Murphy Creek to Clouds Rest
  10. May Lake
  11. Porcupine Creek
  12. Mirror Lake to Snow Creek

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tuolumne-meadows-backpacking-trails.htm