The closest snow to the bay is likely Chews Ridge or Junipero Serra/Santa Lucia/Pimkolam in Los Padres :) If you want snow the Sierra is your choice in Northern California. The fall months are much cooler and provide less water, but there wont be any bugs. Patches of trees and boulders, NO! in On Adventures The trip to Iceland lake (in the area generally called "Granite Dome's Golden Trout Lakes" by the Emigrant Wilderness Guidebook) was our first ever backpacking Stanislaus National Forest. We enjoyed the spot, and we had it all to ourselves! connected to the .gov website. The Crabtree Trail climbs gradually up a forested ridge for 2.5 miles to the easily accessible Camp Lake. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Heads up, on the drive to access this route you may come across a few creek crossings that may be unpassable or difficult if the water level is high. No more than 15 people and 25 head of stock are allowed on overnight trips. Only bushwhacked hiking around the lake for fun. We inadvertently found an unmarked trail that would ultimately lead back to the Bell Meadow trail, but that wasnt in our plan so we backtracked. There were a lot of fallen trees that had thankfully been cleared off the trail. We sat up at the top for a while, amazed by the amphitheater of sloping granite and patchy trees. There is not much mosquito. Overnight parking is allowed, and pit toilets are available here. 1 Pinecrest Lake Road Elevations range from below 5000 feet near Cherry Reservoir to 11,570 feet at Leavitt Peak. While this trip was originally planned as an out-and-back, we were able to identify a path down to Relief Creek and Lower Relief Valley and see some new terrain! I recommend this trip for a leisurely escape into the wilderness, as opposed to a trip where mileage is the goal. Sand and dirt are also good choices. We set up our tent on the beach and met two other backpackers, who were heading back to their camp on the opposite side of the lake with some freshly caught trout. Stanislaus National Forest Short, remote hike to some beautiful lakes. It was going to be a long drive and a then a long hike. Campsites spread across entire lake. Both result in similar elevation changes. The trail was very wide and sandy until we hit the border of the Emigrant Wilderness, when the trail turned into more of a trail than a dirt road. Pingree, Black Hawk, Shallow Hyatt, Rosasco, Lost, Cow Meadow, Yellow Hammer, Big and Deer Lakes are just a few of the more productive waters. I kept going. The weather forecast for the trip showed clear skies. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=15107&actid=51, TRAIL HEADS: GETTING INTO THE EMIGRANT WILDERNESS, Stanislaus National Forest Presents: Birds of the Stanislaus. We enjoyed the different scenery along the Bell Meadows trail, and found a few groves of yellowing aspen along the way. There arent any excruciatingly long climbs, and the weather is pleasant well past August. There are a few rocky sections, where the path is lined with small rocks across slabs of granite. Like much of the Sierra Nevada, the Emigrant Wilderness is a land of endless granite landscapes carved out by glaciers and water over millions of years. However at this time of year, only a few stagnant pools remained. The Backcountry Horsemen of California, Midvalley Chapter, Wilderness Volunteers Projects (National). In late spring/early summer there will likely still be snow on the grow; however, the streams will be flowing with water (and who doesnt love snowcapped views?). The wide meandering creek flows out of Kennedy Lake, which is pretty, but muddy this time of year. Explore the most popular lake trails in Emigrant Wilderness with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Choice to use NF parking lot, or pay at Kennedy Store (puts you 1/2 mile closer to trailhead). The hike between Emigrant Lake and Lunch Meadow is incredible; probably the highlight of the route. Kibbie Ridge, Kennedy Meadows, Crabtree and Bell Meadow are the most frequented. Bordered by Yosemite National Park to the south and Toiyabe National Forest to the east, Emigrant Wilderness is a prime destination for solitude-seeking Bay Area backpackers. Trash Collection: No trash collection at the trailhead in the off-season. The trail is dotted with lakes and streams, offering frequent water sources and campsites. No holding of stock within mile of the following lakes: Bear, Camp, Deer, Grouse, Powell, Waterhouse and Wood. A few of the regionally popular patterns fished dry are the California Mosquito, Light Cahill, Black Gnat, Elk Hair Caddis and Joes Hopper. I woke up as the sun began to illuminate the mountains. My 3-day October trip to Desolation Wilderness, exploring the less-visited northwestern parts of the wilderness area. Edit One of the shortest routes into spectacular Emigrant Wilderness, the Burst Rock Trail puts the steepest climb at its beginning. Every step I took on my left foot resulted in a stabbing pain near my heel. What is the longest lake trail in Emigrant Wilderness? When I got to the West side of the lake, I was disappointed to notice that it was a shallow, swampy lake. Author: United States. San Rafael Western Legacy District And The Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. The Lost Coast Trail is a 26.4-mile point-to-point backpacking route along Californias North Coast. It might sound counterintuitive, but most grasses and flowers can withstand being stood