FAQ: How do you find hikes to hike?

Before I started hiking, one of the reasons I didn't hike was because I couldn't figure out how to find the hikes themselves. I always wondered how people knew about these hikes and how they knew where the trailheads were.

Here's the 'secret': we use hiking books (and now we use the web).

My favorite trail series by far is the Top Trails series; I have the Top Trails for Sacramento:

and the Top Trails for Tahoe.

Both the books offer specific accurate info on mileage, difficulty, trailhead location, elevation, and trail conditions, and both books offer a wide variety of hikes to suit all hiking experiences. I really enjoy reading them and planning my next hikes. When I do go hiking, I copy off the relevant pages (so I don't have to bring the entire book), and then use it (along with maps) to confirm any questions I have on the trail.

Now, how do you find people with whom to hike? If you're like me, you know plenty of people who love hiking but whose schedules hardly ever jibe with your own. The problem, therefore, is not necessarily a lack of hiking companions but rather schedule coordination with those folks. One easy answer to finding company on the trails is, assuming that you enjoy hiking with others, to join a hiking group.

I've found Meetup groups to be a great source of friendly hikers who accommodate a wide variety of fitnesses and experiences. Yahoo groups and Sierra Club groups also work, along with other hiking groups that are specific to a region. Most groups are very active, with hikes at least weekly, and they're mostly flexible. Joining a group doesn't require that you attend any specific number of hikes or lead any hikes. It just means that you can choose to have company on the hikes.

If you're traveling, and you'd like to hike there, you can join up with a hiking group for that area, and tag along with those friendly folks while exploring the local area. The groups tend to go to the classic hikes in the area (because they want to find wonderful scenery t00), and it's well worth planning to join them on the trail. To find groups, just type in 'hiking group" and your region; Google will offer you some options for groups to join. I highly recommend that route.

Even if you don't join the group, it's worth reviewing their hiking calendars to see where they go (and when). Hiking in the 'correct' season can make the difference between enjoying a pleasant hike and slogging through the mud or snow.

So, just FYI. That's how I do it anyway. :)

Carr Lake to Grouse Ridge, Sept 2010

Above: Carr-Feeley Trailhead reachable only via a two to three mile four wheel drive dusty bumpy road. It's worth it, but I would only drive it with a four wheel vehicle with decent clearance. Once you get to the trailhead, parking is tight along the side of the this four wheel road.

For this hike, we explored an area I hadn't been to before (although I'd heard some great things about it from others). I went with the hiking group, who are such welcoming people and fun hikers, and we set off from Carr Lake at the Carr Feeley Trailhead. It was a beautiful day, and I was thankful to have the opportunity to hike with friends in such a stunning area.

The trailhead pops you out on a spit of land between Carr Lake and Feeley Lake, and as I started out on the hike, I realized that it's not for naught that people call this area the "land o' the lakes o' the west." It's possible to pass by seven lakes and see fifteen lakes, all beautiful, all alpine, and all within a ten mile hike along this trail.

Since I'm a sucker for a beautiful alpine lake, I was very impressed with the whole area's access to these wonderful waters. :)

Below: Island Lake. The third lake after only a few miles on the trail. People camp along its shores (and on the island itself), and it's a stunning lake. Worth a visit.

Below: Me on the shores of one of the many lakes along the trail. See I'm wearing my trusty REI Stoke 19 and using my Leki poles? I use them ALL the time; they're great. Couldn't hike without them. (Well, I could, but it wouldn't be so easy and efficient.)

Below: Feeley Lake--the second lake on the trail. We landed at Carr Lake, which was itself beautiful, and then very quickly, the trail takes you past this little stunner of an alpine water-hole. Very nice.

Below: Mapping the route, of course. It's always good to have a decent map with you. I used the National Geographic series for this area. Trails are typically easily found and followed, but there were a few spurs that could throw you off track if you're not careful. Even withe well signed trails, however, it's still helpful, I think, to have a decent trail map and compass (and map and compass skills) with which to supplement GPS and signs.

