TR: Trinity Alps (6/24 - 6/26/15)

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pakoR
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TR: Trinity Alps (6/24 - 6/26/15)

Post by pakoR »

The original plan was to hike a 4-day loop starting and ending at the Canyon Creek Lakes TH.
1. Canyon Creek Lakes TH on the Bear Creek Trail to Morris Meadows
2. Morris Meadows over Sawtooth Ridge to Caribou Lake
3. Caribou Lake to Mirror Lake, over the ridge at the end of the canyon to L Lake
4. Hike Sawtooth Peak, then back to the TH on Canyon Creek Trail

We camped on Thursday night at Ripstein campground. There were maybe 3 other parties at the CG; we arrived around 10pm. It's a pretty well-kept CG sitting next to Canyon Creek. Temps were in the 50's at night and not a lot of bugs.
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On Friday morning we drove to the trailhead, and started hiking on the Bear Creek Trail. The trail is well maintained and exposed, with a few sections of sandy soil. About 4.5 miles in and 3200' of elevation later, we reached the pass on the trail.

SE view from the pass
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NW view from the pass, Little Granite Peak
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Once over the pass, the trail was less defined and you couldn't readily see it. It would disappear in the thick chest-high vegetation, and where there was open ground, you had to search for it here and there. It didn't look like it was very much traveled.

Continuing after the pass
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After some bushwhacking, we reached Stuart Fork. Crossing it required hopping over some boulders if you didn't want to get wet. There is a nice campground on the east side of the river. The Stuart Fork Trail is just above the campground. In comparison to the trail we had left behind, Stuart Fork Trail looked like a super-highway.

Stuart Fork
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Campground
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Stuart Fork Trail
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The rest of the way up to Morris Meadows was a walk in the park. There are many swimming holes along the way for breaks and refreshing. As we entered the meadow, we found a large campground which could easily fit 5 or 6 tents. We decided to spend the night here; there is a creek nearby with a few swimming holes. The next morning along the trail to Emerald Lake, we would find 3 other well-used campgrounds along the creek. It was warm at night, with temps in the high 50s, and no bugs.

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Morris Meadows
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Creek and swimming hole near Morris Meadows camp
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On Friday, we continued along Stuart Fork and passed Portuguese Camp and a few other campsites along the river. The trail here sees a lot of traffic and is easy to follow, though sometimes the vegetation has grown in from both sides, but you never lose the trail. All along, Sawtooth Ridge looked very daunting. Trying to figure out where the trail would cross the ridge was mind boggling. There is a sign indicating the trail to Caribou Lake. From here to the pass on Sawtooth Ridge, one ascends about 2500' in about 2 miles or so. The first 3/4 of the ascent is easy to walk on, but the last 1/4 is loose rock on steep switchbacks. However, the views are breathtaking all the way up, and once on the pass, nothing short of fantastic as you catch a glimpse of Caribou Lake.

Trail leading out of Morris Meadows
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Looking across the canyon
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Trail up to Sawtooth Ridge and to Caribou Lake
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Emerald Lake, Sapphire Lake
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Morris Meadows from Sawtooth Ridge
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Caribou Lake from Sawtooth Ridge
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From the pass down to Caribou Lake is an easy stroll. We set up camp on some granite outcrop overlooking the lake. Clouds starting gathering above the lake, and for a while it looked as if it might rain. After a few hours the clouds dissipated and the sky was blue again. The trail continues north of Caribou Lake. We walked about a mile of it, just enough to glimpse Lower Caribou Lake and Snowslide Lake. There was a party of people at Snowslide having a good time in the water. There were 2 other parties camping at Caribou who had come in from the north.

Trail from the pass to Caribou Lake
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Lower Granite Lake, Snowslide Lake
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Snowslide Lake
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Granite bowl surrounding Caribou Lake
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Caribou Lake
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Sunday was to be the longest and most difficult day. We would go back up the way we came in, down to Stuart Fork, then to Mirror Lake. We started at 6am and the day was already warming up. We reached the pass within an hour and sat down to absorb the beauty of the area. The south side of the pass was covered in wildflowers which I hadn't really payed attention to the day before. The descent to Stuart Creek will take a toll on your knees; poles are highly recommended. Continuing up the canyon, we reached Emerald Lake which we had been staring at all morning long. The section from Emerald to Sapphire lake is primarily walking on granite: crushed rock, steps, and boulders. At Sapphire Lake we encountered some steel pipes, gears, and rails, remnants of old mining operations.

Wildflowers and amazing views
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Emerald and Sapphire Lakes
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Sparrow?
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Some kind of berries
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Yarrow
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Fireweed
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American Robin having a snack
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Emerald Lake
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Sapphire Lake
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We were supposed to hike up to Mirror Lake, and over the ridge to L Lake. However, as we sat under the shade of a tree, taking a break, marvelling at the landscape, snacking, contemplating life, and simply being lazy, we decided that this portion would be better left for another day. From here on out, there is no trail; all cross-country travel. On the way in, we encountered some people who had hiked up to Mirror Lake, but had mentioned it was quite a trek. From under the tree, it looked like it was going to be a good deal of bushwhacking through dense shoulder-high shrubs and more hopping around on granite boulders; in short a pretty long day.

So we headed back out to Morris Meadows, and the way we came in. However, neither one of us was looking forward to ascending 3000' feet on the Bear Creek Trail from Stuart Fork. We decided to exit at the Stuart Fork TH, camp there, and then worry about getting back to the Canyon Creek Lakes TH on Monday. On the plus side, most of the trail is downhill, and it follows the river with lots of swimming holes to rest, and great views.

When we reached the TH, we struck up a conversation with a couple who were out walking their dogs. It turned out they were from Weaverville, and they would be able to give us a ride back to our car. It was very kind of them to drive us the 40 some miles from Stuart Fork TH to Canyon Creek Lakes TH.

Trail sign for Caribou Lake
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Honey bee
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Common sneezeweed
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Fritillary butterfly
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Lounging lizards
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Great Basin Wood-nymph
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It was our first time backpacking in the Trinity Alps, and we enjoyed it very much. With so many springs, streams, and creeks flowing, I would have expected to be eaten alive by hoards of mosquitoes. However, they weren't a nuisance at all. I imagine earlier in the season it would have been a different story. Hope you enjoyed the photos.

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maverick
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Re: TR: Trinity Alps (6/24 - 6/26/15)

Post by maverick »

Thank you for this beautiful TR, to a beautiful area, love the pictures, great to see the wild flowers so abundant, have not been up there in ages, definitely one of the highlights of the Nor Cal (Mirror, Grizzly Lake in the Trinity Alps, and Spirit Lake in the Marbles being the best IMO).
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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BakoGal
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Re: TR: Trinity Alps (6/24 - 6/26/15)

Post by BakoGal »

In 1 1/2 years I'm moving to Scott Valley, and this area will be my backyard. Thank you for the many photos and preview of what is to come.
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