on for a brief moment of time, but will be destroyed if continually stomped on. We planned this trip because fire closures canceled other plans, yet this national forest remained open. FAX (209) 965-3372 This trail is estimated to be 45.9 mi long and takes on average 22 h 59 min to hike. Another note about the route: It looks very tempting to just cut across the landscape from the ridge to the eastern side of Iceland Lake. When shes not guzzling instant coffee in the backcountry, you can find her down the ski slopes or using inappropriatelanguage around children at the climbing gym. The Emigrant Wilderness is over 100,000 acres with over 80 lakes within a granite basin filled with granitic domes, ridges, and small hills. Check here to see if you can apply for an online permit. Most of the lakes are surrounded by lodgepole pine. Do not take this route, as it is a cliff down to the lake. #10 - Emigrant Wilderness and Sachse Monument Loop. Any time of year, head to Emigrant Lakethe Point RV park offers full hookups and lake views. In addition, I brought down pants and wool socks to stay warm in camp. After studying the landscape, we found that it would be pretty easy to get down to Lower Relief Valley as long as we stayed further west on the slope, towards the meadows under East Flange Rock. The trail passed through a pleasant pine forest. Campfires are prohibited above 9000 feet, and no campfires are allowed within mile of Emigrant Lake. I thought we would see the lakes at the ridge, but I was mistaken. The smoky skies made for an amazing sunset and sunrise the next morning. Closest Major City: Modesto, California(three hours). It was still near freezing when I started my backpacking trip. The route was created originally as an alternative to John Muir Trail and can be hiked in 7-17 days. There is bear activity in this wilderness. We left camp to climb Grizzly Peak at 8:29. Since we went slower in this area on the way in, we almost sprinted through here on the way out, just ready to get back to the cars & find some real food to eat on the drive home! Based on trip reports, I was dreading the first part of the hike because of horse poop, but it actually was really fine, probably because it was late in the season. This hike has off-trail portions to get to Iceland Lake. In Emigrant Wilderness, that was above 9,000 feet. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished into the dark. The resort allows parking for a fee at their discretion, but there is also trailhead parking a half mile up the road, which also allows free overnight camping to wilderness permit holders. We took this loop clockwise, heading in the direction of Camp Lake on the first day. 3-day spectacular Emigrant Wilderness backpacking loop Category Weight Pack 2.47 lb Shelter 1.28 lb Sleep 2.82 lb Worn clothing 2.83 lb Carried clothing 2.95 lb Food, water, and cooking 1.72 lb Hygiene and medical 0.76 lb Electronics & navigation 1.95 lb Other 1.71 lb Total 18.49 lb Worn 4.1 lb Base Weight 14.4 lb Pack Weight qty The views over Huckleberry Lake were some of the most impressive of the trip so far. October 24, 2020. Nat Geo Map 307 (Yosemite NW/Hetch Hetchy Reservoir) is best. Gently rolling land in front of Buffalo Mountain. Like much of the Sierra Nevada, the Emigrant Wilderness is a land of endless granite landscapes carved out by glaciers and water over millions of years. The longest stretch between lakes is ~4 miles, so two liters of carrying capacity is plenty. Upper Buck has great campsites on granite on the South side and good fishing. An overnight permit is required for backpacking this route. Camp: Gem Lake. My 12-foot rod bent as the line whizzed through the water. I enjoyed this route, but dont see any reason why counterclockwise would be any less enjoyable. Most backpackers take two days to make the 13-mile hike from the Kennedy Meadows trailhead to Emigrant Lake deep in the Emigrant Wilderness.A camp near Emigrant Lake makes a great base for exploring nearby lakes such as Buck Lakes, Long Lake, Huckleberry Lake, or Big Lake, or climbing peaks like 9,400' Sachse Monument or 10,500' Bigelow Peak (Class 1). Lot of consistent up hill at the start but then youre done and get to enjoy relatively flat trail the rest of the way. Stranislaus Wilderness Volunteers is a group of citizens who formed in 1991 with a shared love of wilderness and are dedicated to protecting it. No holding of more than 4 head of stock within mile of the following lakes:, Gem, Jewelry, Long, Maxwell, Pingree, Piute and Rosasco. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. There are many opportunities to extend the loop or go slightly off-trail to different lakes, so we were grateful for our easy itinerary. These activities include trail maintenance, habitat restoration, campsite cleanup, trail signage repair, removal of non-native invasive plants and teaching Leave No Trace outdoor skills and ethics. The trail, which is not regularly maintained and may at times be hard to follow, initially descends slightly to 7300', then stays mostly flat before rising just before the lakes. In the Emigrant Wilderness the use of bear resistant food storage containers is highly recommended . The trail was really pretty, following Relief Creek most of the way. There is some controversy about them, and some are being phased out, though not this one. Since it was now late in the day, the light was perfect. 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