Below: the famous Grouse Ridge outhouse outlook. You can sit here in here for pictures. :)

The outhouse is at the very top of Grouse Ridge, which is reachable two ways--either via a tallus field, which is tricky but fun, or up the Forest Service dirt road, which is easy, but not so interesting. You can reach either routes from the top of Grouse Ridge, which itself is accessible via trail (from Carr Lake) or by car from 20.

Below: Next to the outhouse are remarkable views of the area around, including on a clear day, Lassen and the Sierra Buttes.This pic is taken looking away from the monitoring station an and behind us is a view that goes on forever.

The outhouse is situated on the ridge next to the Forest Service monitoring station (monitoring the weather? fire outbreaks?) The monitoring station has a wrap-around porch, which is nice to sit on for lunch. The wind was pretty significant on the ridge, and the station offered some shelter and some shade for lunchers, along with a pretty magnificent view.

Trail Stats:

• Access: 80 to 20 to Bowman Lake Road to Carr Lake Trailhead. About two hours from home.
  
• Trail: mostly packed dirt--easier trail to hike on. Not too much elevation although the hike up to the Ridge is the steepest part (+1000 feet), but the steep part isn't too long and it's not that steep. A relatively easy hike overall.
  
• Weather: stunning--blue sky, sun, some breezes. Mid 80s overall. Windy on the ridge, but not cool enough for a jacket.
  
• Distance: 8.3 miles, including some wrong ways and accidental explores down some spurs (to Milk Lake, for example).
  
• Elevation: Carr Lake: 6703 ft; Grouse Ridge: 7550 ft. Total elevation gain (modest): <1000>
  

Further notes:

• Take your camera; I forgot mine, and while it was liberating in some ways not to be tied to a camera, I'd rather have one with me to record the hike. These pics are from a colleague in the group.
  
• Take your map and compass. It's best to be prepared.
  
• No permits necessary.
  
• You can also park at the top of Grouse Ridge and do the hike in reverse, which would be equally beautiful and possibly easier (road-wise) on your car.
  
• It's a popular trail, so be prepared to meet others on your hike. A good hike to do solo, however, since others would be around to witness any demise. :) Not a hike, however, for people who want to feel isolated (unless you go possibly on a weekday?)
  
• As always, take water with you; there are pit bathrooms, but I didn't see/notice any faucets.
  
• The lakes belong to PG&E which cares for and maintains the lakes. You make camping reservations, I think, however, via the Tahoe National Forest.
  

Echo Lakes to Tamarack Lake August 2010

Above: a view of the snow-melt river at the side of Hwy 50 on the way to Tahoe. I had been meaning to take a picture of this river for many months, and I finally managed to do so. Since it was a clear day, I managed to capture the reflections, which is kind of cool.

On the trail: My Mum was in town for another visit, and since she's a big hiker, I took her to one of our classic Sierra Nevada hikes--Echo Lakes to Tamarack It was yet another stunning Tahoe day as we close out our summer here in Norcal: mid-70s, cloudless sky, pretty windy, however, so we held onto our hats. The wind also created significant movement on the lake surface, so no mirror lake pics this time around.

We arrived at Echo Lakes at about 10, and although it was a Friday, the parking lot was already packed. I think we found one of the last spots. The trails were steadily busy, but there was still plenty of room for everyone, with a good mix of backpackers, day-hikers, and tourists.

Before our hike, I finally had the chance to visit the Echo Lakes store, and inside, I found a good selection of groceries plus the largest selection of Echo Lakes shirts and paraphernalia I've ever seen. Pretty impressive marketing there, Echo Lakes!

We set off on our hike along Lower Echo to Upper Echo, and we both hiked steadily, enjoying the view and the sound of the wind in the trees (which preceded the cooling effects of said wind on some hot hikers).

Below: We had lunch on picnic benches, which I didn't know were there, at the top of Upper Echo Lake, to the right of the water-taxi pier (which was making a killing the day we were there). :)

Below: We finally found Tamarack, which actually isn't that hard to find if you can find the boot-beaten trail. The trail is a little elusive because it blends in with the surrounding granite boulders and flats, but the cairns are pretty accurately placed, and the lake is worth looking for.

