Previous :: Next Topic |
Author |
Message |
rubywrangler Member
Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Posts: 511 | TRs | Pics
|
After my housesitting gig of sorts ended and I dropped off my ballot in mid-October, I headed south in the cRV. I spent a few days meandering down the Oregon coast, camping at some lovely OR state parks, and landed in Northern CA. I spent a couple days hiking the Tall Trees grove at Redwoods NP (ok) and the James Irvine/Miners Ridge Loop at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (incredible).
My first extended stop was the Trinity Alps, where nighttime temps were generally still warm enough that the statewide ban on backpacking stoves wouldn’t be a problem. I had been eyeing the Trinity Alps High Route for awhile after reading about it on Leor Pantilat's blog, but some recent reports scared me off. Having never been in the Alps before, I decided to do some (mostly) on-trail exploring this time around. I picked up a delicious pizza from Tangle Blue Saloon in Weaverville and took it along for dinner on a 2 night trip to Canyon creek lakes, El lake, Kalmia lake, Boulder creek lakes, and Forbidden lake in the White Trinities (the western part). This area is among the most popular backpacks in the Alps but I only saw a handful of folks. The weather was ridiculous. 70s in the daytime, mid-high 40s at night, no clouds. From upper CC lake, there is a bootpath up to El. Then I followed a sometime-bootpath, sometime-deer path from El up to Kalmia lake, which was lovely. I read that this spot receives the most snow in CA, don't know if that's true. A quick side trip to the saddle overlooking the upper Stuart Fork valley and 3 more lakes (Mirror, Emerald and Sapphire) was one of the highlights of the trip. I descended a pair of steep gullies west of Kalmia and picked up a way trail in the valley below Thompson Peak and Wedding cake. Then headed back down past the CC lakes and up the much steeper and narrower trail to Boulder Creek lakes, a gorgeous spot. In the morning I followed cairns up slabby granite to Forbidden lake before hiking out.
lower canyon creek lake, wedding cake and thompson peak beyond looking up valley from the route to el lake canyon creek lakes El lake breakfast companion off route to kalmia lake canyon creek lakes from pt 7861 caesar peak and mirror lake mirror pass and n/ne ridge above el lake kalmia lake view from descent gully almost to the valley heading back to upper canyon creek lake, sawtooth peak above sunrise on hilton sawtooth and little granite peak from boulder creek lakes heading up to forbidden lake boulder creek lakes boulder creek lake + hilton boulder creek lakes sawtooth + boulder creek lake looking up the trail to boulder creek lakes
The weekend looked cold and I was ready for a shower so I drove over the Alps on CA-3 to Etna. Awesome drive, incredibly scenic. Made a detour to the Russian Wilderness for a dayhike that had been recommended - the big blue loop aka 7 lakes loop, a mostly on trail and partially off trail side trip along the PCT. It was ok. Big blue lake was lovely but the rest of the loop was not as interesting.
big blue lake big blue
After a couple days working from Etna, I headed back down CA-3 to the Alps for an overnight to the Red (eastern) Trinities- the four lakes loop via long canyon, with side trips to Siligo peak (8162') and pretty Lake Anna - on election day. Usually I stay up all night watching election returns but that seemed pointless this year so I skipped it - turned out to be a good decision. This is another very popular hike, but I had it all to myself. The Long Canyon trail climbs up to Bee Tree Gap, then over to Deer Pass where it intersects the 4LL. The loop circles Siligo and the best camping is at Diamond lake, which has views to Sawtooth peak and the rest of the white trinities. There is normally an infinity pool-effect but the water level was much lower than usual (this was the case for pretty much every lake I visited in California). On Wednesday I woke up very antsy for election results but couldn't get cell service anywhere on the loop trail. By the time I got back to Bee Tree Gap and service around noon, it seemed like the election tide was already beginning to turn blue. Yay! On the way out I made the short side trip up a rocky gully to Lake Anna, which was totally worth it. My favorite lake on the trip.
gibson peak bee tree gap deer lake and siligo peak summit lake siligo peak summit ridge diamond lake diamond lake cloudy sawtooth sunset dawn view from the tent sawtooth and diamond lake luella lake siligo meadows lake anna lake anna
On my last day in the trinities before the weather turned wintry, I dayhiked to granite lake. Very fancy campsites there. It was cloudy and breezy and I got snowed on briefly. Didn't stay long.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip(s) in the Alps and have already started planning my next one! Also the area around Trinity lake on CA-3 is a great place for car camping/caRVing. I spent several nights there in between hikes as well as a couple nights at Whiskeytown NRA which nearly all burned in the Carr fire in 2018. It is pretty mindblowing (and sad) to drive on Hwy 299 through Whiskeytown toward Redding. But the lake is still pretty!
Next stop: Sierras
|
Back to top |
|
|
flatsqwerl Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2010 Posts: 1051 | TRs | Pics Location: tacoma |
some pretty great hiking ideas here!
|
Back to top |
|
|
timberghost Member
Joined: 06 Dec 2011 Posts: 1332 | TRs | Pics
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
Very nice
|
Back to top |
|
|
geyer Member
Joined: 23 May 2017 Posts: 463 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
|
geyer
Member
|
Wed Jan 06, 2021 4:43 pm
|
|
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
reststep Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
|
|
reststep
Member
|
Wed Jan 06, 2021 5:13 pm
|
|
|
That looks incredible. Thanks for sharing.
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
|
Back to top |
|
|
Get Out and Go Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2129 | TRs | Pics Location: Leavenworth |
Very nice. I remember checking it out from above on a flight to San Francisco and thinking that looks like a nice place to hike. A lot of the photos could pass for the Chelan/Sawtooth Wilderness; which is definitely not a bad thing.
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
|
Back to top |
|
|
NWtrax Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 638 | TRs | Pics
|
|
NWtrax
Member
|
Thu Jan 07, 2021 2:34 pm
|
|
|
This area was on my radar a long time ago, it's back on now. Awesome! Thanks so much for the report.
|
Back to top |
|
|
rubywrangler Member
Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Posts: 511 | TRs | Pics
|
Thanks all - it's definitely worth a trip, especially with the mild fall weather in the area. Summer must be blazingly hot though!
I don't fish and didn't see anyone else fishing the lakes, but did notice a large population of some kind of trout at Diamond lake. Seemed to be lots of folks fishing the Trinity River.
|
Back to top |
|
|
benneke Member
Joined: 15 Sep 2018 Posts: 35 | TRs | Pics
|
|
benneke
Member
|
Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:25 am
|
|
|
Used to live in that area, you hit a lot of the highlights. You were there at the best time of year
|
Back to top |
|
|
NorDub Member
Joined: 17 Jul 2015 Posts: 56 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
|
NorDub
Member
|
Tue Jan 12, 2021 5:33 pm
|
|
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7709 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
Looks fantastic. I spent a little bit of time in the Trinity Alps, looks like I need to spend some more.
|
Back to top |
|
|
|