desolation wilderness backpacking

Share. Getting There. The Desolation Wilderness requires all day-hikers and overnight visitors to have a backcountry permit — yes, even day-hikers. From the top of the pass, we still had a little over a mile to our campsite. Backpacking: Desolation Wilderness ... Backpacking: Desolation Wilderness. My friend’s tarp caught a gust, and two of his stakes flew out in the dark forest. #1 - Lake Aloha Trail. We passed Glen Alpine Springs, an old resort built around a bubbling spring in the ground. This 12 mile loop starts at the Fallen Leaf Lake Tamarack Trail Head and intersects with the Pacific Crest Trail. Cooking was a challenge as the wind tried to extinguish our stoves. .. We’d been woken up several times by strong wind gusts. ← Bikepacking in Patagonia – from El Bolsón to Bariloche, Bacon mac and cheese: 2-ingredient easy backpacking meal →. Even on a Thursday morning, we met a constant stream of other hikers out enjoying the early summer weather. Backpack to this secluded destination that's hidden from most of the traffic in Desolation Wilderness. It is an extremely popular hiking destination in California and boasts a number of attractive trails, including the Middle Velma Lake … Initially, we thought he must have been mistaken as the path was in good shape and even had a new trail sign. Start at Echo Lakes Trailhead. This means packing out all your trash … Route Name: Bayview Trailhead Location: South Lake Tahoe, California Duration: 3 days minimum Length:22 km / 13.8 miles Hiking in Desolation Wilderness. We arrived at the trailhead a bit before 11 and got our gear in order. Both of us were tired anyway after sleeping poorly the night before, so we fell asleep early. The trail starts climbing in earnest after the upper Echo Lake. This Desolation Wilderness backpacking hike will take you through 12+ miles of beautiful scenery and alpine lakes! +/- 3,000 feet of elevation with a starting elevation of 6,970 feet and a peak elevation of 9,660 feet. Near the densely-populated city of South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County lies the strikingly beautiful Desolation Wilderness area. The fires and smoke are vividly described in early versions of the AMC White Mountain Guide and other regional … We encountered snow at around 8000ft. We only broke through in a few places where the melting water had created snow bridges. The trail follows the eastern shore of the Echo Lakes, high above lakeside cabins. Lake Aloha Trail. Take the Glen Alpine Trail back to Fallen Leaf. Highlights include alpine lakes, granite peaks, and expansive views of Desolation Wilderness. We followed the Tamarack Trail all the way back to the PCT. The trail followed a stream that grew more significant as we descended. Mike L wrote a review Sep 2017. The walk up to the peak is the most challenging, but the view is so gorgeous! We had a quick breakfast before we started hiking back to the car. Unlike all the other trails we’d been on, the Tamarack Trail wasn’t graded for equestrian use. Desolation Wilderness. Day three stats: 4.1 miles. My friend Joonas and I had been planning an early June hiking trip to Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite. This Location The Tahoe to Yosemite, Tahoe Rim, and Pacific Crest Trails through Desolation Wilderness : Main Features: Meeks Bay is the trail head for the Classic Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, and an excellent entry point into the Desolation Wilderness for short and medium distance backpackers as well.. Date of experience: June 2018. Aug 31, 2016 - I would definitely recommend this backpacking trip for anyone who is an experienced hiker and is in shape. I hope you’re also able to get out and enjoy the Rockies in your back yard. The hike to Lake Aloha is the ultimate day hike in Desolation Wilderness. We’d met a man by the spring who told us that the trail we were planning to take hadn’t been maintained for a while. In order to protect its unique beauty and wilderness character, human access is limited and certain activities are restricted in the Desolation. Backpacking the Desolation Loop in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. This was our first time backpacking Desolation Wilderness in South Tahoe and we absolutely loved it! We didn’t mind a bit of snow, but we didn’t want it to be the dominating part of the adventure. We arrived at the trailhead a bit before 11 and got our gear … As with most backpacking destinations, you’ll need to secure a wilderness permit for any overnight stays in Desolation Wilderness. This wood caught fire and burned uncontrollably for years, casting black smoke clouds over the entire White Mountain region and