Tamarack is really only about 400 yards from the main PCT trail, and it's a sweet quiet little alpine lake--a nice break from the 'hub-bub' of the main trail. :) It seems like a great place to swim if you're so inclined.

Stats:

• Temp: mid-70s, cloudless
• Distance: Echo Lakes (Upper to Lower to Tamarack)
• Drive-Time: About 90 mins from home, off 50.
• Trail: a good mix of dirt, jagged granite rock gardens, and loose shale, much in the shadow of granite walls on one side and stunning lake views on the other.

This hike was my third hike to Echo; look here for my first (to Aloha) and second.

I typically try to explore new places with each hike, but Echo keeps drawing me back. I think next time, I'll take the water-taxi, and then use the additional miles savings to explore further in the back country--Jabu, for example, comes to mind along with more of Aloha.

Maui: Napale Blowhole

We went to Maui for about a week this summer, and we spent most of our time snorkeling and playing on the beach, but we did manage to fit in a tiny hike to a 'blowhole'--a hole in the coast where the sea surges in and then explodes through said hole. Pretty cool, and a great trip overall.

Loch Levin/Salmon Lake

Yes; Salmon Lake really was that beautiful. Lower Loch Levin is stunning also. Read on. :)

This week, I went up to Tahoe for a hike with my son. It was his first hike with me, and he did a great job--enthusiastic and interested from beginning to end. Very cool.

We went to the Loch Levin group of lakes (Upper, Middle, Lower, and Salmon) because:

1. I love glacial lakes, and I thought my son would like them too,


2. this hike had four lakes from which to choose,


3. the trail was relatively low elevation and so little chance of losing it due to snow.
   

Below: At the trailhead, Loch Levin trailhead signage is a little subtle; it's a tiny wooden sign opposite a parking lot, clearly a trailhead parking lot, near the Big Bend turnoff on 80. Follow the signs to Big Bend, and then, once at the parking lot, look on the mountain side of the road for a tiny wooden sign.

The hike starts out with a fairly rigorous granite trail, plenty of uneven terrain and loose rocks, and the cairns (and the map/compass) proved invaluable in helping us keep on the trail in the early stages.

Below: The trail offers you a variety of terrains upon which to hike; pretty early on, a small section with a lush fern covered forest offers needed respite from the granite sun exposure, railway tracks to cross, dried loam, some damp riverlets, and (mostly) fairly rugged, uneven, loose granite. Below is an example of the granite/riverlet erosion type of trail you'll encounter on your way to Loch Levin lakes.

Fairly quickly, you come to a pretty good sized creek with a small but musical waterfall, and a paddling hole my son deemed to be the 'best swimming hole in the world.' It's worth pausing to see this little water wonder in the middle of all the granite. You don't have to cross it, but if you come during snowmelt time, it's worth watching for a few minutes.

About the railway tracks; they're 1.25 miles, and it's a fairly busy train track. Just keep your eyes and ears open to avoid tragedy.

We placed a quarter on the track on the way up to see if we could find it again upon our return. (No luck; I think it flew off to the side somewhere under the weight of the train.)

Apparently, the train tracks were built by hand in the 1860's by Chinese laborers. They're still a major thoroughfare today for train traffic.

Below: My son enjoying his well-deserved lunch on a granite slab at Lower Loch Levin. It's a fairly steep trail from the tracks to this lake; you'll climb from 6000 to 6800 feet in 1.25 miles.

We had the lake to ourselves for lunch. We bumped into perhaps six total other hikers during the entire hike. The trail gets much busier on weekends, but on weekdays, it seems to be a secluded pretty little spot to enjoy.

On our way up to the lake, we did see an unaccompanied brown lab, busy and intent on his way back down the trail. No owners in sight, however, and no inquiries about a lost dog, so quite the puzzle.

Below: Another view of Lower Loch Leven: you can see water lilies and some leaves on the surface of the lake.

Below:: Just past the end of the lake, you'll see a sign indicating the way to Salmon Lake and to both Middle and Upper Loch Levins. You can see that the three lakes are very close together.

