We thought we would try to summit Granite Dome on this day, but most of us were too tired, and when studying the maps, the route up looks much better from Upper Lewis Lake than Iceland Lake. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. The smoky skies made for an amazing sunset and sunrise the next morning. At the time, I didnt think much of it as the pain subsided in minutes. Sunrise and Moonset under smoky skies over Hyatt Lake. My favorite part of any drive into the Sierra Nevada is the transition between oak woodland to incense cedar and pine. After that, it becomes an off-trail route with little evidence that there was ever a trail. Mileage: ~20 miles, ~2,500 elevation gain. It was much cooler, especially in the shade! on official, secure websites. 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. Bank anglers will find places to get to . From Modesto, take the 120 toward Yosemite and merge onto the 108 toward Sonora. Because of that, I brought 2 sleeping pads and my 10-degree sleeping bag. " Lee Watts OpenMapTiles OSM 4.3 Miles Point to Point 9,748' High 8,476' Low 464' Up 1,378' Thankfully, we didnt have to backtrack too much, we just traversed the ridge to our left, westwardly, until we hit the first major creek drainage (which was dry), which was the safest way down. This means camping at least 200 feet from water, 100 feet from established trails, and away from fragile terrain such as meadows. We stopped at an overlook right before this trail met up with the main trail that we hiked in on. The trail steadily climbs after this creek, but thankfully a lot of it is lightly shaded. In order to access the off-trail lakes for this trip, we headed south at Piute Meadow on a small connector trail to join up with the Bell Meadow trail near Groundhog Meadow (lots of meadows, I know!). Once in the meadow, we just had to walk across to the trail on the other side! 108, the Sonora Pass, is about 30 miles out of the town of Sonora. Thorston Tichenor There we were, sitting under a tree by a pristine creek in the Sierra wilderness. The longest stretch between lakes is ~4 miles, so two liters of carrying capacity is plenty. 2022 Backcountry Emily Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions. (A 9:00 hour day, 17.1 miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain). The fly dropped outside the cliff and sank. 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. Frequently asked trail questions about Emigrant Wilderness. There are pros and cons to each month of the hiking season in Stanislaus National Forest. And when we got to the top, we soon found ourselves at Letora Lake--an absolute garden spot in its own right. ) or https:// means you've safely Great trail. Check out the links in the side bar for more info from the Stanislaus National Forest. it is this direction which I believe provides the best experience. We enjoyed some flat/ downhill trail as we walked above the reservoir, which was a nice break from the constant up. October backpacking in Emigrant Wilderness. My 12-foot rod bent as the line whizzed through the water. Property has over 1/2 mile frontage on a huge wilderness area.Private & secluded. The longest climb is less than a mile, and covers roughly 700 feet of elevation gain in that time. 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. How many trails are in Emigrant Wilderness? We enjoyed the spot, and we had it all to ourselves! Sand and dirt are also good choices. Please be mindful of falling rocks. The Backcountry Horsemen of California, Midvalley Chapter (BCHM) assist several National Forests in many capacities, including in Wilderness. The DF&G does a kill survey every year off the main hwy during the entire opening weekend. We chose to start our trip on the Crabtree Trail and return via Bell Meadow Trail for a change of scenery. As it is, we simply hiked by and tried to etch the images in our mind. I quickly found out that cross-country travel is pretty fun: you get to choose your our route a bit, and read the terrain to figure out the best ways to go. 19777 Greenley Road The northeastern third of the Wilderness is dominated by volcanic ridges and peaks; the remaining areas consist of many sparsely vegetated, granitic ridges interspersed with numerous lakes and meadows. Fly fishing will be overwhelmingly your best strategy on these alpine lakes. I didnt see any signs of fish, so I continued hiking to Buck Lakes. Normally, youd just stop at the ranger station to pick up a permit for wherever you want to hike, but since offices were closed due to COVID, there was an easy online form to fill