TR: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps

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Lumbergh21
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TR: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps

Post by Lumbergh21 »

I'm starting out small with my trip reports, posting a simple overnight trip to the Canyon Creek Lakes and Boulder Creek Lakes in the Trinity Alps. I believe the total distance, including the side trip to Boulder Creek Lakes is around 20 miles. It's probably the most popular hike in the Trinities. definitely a place best visited on a week day. Though solitude can be found at El Lake located off trail from Upper Canyon Creek Lake. As with all of my hikes (except for PCT and JMT), I used Cal Topo for customized maps based on USGS quads.

Despite the normal snow fall this past winter, I was able to get out on a very popular trail in the Trinities up to the Canyon Creek Lakes on my birthday at the end of May. The hike in was a pleasant 7.8 miles to the first creek crossing below Lower Canyon Creek Lake. With the recent warm temperatures and the snow covering the surrounding mountains, Canyon Creek was running higher than I would like. It was much too deep to ford at this point, so I used a log and some rock hopping to get across. I knew that I would not be able to come back the same way as the jump from the log over to the rock was doable but the jump from the rock onto the log would not be.
Middle Canyon Creek Falls.jpg
The trail continued on to the outlet from Upper Canyon Creek Lake where I was able to ford across to the other side with the ice cold water “only” reaching the top of my thighs. The final stretch of trail to the campsite I had spied from the bottom of the lake involved bushwacking along some game trails. Once I arrived though, I settled into a wonderful evening enjoying the majestic granite that surrounded the lake and the stars that came out after sunset.
Lower Canyon Creek Lake.jpg
Upper Canyon Creek Lake.jpg
The following morning I repeated the previous afternoon’s procedures back to the crossing below the Lower Lake outlet. Here, I began searching for a spot to wade across the creek but there seemed to be nothing but whitewater, small falls and deep holes (well over 6 feet deep in most cases). I finally settled on a log that would only take me about half way across the creek in the other direction but far enough for me to wade the remaining distance to shore. This log was much smaller than the prior day’s log at less than 12 inches in diameter. As I worked my way slowly out, keeping my balance so as not to fall into about 8 feet of fast flowing water, I noticed my knees started to wobble. I tried my best to calm down and continue, but it was no good. Then I looked along the log back the way I had come and saw that it wasn’t my knees so much as the log itself that was flexing in the stream. While that made me feel a little better about myself, it really did nothing to improve my situation in any concrete way. I eventually made it across safe and sound (obviously, or I wouldn’t be posting this), but that was easily my most nerve wracking stream crossing ever.

I continued down the trail, meeting several people coming in for the Memorial Day weekend, including a pair of guys with climbing equipment who were planning to climb the north buttress (I believe) of Sawtooth Mountain. At the trail junction to Boulder Creek Lakes I decided to take the short 6 mile roundtrip up to what were supposed to be views even more impressive than the snow shrouded granite walls along Canyon Creek. I was not disappointed. Once the trail broke through the forest and began climbing along the exposed granite of Boulder Creek Canyon, I had views of waterfalls cascading over granite buttresses and tumbling down the walls of Boulder Creek Canyon as well as the walls rising above Canyon Creek in the distance behind me. I made it to the main Boulder Creek Lake, where three people were still camped from the night before, and enjoyed lunch on a warm slab of granite enjoying the views. With snow right down to the lake shore in places, I decided simply dunking my legs in the icy water and briefly rinsing myself off was sufficient exposure to the clear waters of Boulder Creek Lake.
Boulder Lake Outlet.jpg
Boulder Creek Lake Inlet.jpg
View From Boulder Creek Lake.jpg
On the way back down to the Canyon Creek Trail, I met 12 more hikers headed up to Boulder Creek Lake hoping to camp for the weekend. I also met two seasoned hikers going up to Boulder Creek Lake for the day. The guy was 83 and still backpacking the Trinity Alps. He had taken a little bit of a tumble the day before and had some scratches on his forehead to show for it, but was in great spirits and a pleasure to talk with. I can only hope that I will make it to that age, least of all still backpacking. The return trip was largely uneventful though far from solitary. I quit counting the number of people hiking less than an hour after I reached Canyon Creek Trail. There were easily over 60 people hiking into the Canyon Creek and Boulder Creek drainages which had legitimate camping sites for maybe 40. The granite had reminded me of the JMT, and now the crowded trail was reminding me even more of the JMT. I was happy to be exiting. I plan to return in May/June 2017 and hike up to the Boulder Creek Lakes again as well as some off trail hiking up to the Forbidden Lakes (hard to resist visiting lakes with a name like that).
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Eiprahs
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Re: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps TR

Post by Eiprahs »

Thanks for an inspiring trip report.