My son, however, chose to go to Salmon Lake, not on this sign although there was a clearly established use-trail to the left of the trail here, and so off we went to Salmon Lake--our ultimate destination and well worth a visit. As always, glacial lakes are stunning, and I had heard good things about Salmon, and I was looking forward to seeing it with my son.

Plus, it turns out that the lake has lots and lots of bouldering for an active teen. :)

Below: My son noting the number of catfish in Salmon Lake.

I think Salmon Lake's worthwhile-ness gets a little lost in the Loch Levin discussion sometimes, but it's a beautiful granite lake, and it's surrounded by views ranging from Castle Peak and Donner to the northeast and a stunning view of a baisin off to the southeast.

I highly recommend you try it out on your way to the other Loch Levin lakes. Visiting Salmon adds 1.8 miles round trip to your hike.

It's also fun and beautiful place to sit on a granite overlook with a decent map to try to figure out the surrounding landmarks, and its beauty (and close access to the Loch Levin lakes) really deserves a visit.

Stats:

• Time from Truckee (we stayed up here last night): about 30 mins


• Time from Reno: about 60 mins


• Time from home: about 90 mins (highway 80).


• Weather: stunning--mid 80s, no wind, blue sky. Take sunblock and a hat since much of the trail is exposed.


• Trail: no water at trailhead, so be prepared.


• Elevation Change: 5,680 to 6,850 (1,070 feet)

Distance:

• Trailhead to rail tracks: 1.1 miles
• Trailhead to Lower Loch Levin: 2.5
• Trailhead to Salmon Lake Trail: 2.6 mile
• Salmon Lake Trail to Salmon Lake: 0.25 mile
• Exploring Salmon Lake granite: 1 mile

Total mileage: about 6.7 miles

Spending time with my teenage son: priceless

Trail notes:

• Hiking poles a must--lots of loose granite, lots of granite scrambling.


• Sunblock, hat, and bug repellant also highly recommended.


• Arrive before 9 or 10 on weekends to get a parking spot; only about 10 spots total.


• The water was very swimmable in both Lower Loch Levin and Salmon Lake. We saw a requisite elderly skinny dipper at Salmon Lake--carrying his swim trunks. Sigh.

Want to know more about the Loch Levin trail? http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/documents/rec/LochLevenROG.pdf

Peter Grubb Hut and Sand Ridge Trail

I've been meaning to hike to the Peter Grubb Hut since last year's Castle Peak hike, and so this week, I finally made it up there. My son and his friend wanted to go snowboarding (in July!) at Boreal, so since Boreal was open this weekend, with a thin ribbon of snow, I dropped them both off there and then I hiked up to the hut.

See that ladder leading up to the front door? I've seen pictures where that ladder is hidden by snow. :) Nothing like that amount of white stuff on this hike, however. Pretty amazing that such a large amount of snow is a regular occcurance, however, to make that ladder necessary.

Below: Ever wondered what the inside of the Peter Grubb Hut looked like? I had, so I climbed the ladder and peaked in.

Pretty basic--nine mattresses and a wood-burning stove. It's meant as a shelter for backpackers and PCT thru-hikers, so the idea is that you'll have all your stuff with you. I can imagine that it seems heavenly to early season thru-hikers, struggling with snow and winter backpacks.

Want to know more about Peter Grubb?
Want to know more about the hut and how to make reservations?

Back to the hike itself, however:

My intended route was to go north on the PCT to Peter Grubb and then to go west and then south on the Hole in the Ground Trail to climb Andesite Peak. The Hole in the Ground trail was completely socked in with snow, however, . . .

. . . so instead I joined a friendly group of hikers from Nevada in their search for Sand Ridge Lake.

A Note About This Year's Trail Conditions: The last few Tahoe hikes for me have been a mixture of pretty soggy and pretty snowy (and consequently pretty hidden) trails, so I was expecting more of the same this week. These types of trail conditions make for interesting hikes with lots of opportunity for map/compass work, yet I'm still looking forward to clear trails later this summer.

No clear trails this week either, unfortunately. It's still a little early in the Tahoe hiking season, particularly since we had a late (and large) snow storm in June. I think most trails will likely be clear in three weeks or so at the earliest.