out, and your permit was available to print out right away. The route was created originally as an alternative to John Muir Trail and can be hiked in 7-17 days. This is a popular spot for picnicking day hikers and swimmers alike. The Drive Up . Check here to see if you can apply for an online permit. Referred to as the granite superhighway, there is this giant, smooth granite bowl between Hyatt and Big Lakes that empties into Cherry Creek Canyon. The trail is dotted with lakes and streams, offering frequent water sources and campsites. The trailhead at Crabtree Camp is easily accessible by . Read here for information on when visiting bear country. In the Emigrant Wilderness the use of bear resistant food storage containers is highly recommended. I used my GPS a bit in this area to make sure we were going the right direction. In early August 2022, we headed to the High Sierra backcountry for a backpacking adventure that combined spectacular off-trail sections with highlights of the JMT. The weather station was at 7,200 ft, so I needed to prepare for 4-8 degrees colder at the elevation I would be at. It is a place where the pines, cedars, and firs of the Stanislaus National Forest gradually thin as granite cliffs, mountain tops, and monoliths . Travel & camp on durable surfaces. On this day, the air was crisp and we were excited to start our trek into the unknown. Thankfully, a group of us were all able to get time off, so we set off for the mountains! We sat up at the top for a while, amazed by the amphitheater of sloping granite and patchy trees. We soaked our tired feet in the cold water and happily ate our dinner. Around the lake, you'll find gentle hiking trails, swimming . We were treated to more bear scat while passing Big Lake, eventually making our way over to the highlight of our trip: the historic Yellowhammer Camp. It felt like plantar fasciitis but had appeared suddenly. I stopped at Camp Lake to fill up on water and layer down. Camping, there would be a wet and cold ordeal. This was a perfect opportunity to experiment with cold soaked meals! We stood in awe of the immensity of the bowl. Trash Collection: No trash collection at the trailhead in the off-season. Its alpine lakes are warm enough to swim in during summer months, and they're also great fishing spots. It is a place where the pines, cedars, and firs of the Stanislaus National Forest gradually thin as granite cliffs, mountain tops, and monoliths take over. Katie is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Thankfully, this large creek was still flowing well, even in October. Second, the lakes of the Emigrant Wilderness are known to have some large fish. We had identified this area from above, but still made the mistake. Emigrant Wilderness ~ 6 - 10 August 2007. Keeping pets on leash helps prevent them from being harmed by stock animals or wildlife. Do not take this route, as it is a cliff down to the lake. More on this later. After taking a ton of photos that wouldnt do it any justice, we skirted around the upper flanks to a notch where our route would take us over to Big Lake. Which lake trail has the most elevation gain in Emigrant Wilderness? Want to find the best trails in Emigrant Wilderness for an adventurous hike or a family trip? Granite basins carved by glaciers, jeweled with lakes, and speckled with wildflowers attract visitors to the Emigrant Wilderness. In addition, I brought down pants and wool socks to stay warm in camp. With four distinct seasons and mild weather, this Southern Oregon spot offers year-round adventure. Climbing up the boulders, we were amazed to see horse poop, a sign that they too ventured along this steep path. The two times Ive done this loop the crowds were extremely thin, so we never had to search for campsites. There is no exception for using existing sites that are too close to water. Stranislaus Wilderness Volunteers is a group of citizens who formed in 1991 with a shared love of wilderness and are dedicated to protecting it. 