Help needed with Summer Route: Carson Pass to Bloods Ridge ski resort

[SkiBum96]

This last summer I got the taste of true Old growth wilderness, I'm talking no trail wilderness where even GPS devices were having a hard time getting a read in the dense sequoia forest, Forest too thick to navigate by sight also. Atleast 8 miles above Salt springs I stumbled into a old fish camp from I suppose the great depression, They used fire to Hollow out a tree and used it as a fish smoker. River had a strong flow to it.

Anyone have intel on the Fishing here? I have seen online people talk about the Blue hole having 20" Browns right by the lake. but the area I'm talking about is above stream of it. So I supposed they prob head upstream towards Hermit Valley So it would all come down to being in that area at the right time.

I can't get the Idea out of my head to try and backpack from Carson Pass to Bloods ridge Ski Resort and Fish along the way. I have heard bits about it having lots of granite cliffs and bands, Old Cabins and lots and lots of fishing holes.

So far I am thinking of going from Carson Pass to 4th of july lake. Then to the start of Summit City creek/ trail with the Goal to navigate all the way to Bear Valley/ Bloods ridge ski resort. How ever the Info starts to get scarce and it seems no one makes it much farther then Camp Irene. From what I have heard is the Trail hasn't been maintained since the day it was built and is overgrown. Also It seems there is no trail any farther south then the Monte Wolfe Cabin, So from there that means bushwhacking and navigating a Primative Old Growth forest with no trail For roughly 7 miles till I hit the ski Resort.

I have the GPS track from my last trip from Corral Hollow OHV TH too about a mile from reaching fourth of July Canyon(google maps name that pops up). So I Know what I am getting in for, for that section.

However there is 7 miles of uncharted no trail territory and then atleast another 8 miles before hitting well traveled day hiking destination fourth of July lake where it is smooth sailing to Carson pass.

Anyone have GPS or knowledge of that section of trail pictured below?
Red line = GPS track
Blue arrow= 7 miles of no trail and unknown difficulties
green arrow= section of estimated camp Irene to fourth of july lake.
yellow line= estimated planned route to navigate.

[balzaccom]

I've been down in that Mokelumne Canyon quite a few times from different directions.

Fifty years ago, I hiked over that 4wd track from Bear Valley and down to the river. It was steep, and we were absolutely alone for three days once we got there. We didn't try to hike too far either upstream or down, maybe a mile in either direction, and we fished. As I remember it, there wasn't much marking the trail back up the hill, unless you knew where it was...

A few years ago I hiked down the Summit City Canyon trail twice---once with my wife, and then later with a trail crew. Neither time did we make it to the Mokelumne River, but the second time we got close, and pretty much fixed the trail down to that point. Also note that to get down to Camp Irene from here, you do need to swing up and away from the river for a bit...

The trail from Carson Pass to 4th of July Lake and down into Summit City Canyon is steep, but clear and maintained.

Around that same time I worked a trail crew that started at Silver Lake and went over the ridge to Munson Meadows. We worked on the trail from that point down into the canyon, but were not able to get all the way down--we made it as far as where the trail crosses the spring noted on the topo maps. The tread in this area is clear....but sometimes completely overgrown with white thorn and Gambel oaks. A bit of a bushwhack. We did meet a couple of guys who had done your route. Sorry to say, we met them on our first day on the trail. They were pretty beat up from the hike up towards Munson Meadow from the river. But our crew cut back at least some of that bush...so the upper part of that trail should be much better now.

Finally, I've also done trail work on the section that leaves from Hermit Valley and goes straight down the river. The first couple of miles to Deer Creek is a cakewalk. Crossing Deer Creek is easier now--we dropped a log across it-- and for the next couple of miles the trail is also clear and marked, from time to time, with a cairn or two. After that it starts dropping down through some granite to meet the trail from Jackson Canyon, and I am not sure, but think this would be a bushwhack. The trail down Jackson Canyon, according to someone who worked on the trail with me, is a real bushwhack in its lower sections. From there it's about a three mile granite gorge down to the Summit City Canyon trail. That would be a real adventure, as far as I can tell.

By the way, I did fish a little bit on all these trips. The fish I caught reminded me of high elevation trout---long and skinny. There may not be much food in the system.

Not sure this helps you much.

[SkiBum96]

I've been down in that Mokelumne Canyon quite a few times from different directions.