Below: So--sometimes the trail looked like this--a little soggy in places with plenty of small and large creeks to cross, but very workable.


On the way to Peter Grubb, you climb over the Castle Peak/Pass junction to rejoin the PCT (which leads to the hut) on the north side of the trail junction; plenty of folks there at the junction, regrouping and what-not, but several noted that the Castle Peak trail was still fairly snowy. Not too surprising since it's at 9013 feet at the peak. The trail junction, below, is at 7880 and was free of snow, mostly because it's a south facing area.



Below: for about a quarter of a mile, just past Castle Peak junction but before you reach the hut, the trail looked like this: large snow drifts, hard packed but slippery and slushy.


No trail in sight for about 3/4 mile, but we had plenty of footprints to follow (including a rather large feline print--retractable claws). We just trusted in the human prints and followed them to wherever they were going to lead us--hopefully to the hut.

As usual, hiking poles were essential on this hike. They saved me from slippery falls, and they helped lever me up and down the slippery snow slopes. They helped me jump over big and small creeks, and they helped me work my way up and down the trail.

Below: As we explored past the hut looking for the Sand Ridge Trail west of Round Valley, we left the snow banks and crossed several meadows--pretty boggy at this time of year but definitely beautiful valleys through which to walk. Remember to bring your bug repellant!



Below: in the meadows, we found these weird soil cylinders, not hollow and obviously created by some kind of bug, mole, vole? Some had a few ants crawling around, but none were obviously infested with any type of bug that we could see. Very odd, I thought, but cool.

Since we wandered off the trail multiple times, due to snow banks covering the trail along with unexpected ponds and large puddles, even with a GPS and map/compass, we couldn't find Sand Ridge Lake, but we did find some beautiful views.

Below: here's a granite rock garden on the part of Sand Ridge Trail we did find.

Below: this small snow bank covering the trail illustrates perfectly why you want to avoid walking in the middle of any snow bank in spring time.

See that snow arch above? If you walked on it, you could fall through that structure at any time and end up with an embarrassed grin and wet feet (best scenario) or a grimace and a broken leg (worst scenario).

So--ultimately, I did make the hut, which wasvery satisfying, but I didn't make any other particular destination--not Sand Ridge Lake nor Andesite Peak.

That's ok, though; the goal was to have a long hike at altitude in beautiful surroundings on a great day. I had all that and more--I was fortunate enough to find a welcoming hiking group that allowed me to traipse along with them for the majority of the day.

Hiking stats:

• Drive time: 1.5 hours or so from home
• Weather: stunning--blue sky, sunny, low 80s.

Gear notes:

• Bring mosquito repellant and, at this time of year, wear waterproof boots. (If you haven't re-waterproofed your boots this season, now is the time to do so. :) I'm going to do mine tonight.)
• Wear gaitors (ankle height gaitors are fine), not so much to keep the rocks out but more to keep any errant water out on creek crossings.
• On snow-covered trail days, consider bringing chalk to blaze a tree to help you find your way back.
• Bring hiking poles--not only do they save your knees on hills (up and down), they can also save you from a wet fall on slippery snow and rocks (on creek crossings).
• As always, take a detailed trail/topo map, particularly in possibly snowy/creeky conditions. Know how to use the map with a compass. The group's GPS ran out of batteries half way through the hike. I used the National Geographic Tahoe National Forest (Sierra Buttes/Donner Park #805). It worked really well.

Distance:

• Jeep trail to PCT: about 2.2 miles
• PCT to Peter Grubb: about 1 mile
• Exploring the valley and looking for the trail: about 5 miles

Total mileage: (jeep trail to PCT to Peter Grubb to Sand Ridge to Peter to PCT to jeep trail to car): about 10 miles.

Future hiking plans for this area:

• hike from Castle Peak along use trail on ridge to Baisin Peak. Come back along Sand Ridge Trail to bag Andesite Peak. That would be a three peak day and still only about 12 miles or so.
• hike to Paradise Lake which looks stunning.
• hike to (and find) Sand Ridge Lake
• explore PCT south of Boreal and hike to Mount Judah and back (8-9 miles round trip)
  

Miwok/Old Springs/Marincello/others GGNRSA

Above: A view of the multi-layered Bay Area ridges surrounding the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This view is from the Bobcat Trail.