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. For this evening, we had soaked brown minute rice with dehydrated black beans and a little taco seasoning for about an hour. Permit and Bear Canister Required. These trails have an average 4.5-star rating from 1,485 AllTrails community reviews. Backpacking and Hiking in the West This trail is estimated to be 73.9 km long and takes on average 22 h 59 min to hike. The water is plentiful, although you do want to make sure you have multiple filtering options. Contact information: Stanislaus National Forest. Long Lake is a fetching place, with several good campsites along the western shore. The granite ridges are smaller in scale compared to Yosemite, but the area offers a true wilderness experience with very few tourists venturing into the more remote areas of the region. October 24, 2020. Stunning Yosemite-like vistas without the crowds. A view of Lake Rosasco in the Emigrant Wilderness. For more information please visit the Stanislaus National Forest Recreational Opportunity Guides listed below: Operated under special use permitwithin the Stanislaus National Forest. And we needed a little wiggle room in case our newly planned route wasnt successful. They were both closed by Sunday, October 18th, though were open earlier in October. Please obtain a free wilderness permit online ahead of time. It takes an average of 4 h 4 min to hike. Click here to download royalty-free licensing videos from Videvo today. The trout leaped into the air several times before accepting its fate. We crossed through the charred tree trunks of Pine Valley, which showed hopeful signs of regrowth after a devastating wildfire ripped through there in 2003. It was fun exploring the camp in such a remote area and it felt like a mini ghost town! There was a faint use trail, and a cairn (stack of rocks) on the other side of the creek. We visited in July 28 from San Jos and it was the best experience at Bears lake we ever had.The water level was perfect it was super quiet and it was . And remember, you also need a California Fire Permit if you want to have a fire or operate a camp stove! The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada. Though eventually abandoned as a major travel route over the Sierra, the Emigrants water continues to make the area a vital resource for California. Backcountry permits are easy to obtain without much advanced notice, and trailhead access is straightforward. The Best Backpacking Destinations in Ansel Adams Wilderness; Explore Parker Lake; Explore John Muir Wilderness. Long Lake is one of the numerous lakes in the Emigrant Wilderness enlarged by a rock dam at the outlet, which keeps the stream flow steadier throughout the summer. Once the pavement ended on Crabtree Road, we followed a nicely graded fire road past the horses of Aspen Meadow Pack Station to the trailhead parking area. . Stoves were still banned, so we had to cold soak our food, but good times were had. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished into the dark. Large groups are not recommended during busy times. However, fires arent always allowed. There were remnants of recent visitors (Aspen Meadows Pack Station leads multi-day horse packing trips out here), but on this day we had the entire place to ourselves. I had time for one last weekend trip to the Sierra before winter. The Big SEKI Loop is a 155-mile loop in the High Sierra in California that can be modified in multiple ways. The area around the trailhead can be a little confusing! The Emigrant Wilderness is the Yosemite backcountry's underappreciated cousin. The best troutin is in the more remote lakes, many located in the southwestern portion of the area. Top 10 Backpacking Trails John Muir Wilderness; Emigrant Wilderness; Explore Granite Chief Wilderness; Explore Golden Trout Wilderness; Jennie Lakes Wilderness; Destinations . The Fishing Advice is your no-nonsense, fishing news and information website. No more than 15 people and 25 head of stock are allowed on overnight trips. Stock: This area is heavy with horse activity. We enjoyed the different scenery along the Bell Meadows trail, and found a few groves of yellowing aspen along the way. Explore one of 1 easy hiking trails in Emigrant Wilderness that are great for the whole family. Leave no Trace and off-trail backpacking. They included a few small cabins, a barn, a hitching post, an outhouse, and various dilapidated items. In the western parts of the Emigrant, though still a granite and lava landscape, there are more lakes, meadows and patches of pine. According to users from AllTrails.com, the best lake trail to hike in Emigrant Wilderness is Gianelli Trail to Chewing Gum Lake, which has a 4.7 star rating from 311 reviews. Avoid wet grasses, meadows, and especially cryptobiotic soil. Please take a moment to learn our wilderness regulations and review Leave No Trace methods before visiting this outstanding national resource. Pingree, Black Hawk, Shallow Hyatt, Rosasco, Lost, Cow Meadow, Yellow Hammer, Big and Deer Lakes are just a few of the more productive waters. We encountered thunderstorms on Monday afternoon. Lake Elevation: 7,525 feet. 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