polluting the watersheds. The night was surprisingly warm. Summer Backpacking near Lake Tahoe has many options, however the opportunity to backpack on the PCT into desolation Wilderness is by far the most sought after experience for hikers in the Central Sierra yearly. If you decide to go, please practice Leave No Trace. For whatever reason, I never sleep well the first night I’m up at altitude. Desolation Wilderness is accessed through 13 trailheads: Loon Lake, Van Vleck, Rockbound, Twin Lakes, Lyons Creek, Pyramid Creek, Ralston Peak, Echo Lake, Glen Alpine, Mt. The Wilderness sits on the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountain’s Crystal Range, west of Lake Tahoe, and north of Highway 50. The Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail pass through the wilderness. Echo Lakes to Susie lake via Lake Aloha. 570 ft elevation gain. If you are a lover of nature and backpacking, then Desolation Wildernessin California is a destination worth looking at. You can reserve 11 spots ahead of time online at Recreation.gov, and 5 spots are available for same day walk in.. For day hikers, you can self issue a permit at the trailhead. Starting at the Bayview Campground off of HWY 89, the hike to Dick’s Lake begins at a consistent incline. This trail offers great views with a variety of terrains. After our short break, we continued on toward our campsite for the night. The shore of Lake Aloha was still mostly covered in snow. ... to backpacking in the wild places on earth - where people are few, cell signal is nil, and Mother Nature still reigns. We found two somewhat sheltered spots for our shelters and set them up before starting to make dinner. After a hot day of hiking, there is no better way to relax than with a swim in beautiful Lake Aloha where you can spend hours swimming from island to island. For backpacking, Fontanillis and Dicks Lake are both in the same Desolation Wilderness zone - #23. Initially, we were in a thick forest, but soon enough, the views started opening up. This 4-day backpacking adventure through Desolation Wilderness was the second half of the mountaineering course. Even though I had one of the most comfortable campsites in a long time, I wasn’t able to get a good night’s sleep. The Desolation is a 64,000-acre playground crisscrossed by hiking trails, running water and a generous number of alpine lakes of all sizes bursting with wild brook trout. Follow the PCT past Lake Aloha, Heather Lake and Susie Lake. Its a strenuous but beautiful journey. If you want to avoid that, you can do this as an out and back starting from the Eagle lake trail head. We laid down on the sunny rocks for a while to let our shoes dry out. Thanks Andrew! The bare granite and snow backdrop makes the lake look even bluer if possible. You will climb for about 2-3 miles. Desolation is a relative term. Once we were out of the thick forest, navigation became easier. This is a great overnight backpacking trip that features some of the best of Desolation Wilderness. NOTE: the lake is drained each fall, so plan accordingly. We cooked dinner by the lakeshore, watching the light fade. The snow was slushy in the warm summer sun, but it held firm under our feet. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/desolation-wilderness If you want to do the full loop, you have to go on the road for a decent amount of time to walk back to the parking lot. Loosey wondering if she should wait for Liz to remove her pack or to just jump in yet another beautiful Desolation Wilderness lake. This trip can easily be extended to an overnight backpacking trip with a stay near Lake Aloha. Using some rocks and sleeping pads to block the wind, we were able to get some water boiled for a nice, warm dinner. The east side of the Pemigewasset Wilderness is called “Desolation” because loggers clear-cut the forest between 1890 and 1940, leaving behind huge quantities of slash. Day 1: PCT / TRT to Tamarack Lake – Lake Aloha – Heather Lake, Susie Lake. Trails in Desolation Wilderness - 30 Hiking Project is built by hikers like you. It has extensive areas of bare granite rock formations.. The wind was gusty and kept changing direction. Read more. The most popular backpacking area is Desolation Wilderness, a 63,690-acre granite slab on the edge of the tree line in Eldorado National Forest.Nearby, the 19,048-acre Granite Chief Wilderness, a relatively unknown aside from the popular Five Lakes day hike, has deep canyons, fields of bright yellow mule's ears and the historic cabins at Whiskey Creek. During the winter months, most of the trailheads are covered by snow and are not accessible. We could see Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe behind us, with tall mountains