And so, this week, Maria and I set off to explore further the trails within the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. I have been there a few times before, so I was anxious to explore some new trails on such a great weather day.



We started off parking at the Rodeo Beach lot, and then we walked past the lagoon and set off down the Miwok Trail (above), a fire road that winds up through the rolling hills of the park. It's a multi-use trail, used by runners, hikers, horses, and bikers. We saw plenty of bikers, a few other hikers and runners but no horses (although plenty of evidence of healthy horse digestive systems).

The trails are a mixture of fire roads and single-track-all of which are exposed with little shade. The hiker-only trails are the least crowded, it seemed, and possibly the most picturesque. They were also single-track--a nice change from the dry dusty fire roads that seemed to be biker-friendly.

Below: The Old Springs Trail offered us a much appreciated break from the dry dusty fire roads of the Miwok Trail. Here you can see an interesting wooden bridge integrated into the trail.



Below: GGNRSA trails are generally well-signed, but it's very helpful to have at least the park map with you (from the Visitor Center). I much prefer to bring the MapAdventures map series for Marin hikes, however; they're more detailed and contain mileage for each section of the trail. You can find these online or at the Visitor Centers in Point Reyes and GGNRSA.

I'm getting the hang of using maps and compasses now that I'm using them more and more on my hikes. Identifying exactly where you are on a map can really add another dimension to any hike.

Below: Some of the trails in the park are part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail--currently 330 miles long or so, but ultimately, the goal will be around 550 miles of interconnected trails. It seems like it could be a great resource for spring or fall trails.


Below: From the Old Springs Trail, we walked up the relatively steep and long Marincello Trail on way to the Alta Trail and ultimately the Rodeo Valley Trail.


Below: we lunched on a granite vista, looking down on the Gerbode Valley, on the Hawk Camp Trail.


Below: The lunch view: In the background, you can just about see the tips of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out through the hills.


Below: the more we hiked, the more I understood how interconnected (and closely wound) the trails within the GGNRSA really are. As we walked, using the map and the views ahead and around us, we could see and identify trails we had walked earlier in the day.

It was fun to see trails that we were eventually going to walk on the far off hills. The park designers have packed many miles of trails into a relatively compact area.

This area had at some point in the past been designated for development; we're grateful the people back then had the foresight and the fortitude to protect the land for hiking today.

Below: More views of the Bay Area ridges surrounding the north-eastern part of the park. That might be Diablo in the far regions.


Stats:
Weather: stunning--cool breeze on many hills, warm sunshine, blue skies. 80's.

Driving: 90 mins or so from home.

Trails:

• Most trails are well-worn and popular, so expect some company throughout. Not crowded, however, except at the Miwok Livery/Marincello trailhead where it was packed. The crowds weren't on the Marincello trail, however, so they must have chosen other trails to walk on. Perhaps they preferred the paved trail, down to the Tennessee Beach.


• Take water--no water anywhere on the trail or at the trailheads (except for bottle water in the Visitor Center). I took my 3 liter camelback and drank most of its contents on the hike. It's a mostly exposed hot hike on fire roads, so be prepared with more water than you think you'll need.


• The trails are fairly steep in places; many are rolling. Few are flat. Most trails are exposed; take a hat and sunscreen.

Trail Stats:

Miwok to Old Springs Trail: fire road: 2.4
Old Springs Trail to Marincello trailhead: single track 1.3
Marincello to Bobcat: fire road, dry: 1.5

Bobcat to Alta: fire road, dry: 0.5
Alta to Rodeo Valley: eucalyptus trees, fire road: 0.7
Rodeo Valley to Miwok: double single track: 1.9
Miwok: fire road, dry: 1.5

Plus miscellaneous explores: 1.0
Total: 10.5 miles or so.

Below: Google Earth image of Gerbode Valley--the area within GGNRA for our hike.