Seems you are stoked on this area. You aren't alone, and if you haven't heard of the "Trinity Alps High Route" you will find this of greatest interest:

http://www.pbase.com/losthiker/talps_hi ... e&page=all

Hope to follow in your footsteps some day.
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Re: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps TR

Post by maverick »

Thank you for the wonderful TR and pictures, and the reminder of why I need to re-visit the Trinities again. Grizzly Lake and Falls, Mirror. Emerald, and Caribou Lakes have been calling me back for years now. :nod:
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Re: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps TR

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I haven't been to Grizzly Lake yet, but I did do an overnight trip up to Emerald and Sapphire Lakes in late September 2015. Rain and a bear cut my trip a day short. I drove up to Bridge Camp TH after work on a Thursday and hiked in a couple of miles before setting up camp then hiked the rest of the way to Emerald Lake the next day where I set up camp before heading up to Sapphire Lake. Since clouds were piling up in the sky I didn't take the time to continue onto Mirror Lake before heading back to camp. There was plenty bear scat around the two lakes and later that night, I heard some crashing in the brush near camp. I opened my tarp and poked my head out with my head lamp on. I caught two gleaming eyes and a blocky head in the beam not more than 30 feet from my tent. The bear took off when I yelled. It was pitch black due to the overcast skies, but I didn't get much sleep that night. Between the rain and the bear, I decided to hike out the next morning. On the positive side, I did hear some coyotes and a couple of owls as well and saw a crane take flight from the Stewart Fork right in front of me as I came around a bend in the trail on the way up to the two lakes. I'm planning on going back this summer, but doing a four day loop including Caribou Lake, South fork of the Salmon, and Deer Creek.
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Lumbergh21
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Re: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps TR

Post by Lumbergh21 »

Eiprahs wrote:Thanks for an inspiring trip report.

Seems you are stoked on this area. You aren't alone, and if you haven't heard of the "Trinity Alps High Route" you will find this of greatest interest:

http://www.pbase.com/losthiker/talps_hi ... e&page=all

Hope to follow in your footsteps some day.
Thank you. I have heard of the Trinity Alps High Route, though I doubt that I will ever hike it. Seems like it might be a bit too strenuous for me. I believe it includes a descent down to Mirror Lake that sounds a bit too dangerous for my taste. If I remember correctly, you need to traverse above several chutes before descending the correct one, which is still class 3. I'll check out again, probably several times, who knows, maybe.
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Re: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps TR

Post by tarbuckle »

Lumbergh21 wrote:I haven't been to Grizzly Lake yet, but I did do an overnight trip up to Emerald and Sapphire Lakes in late September 2015. Rain and a bear cut my trip a day short. I drove up to Bridge Camp TH after work on a Thursday and hiked in a couple of miles before setting up camp then hiked the rest of the way to Emerald Lake the next day where I set up camp before heading up to Sapphire Lake. Since clouds were piling up in the sky I didn't take the time to continue onto Mirror Lake before heading back to camp. There was plenty bear scat around the two lakes and later that night, I heard some crashing in the brush near camp. I opened my tarp and poked my head out with my head lamp on. I caught two gleaming eyes and a blocky head in the beam not more than 30 feet from my tent. The bear took off when I yelled. It was pitch black due to the overcast skies, but I didn't get much sleep that night. Between the rain and the bear, I decided to hike out the next morning. On the positive side, I did hear some coyotes and a couple of owls as well and saw a crane take flight from the Stewart Fork right in front of me as I came around a bend in the trail on the way up to the two lakes. I'm planning on going back this summer, but doing a four day loop including Caribou Lake, South fork of the Salmon, and Deer Creek.
Do some research on Little Southfork Lake. If your headed to Caribou via the South Fork of the Salmon, it's on the way
. It would completely change your 4 day loop plan but if you fish, I highly recommend it.
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Re: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps TR

Post by Lumbergh21 »

tarbucklehe wrote: Do some research on Little Southfork Lake. If your headed to Caribou via the South Fork of the Salmon, it's on the way
. It would completely change your 4 day loop plan but if you fish, I highly recommend it.
Yep, I plan to hike up to Little South Fork Lake on a separate trip with a friend from work who has a cabin near the trailhead. I did some exploring up there this September. The climb up around the falls is pretty much vertical which was fine going up since there are plenty of holds/steps but a real pain going back down given I had a backpack on and I'm no rock climber. There's quite a bit of downed trees and brush due to a fire a few years ago, and it gets worse the further up you go. I ended turning around short of the lake because I hadn't allowed enough time as it turned out. But, now that I know what it's like, I'll get to it this summer or fall. I'll definitely bring a fishing rod. Thanks.
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Re: TR: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps

Post by Harlen »

I remember the Canyon Creek hike well, though it must have been nearly 30 years ago. Fresh spring bear scat, and lots of fascinating beaver activity! Wasn't there something called Sawtooth Ridge that I popped up on? Great view of Shasta!!
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Lumbergh21
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Re: TR: Canyon Creek Lakes, Trinity Alps

Post by Lumbergh21 »

Harlen wrote:I remember the Canyon Creek hike well, though it must have been nearly 30 years ago. Fresh spring bear scat, and lots of fascinating beaver activity! Wasn't there something called Sawtooth Ridge that I popped up on? Great view of Shasta!!
Sawtooth Peak rises to the east of the Canyon Creek Lakes, but Sawtooth Ridge is further north. There is an unnamed ridge and a canyon/cirque holding Mirror, Sapphire, and Emerald Lakes lieing between the Canyon Creek lakes and Sawtooth ridge. There is a route - reportedly class 3 - from Upper Canyon Creek Lake to Mirror Lake. From there you can take a use trail then maintained trails south before turning east to go up and over Sawtooth ridge to Caribou Lake (the ridge runs east west and then turns south).
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