[polarbear-]

Has anyone done any hiking in the Trinity Alps in California? Any recommendations for backpack trips?

[Newt]

polarbear...I haven't. Fine choice for a trip I would think. The few times I was in the area I got the impression that it was one fine place. I had thought of moving into the area at one point. I likes the feeling of the area. If you make it, please take a lot of photos and let us know how things went, as I'm sure you will. NN

[Timber Cruiser]

I spent a number of years cruising timber in the area between the Scott Mountains and the Trinity Alps on U.S.F.S. and Southern Pacific checkerboard land ownerships. And yes, I could see the forest for the trees! Most of my work was based out of Trinity Center up the Coffee Creek drainage. I hiked and sometimes backpacked into the more remote sections for a week or more at a time. Didn't spend any time above tree-line and I know by looking at the topogs that there are a lot of alpine type lakes, but saw a lot of the trail systems established by the miners in the past. Some of the trails were the notorious pack animal types that go straight up the slopes, but many others followed the drainages through the valley forests. The history of the area is what struck me the most. There were mining claims and remnants clear back to the 49'er days all over the place. Much more than I had ever seen in the Sierras. Cabins, townsites, flumes(timber and hand dug), mines, equipment everywhere. It was just amazing to me the labor put into their tasks. Found one cabin from a claim back in the 30's (the patent was stuck in a tobacco can on a tree) that had a cross-cut saw still in a woodpile next to it. Probably was the same saw he used to build the cabin by the looks of it. Even their old garbage is interesting. You can surmise that they lived on flapjacks (Log Cabin syrup cans everywhere), coffee,tobacco and whiskey by the stuff they left behind. The lower slopes were rife with rattlesnakes and wasps. And you may never see as much bear sign anywhere else (fortunately they had dug up a lot of the wasp nests). Anyway, if you are interested in that type of history it is definitely a place to explore. I also recommend the museum in Weaverville.