More info?
Link to MapAdventures site
Link to GGNRA official site
Link to downloadable trail GGNRA Map from National Parks site

Hidden Lake and Granite Lake, Mokelumne Wilderness

Yup. Granite Lake really looks like it does in the picture above. It was amazing.

So--for this week's hike, I went with the group to Mokelumne Wilderness/El Dorado National Forest for the first time this weekend. The terrain and scenery was a mix between the glacial lakes in Tahoe National Forest's pine and Desolation Wilderness's granite terrain; it was, therefore, a stunning place to visit.

In preparing for the hike by looking at maps and trail books, I noticed that "Granite Lake" is a fairly common name for lakes in the region (as is "Hidden Lake," "Lost Lake" and names along those lines). This week's Granite Lake, therefore, is a different lake to last week's Granite Lake. :)

In preparing for the hike also, I had gone to REI and bought a National Geographic trail map for the Mokelumne Wilderness. I like to see the big picture of how trails connect and their proximity to other areas to help me understand the area. Little did I know how essential this map would become during the hike. :)

I met the carpool group in Folsom, and on the drive up to the hike, we took the Sly Park exit off I-5. I had been wondering if the hike was going to be like Sly Park, which is a wonderful educational resource for K-12 and a beautiful lake. The area is very over-loved, however; it tends to get very crowded with folks who seem to want to bring the city to the lake--drinking while boating, playing loud music, and enjoying all the comforts of home including jet skis, crowds, and trash.

We drove quite a bit (about 30 mins or so--35 miles perhaps) past Sly Park, however, to the Plasse's Resort, through which you have to drive to get to the Allen Camp Trailhead, the trail's entrance. You can access the trail also at the top (north end) of Silver Lake too; we just went to the southern end for this hike.

Below: Plaque explaining the significance of Plasse;s Resort and the role it played in early Californian history.


Plasse's Resort is a little camping ground with a 'trading post,' a restaurant, small chalets, camping, and RVs. It had horse corrals too, but while we saw evidence of horse activity (prints, poop), we didn't see any horses at all on the hike.

Below: The trailhead: Drive to the end of the campground, past the "Trading Post" buildings, and you'll find the start of this trailhead at the Allen Camp Trailhead. Park here instead of in the restaurant parking lot; that resort parking lot charges $10 a day. The trailhead parking lot is free.

The start of the hike was a little confusing. We saw what appeared to be a mixed use trail at the end of the parking lot, and the hike map indicated a four wheel/mixed use trail for the first 1.6 miles. However, the only sign indicating an actual trail was a small sign indicating that we were to cross a creek, so we went that way. Immediately, this trail involved a complex team effort to cross a creek and then quite a lot of confusion, wandering, and exploring trying to find the trail.

In retrospect, I think we followed a horse trail sign, going by the lack of footprints, but in our defense, the signs were confusing, the snow covered up much of the trail and the signs, and we were quite happy clamboring around forging our own paths.

While we didn't find the actual trail for about three hours of tromping around, we did have a lot of fun exploring, bush-whacking, off trailing, and trail-blazing. We all gelled pretty tightly as a group; we had to stay together, despite our mix of abilities and speeds, and we had to make sure everyone was accounted for often. We also had to share resources--maps, compasses, GPS, and help a mom keep track of her three under-ten kids. Our main goal, unspoken, was to make sure that everyone was safe.

I found this hike to be a very different type of hike than a hike that goes up and down a trail. Because we were off-trail, this one was much more collaborative and kind of an accidental 'team-building' experience, and I enjoyed it very much. Yes, it was mildly frustrating not to be able to find the trail, but we still walked about 8 miles or so. Since my goal for the day had been to spend a great day outside, hiking in beautiful surroundings and with fun people, and since that was exactly how the day went, I had a great time. :)

Caveat: It's important to note that at no point did we seriously think we were in danger of spending the night on the hill. We had a GPS in the group along with my new National Geographic map of the area and a declinated compass, and since we could always find a glimpse of Silver Lake, the lake by the campground, we weren't exactly lost. It is accurate to say that we lost the trail, but we weren't lost.