on either side. It was significantly steeper and even required us to use our hands to climb at times. A few seconds later, the gust hit the tent like a semi-truck. The first section of the trail, until Tamarack Lake, is very popular. Eagle Lake trail is one of our favorites. Pemigewasset Wilderness Sign. A list of other trailheads that provide access to the wilderness follows. Popular wilderness ages well under the eye of devoted stewards . If you choose not to take the water taxi, add 5 miles to the overall trip. Even though I’d hiked this part of the PCT/TRT a couple of times before, I never get tired of the mountain vistas in Desolation. Lake Aloha is striking in the spring. For day hikes, fill out a day permit at the trailhead (Echo Lakes Trailhead), so that people know where you are in case anything goes wrong. The cold wind made us retreat into the relative warmth of our tents before the sun had fully set. The trail is fairly flat for most of the hike, with only two sections of significant elevation gain, and you will pass by 5 lakes in under 12 miles round trip. Rested and full of calories, we climbed over the pass. From the PCT intersection, we only had a short 20 minute downhill stroll to get to our campsite. Both of us were super happy with the trip. But the views were amazing. We took a long lunch break at Tamarack Lake. We had a permit for June 4. We packed up and headed out. We had the wind at our back the whole way back to the trailhead. Day two stats: 9.1 miles. Even with the lousy snow year we’ve had in 2020, an early June still means there will be snow in most places in the Sierra. The trail is fairly flat for most of the hike, with only two sections of significant elevation gain, and you will pass by 5 lakes in under 12 miles round trip. Saved from healthnuthayley.com. Desolation Wilderness has been my favorite destination for backpacking lately since it’s so close to home, and there are so many spots and trails I still want to explore. Desolation Wilderness is absolutely stunning and I almost don’t even wanna write this post about it because it’s so precious and pristine. It's bounded by logging roads and operations to the north and west, Lake Tahoe to the east, and US 50 to the south. 2,160 ft elevation gain. We didn’t have a very long day ahead of us, so we took things slow and enjoyed being out in nature after being cooped up for weeks. #6 - Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine Trailhead. Permits are required in Desolation Wilderness. The park strictly limits the number of people in the backcountry because the area has been a bit over-loved lately. Day one stats: 10.6 miles. I was glad to hear your Yosemite trips are happening. Trip Overview: ~12 mile relaxing backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness. Fortunately, we were the only ones at the lake, so we had no trouble finding a couple of flat spots to set up our camp. This loop traverses over Rockbound Pass and Dicks Pass on its way to the beautiful Lake Aloha. The sun hit our campsite as we made breakfast, forcing us to shed layers down to shorts within minutes. Even with the breeze, the air was pleasantly warm, especially considering it was early June. The geography changed as we started descending toward Heather Lake. He had to use rocks to set it up for the rest of the night. As we got higher, we started getting a great view of the lakes below us. After discussing some alternatives and checking satellite photos on Caltopo, we decided to go for a relatively snow-free loop in Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe. Desolation has so many good overnight backpacking options with several options from each trailhead and even multiple trailhead options for the same camping destination. You may find the area so remarkable that you will want to stay longer -- it's hard to see all its beauty in such a short amount of time. With alpine lakes accessible within several miles of hiking, it's no wonder that folks flock to this destination from all over the country. Although this hike can be done as a … Helpful. Both of us had the route loaded on our Garmin Fenix 6 watch, which beeped any time we strayed too far off course, telling us to check the map and where we needed to head. We arrived at Susie Lake as the sun was about to dip behind the mountains. Day 2: Glen Alpine trail to Glen Alpine Trailhead, Tamarack Trail to Tamarack Lake.Day 3: PCT / TRT back to Echo Lakes Trailhead. Plenty of hiking trails; some to waterfalls and others to great views of Lake Tahoe. The weather report called for high winds and snow down to 7000ft later that day, so we were happy to head out. Tallac, Bayview, Eagle Lake and Meeks Bay. Philip Werner 4000 Footers, Backpacking