Fifty years ago, I hiked over that 4wd track from Bear Valley and down to the river. It was steep, and we were absolutely alone for three days once we got there. We didn't try to hike too far either upstream or down, maybe a mile in either direction, and we fished. As I remember it, there wasn't much marking the trail back up the hill, unless you knew where it was...

A few years ago I hiked down the Summit City Canyon trail twice---once with my wife, and then later with a trail crew. Neither time did we make it to the Mokelumne River, but the second time we got close, and pretty much fixed the trail down to that point. Also note that to get down to Camp Irene from here, you do need to swing up and away from the river for a bit...

The trail from Carson Pass to 4th of July Lake and down into Summit City Canyon is steep, but clear and maintained.

Around that same time I worked a trail crew that started at Silver Lake and went over the ridge to Munson Meadows. We worked on the trail from that point down into the canyon, but were not able to get all the way down--we made it as far as where the trail crosses the spring noted on the topo maps. The tread in this area is clear....but sometimes completely overgrown with white thorn and Gambel oaks. A bit of a bushwhack. We did meet a couple of guys who had done your route. Sorry to say, we met them on our first day on the trail. They were pretty beat up from the hike up towards Munson Meadow from the river. But our crew cut back at least some of that bush...so the upper part of that trail should be much better now.

Finally, I've also done trail work on the section that leaves from Hermit Valley and goes straight down the river. The first couple of miles to Deer Creek is a cakewalk. Crossing Deer Creek is easier now--we dropped a log across it-- and for the next couple of miles the trail is also clear and marked, from time to time, with a cairn or two. After that it starts dropping down through some granite to meet the trail from Jackson Canyon, and I am not sure, but think this would be a bushwhack. The trail down Jackson Canyon, according to someone who worked on the trail with me, is a real bushwhack in its lower sections. From there it's about a three mile granite gorge down to the Summit City Canyon trail. That would be a real adventure, as far as I can tell.

By the way, I did fish a little bit on all these trips. The fish I caught reminded me of high elevation trout---long and skinny. There may not be much food in the system.

Not sure this helps you much.

That is helpful ty, Yeah Let me tell you going down the back side of that 4wd hill after passing the last ski lift, The trail starts to disappear.....I'm 6"2 150 pounds wet, and the Manzanita bushes were atleast 7-8 feet high(very faint 3 inch gap to push through, again easy to get lost and turned around in this maze here). Got turned around a few times going down and back up, someone had placed ribbon in a few key spots that was a big help.
My gps track looks like spaghetti and We even tredged a mile straight up the hill after the fish camp trying to make it to fourth of july canyon and were following a bear track in the duff, slope was 35-40 degrees. had to back track and go along the cliff along the river to get past that obstacle. And then we ran in to the true primative sequoia forest with duff 5 ft tall pilled up around the bases of 200ft + tall trees. Felt like Jurassic park and like we were being watched by something in there.
We ran out of time made camp and then backtracked to the car the following morning.

[rlown]

Not really a fishing destination if that is what you're after. I've done Carson pass down to summit city and up to Blue lakes decades ago.
Did at least 4 trips in the area in the late 70's.
River is nice if you want to heat rocks and make a hot tub in some of the water formed pools in the rock.
The lower part towards Salt Springs is a snake fest.

[SkiBum96]

Appreciate that. Part of me wants to do it as a suffer fest and the challenge. I'd also like to do other trips in that area and also to the north if you recommend any places with hot fishing(Don't need to be trophy fish), I just got a tenkara rod and I am excited to try and master that art, so any rivers or streams I would be open to hiking 20+ miles in for.

I have seen Golden trout in a special lake in south lake tahoe that is only a 4 mile hike in but I have heard they are very picky and people don't have much luck going after them. Hwy50 is the closest hwy for me to head up. I hope the Caldor closure ends in march, silver fork creek looked good as it got stocked in 2019 but it's off limits rn.

[rlown]

There are some lakes North of Carson pass that are worth it. Use the search here to find them. Lots of TR's on that area.
Decide your actual goal (fishing/suffering) and choose. Then research.

Goldens are always picky IMNSHO.

[balzaccom]

The first time we were down Summit City we heard two mountains lions fighting somewhere in the cliffs above us. That was memorable .. and we were a long way from anywhere or anyone else.