Always, there were plenty of hills and overlooks we could use to spy landmarks to help triangulate our location, and we could have always returned to the cars just by tromping through the forest down to the lake and returning to the campground that way.

We were determined, however, to find our destination lakes: Hidden Lake and our ultimate goal, Granite Lake, and so we continued searching.

Below: When we did find the trail, trail conditions varied from dry dirt to wet creeky trail gullies to packed snow banks.




The banks were mainly in the shaded forest and created some difficulties here and there in terms of slippery surfaces and sudden holes. On the banks, we had to be careful not to tread over a hidden stream; the banks could suddenly give way beneath your weight, and you could find yourself hip-deep in snow with an injured leg.

Snow for the most part was packed, however, and as long as you avoided the thinnest part of the bank and walked safely, you were fine. And the snow added some definite spring-time beauty to the views along with some great contrast on the granite peaks surrounding us on this hike.



Below: Periodically, we'd come out of the forest into a wonderful meadow filled with some kind of plant related to corn and about to burst into bloom in a few weeks. This meadow, for example, I think will be filled with flowers in week or so.

Below: And we often found ourselves standing on granite overlooks, stunned at the view of Pyramid Peak in front of us, Thunder Mountain behind us, and numerous unnamed peaks around us. {This picture does not do it justice in anyway.}



Below: This dark volcanic rock, completely different from the surrounding granite on this overlook, had apparently been hurled from the volanic peak in the background of the picture above. That volcanic explosion must have been significant because we found this rock several miles from that peak.


Below: Despite our ease with being "lost," we were all quite relieved to see this sign at last. We couldn't believe that, according to the trail sign, we'd only walked perhaps a mile or so.

We must have been far off track inour wanderings because we'd been walking steadily across country for about three hours, and the GPS noted that, at this point, we had walked 6 miles. :) We elected to continue onto Granite Lake, knowing that Hidden Lake was now too far gone in the day to try to find, so on we went, intrepid explorers we were. :)

Below: the Granite Lake rock garden: After walking past sundry smaller lakes on the trail, apparently mosquito nurseries going by the number of bites we received, the trail changed from forest trail to a granite rock garden, with a sandy texture to the trail, and we realized we were finally getting close to Granite Lake.

Below: The terrain surrounding the lake explains, of course, why the lake is called "Granite Lake." It looks like the moon (not that I've ever been on the moon).

Below: The view for lunch/snack was well worth the effort: in the background, you can see the edge of Thunder Mountain--a hike I look forward to later this summer.

Below: the way back to the trailhead took us past this unnamed smaller yet beautiful granite lake.

Below: the view from the trail to Silver Lake--about a mile or so from the car.

Stats:

• Distance from home: about 2.5 hours (50-Sly Park Exit--Mormon Emigrant Trail-89-Plasses Road--Plasses Resort)
• Weather: crazy hot in the valley (100+), but on the hill, only around 80 or so. Bright sun, slight breeze, a few puffy clouds. Great hiking weather. Bring block and layer/rain jacket in case; you are on the mountain still, after all.
• Elevation: started at 7500; highest elev: 7950/8000. [Hard to say exact mileage because we weren't sure of our exact location for much of the trip.]
• Mileage: proposed mileage was 6.5 miles, but additional mileage/wandering resulted in 8.5 miles or so.

Tips:

If you manage to find and keep the trail, which is likely very doable if you start out on the trail and if there's no snow, here's the proposed mileage:

• Allen Camp Trail: 1.6 miles
• Granite Lake Trail: 3.2 miles (Hidden Lake at 0.25 mile on this trail apparently)
• Minkalo Trail: 1.2 miles

It might be easier to find and keep the Granite Lake Trail from the north end of Silver Lake past Kit Carson Resort. It's only a mile from there to Granite Lake (yet still the lake was deserted just about. Go figure).

Additionally, be sure to take a map and compass (:) , and know how to use them. There are plenty of resources online, REI offers map and compass classes, and libraries often have books focusing on this one topic.

You'll also need plenty of mosquito repellant; I have at least 12 bites on each arm, and those are just the ones I can see. :)

Map of area: http://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fsm91_057484.jpg