Trips, Trip Reports, White Mountains. #4 - Lake of the Woods via Pacific Crest Trail, #5 - PCT: CA Section K - Echo Lake to Highway 80. Harbors brook and brown trout and provides million-dollar sensations of owning your very own lake. 1,560 ft elevation gain. Explore the most popular backpacking trails in Desolation Wilderness with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. After taking a couple pictures at the dam by the outlet of Echo Lake, we headed out. The sun even came out as we approached the car. comments. Backpacking into Desolation Wilderness provides visitors and locals alike a simple well earned separation from the bulk of the crowds and… Elevation Gain: 2100 Feet. Some of the lakes also contain rainbows or brown trout, and even a few golden trout, our California state fish. Backpacking Desolation Wilderness ABOVE : Last light lingers in the high country around Dick’s Lake. Because of its beauty and accessibility, Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the United States. The Value of Reflective Water Pain, Beauty, Life The beauty around Lake Genevieve reflecting off its still morning surface is striking. It is also one of the most popular wilderness areas in the country due to its proximity to South Lake Tahoe, breathtaking views, numerous lakes & … Here’s our camp at last light, with the night’s first stars beginning to twinkle, and the rush of snowmelt singing us to sleep. After a hot day of hiking, there is no better way to relax than with a swim in beautiful Lake Aloha where you can spend hours swimming from island to island. Trailhead approximate address: Fallen Leaf Lake, Glen Alpine Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, #9 - Fallen Leaf Lake, Lake Aloha, Mount Tallac Loop. My first solo backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness of Eldorado National Forest near Lake Tahoe, California. Warmer than most summer nights in the mountains. Desolation Wilderness, California. The trail was under several feet of snow, which made navigation a bit tricky at times. Good trip, glad you were able to get out. Length : 10 Miles. Lake Aloha via Rockbound Pass – Desolation Wilderness (38 mile loop) Trip Overview: ~38 mile backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe. The morning was cold and windy. The trail is only recommended for very experienced outdoorsmen. Desolation Wilderness Permits and Quotas. This is Heather Lake in the Desolation Wilderness located outside of Lake Tahoe, CA. Make sure to call ahead to the Placerville Ranger Station in Camino, CA to reserve a wilderness permit ($6 reservation fee plus $5/person for the 1st night, $10 more than 1 night). The ground around the lake is very rocky, and there aren’t that many suitable campsites for tents. Details: Middle Velma Lake – Desolation Wilderness. Desolation Wilderness is in north-central California along the eastern border, 3-1/2 hours northeast of San Francisco, 2 hours east of Sacramento, and 1 hour southwest of Reno, Nevada. Even though it was very last minute, we got to see and experience some top-notch alpine landscapes and enjoy nature. The wind was still for minutes, then all of a sudden, you could hear the wind pick up in the treetops. #10 - Maggie's Peak, Eagle Lake, Granite Lake Loop. There were already more than 10 tents spread around the wooded area on the east side of the lake. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most popular wilderness areas in the nation. The rocky shore always reminds me of the Finnish outer archipelago with its low vegetation and stunted pines. Desolation Wilderness 30 minute Backpacking Map: Meeks Bay to Echo Summit Backpacking Miles and Elevations. The lingering snow on the surrounding mountains made for some stunning scenery. It can be difficult to find solitude, especially if you’re hiking to Lake Aloha or up Pyramid Peak on a summer weekend. Unfortunately for us, they opened for backpacking on the 5th, which meant we needed to find an alternate trip. Note: you need to get a wilderness permit from recreation.gov for this trip. My tent held up ok, although I did tighten the lines once. This is one of my favorite moments from a trip with my dad and my pup. West Linn 380 contributions 93 helpful votes +1. A practical application of the lessons learned in the first class, so to speak. You will need to walk the extra distance to the trailhead. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. August 2, 2020. We could already see the opposite side of the valley that we would be climbing to get back to Desolation. Desolation Wilderness is one of the largest wilderness areas near Lake Tahoe at almost 64,000 acres. 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