Difficulty: Doing this trek over 4 days allowed us to take an easy pace. When I got up there, on Memorial Day weekend, there were a bunch of people and it didn't look like good campsites nearby, so I turned around and found a campsite a ways back down. Jump Into an Alpine Tarn at Emerald Lake, California Wander through a remote paradise of high-altitude lakes in the lightly visited Trinity Alps on this 27.2-mile, long-weekend trip in Klamath National Forest. Swift Creek Falls is a small 20 ft. cascade along Swift Creek in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. We got ready, filled our water, and set off on the hike at about 9:30 am. General Library. Brian Fagundes - Emerald and Sapphire Lakes, Trinity Alps Wilderness (CA) - 2020-11-12 FKT: Brian Fagundes - Emerald and Sapphire Lakes, Trinity Alps Wilderness (CA) - 2020-11-12 ... As the sun hit the peak tops, I struggled to keep my hydration system from freezing. There were several groups camped at Morris Meadows so we wanted to get to the lake before other groups took the best campsites. The Trinity Alps are located about 4.5 hours north of the Bay, and require less advance planning than places like Yosemite, as there are currently no restrictions on the number of permits given out. Fish information, photos, maps, and latest reports from Emerald Lake, Trinity Alps - Eureka, CA Shop Sale & Clearance Items at REI.com (up to 50% off)! For the hike up and down the ridge, trekking poles prove very helpful. Jump to Day 2: Morris Meadows to Sapphire Lake The lack of tree cover made star gazing at night spectacular. Trinity Alps. The Trinity Alps Wilderness Area is over 517,000 acres of old growth forest, granite peaks and 130 lakes, named for the miners, ranchers, and wildlife that frequented each area in earlier times. Hiking | Redding: Emerald Lake | Wander through a remote paradise of high-alpine lakes in the lightly visited Trinity Alps on this 33.2-mile, long-weekend trip in Klamath National Forest. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. It was fantastic! The White Trinities from Sawtooth Ridge. The trail and lakes were kind of crowded, but I imagine this was due to a combination of it being the 4th of July weekend and many of the other trails being covered in snow. Emerald Lake is actually man-made, created for mining operations a century ago. Lost Lake Elevation -- 6,700 - 6,800 feet Size ----- 1 or 2 acres Trailhead -- Boulder Lakes * I'm "calling" this Lost Lake but there are three small off-trail lakes in the vicinity and there's confusion over their names. We then chugged some water to hydrate and started the drive home. From the ridge to the southwest rises 8,031-foot Little Granite Peak. The Caribou Scramble is known as one of the toughest hikes in North America. This was great because it allowed us to reach different areas of the lake that no one else was able to get to. Visitors can still find old rusty pieces of their equipment around the lake, including giant gears, winches, and cables.[1]. We reached Sapphire at about 10:30 am and found a nice spot to set up camp. Anyone who has spent time in the relatively contained swath of Klamath Mountain stand-out peaks known as the Trinity Alps is well aware the range is a gem among gems. Parking at some of the popular trailheads can get crowded, but if you arrive early and beat the day hikers, you should not have a problem. As we were hiking back to camp we saw a larger one. The trail continues to climb gently, crossing Deer Creek over a bridge at … Free wilderness permits and campfire permits are required to enter the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The journey is one of the best in my guidebook 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California: Hike 57 to Caribou, Emerald, and Sapphire Lakes. Trinity Alps Wilderness – Four Lakes Loop (20 mile trek), Desolation Wilderness – Twin Lakes, Island Lake, Lake Aloha. Rock formation on mountainside in foreground overlooking lake surrounded by mountains. The Trinity Alps is one of the priemier hiking areas in the galaxy. Redding, CA: Stuart Fork to Alpine Lake. The lake sits in a granite bowl, approximately 5,500 ft (1,700 m) above sea level. We took a short break at the shore of Emerald Lake and took some pictures before continuing on the trail towards Sapphire. I think it was because it was a busy weekend on the trail with lots of other backpackers! The new caribou trail is much much easier. Little is visible from roads. Alpine Lake is nestled against 2,000-foot granite ridges in the southwestern section of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The trail continues around Emerald Lake, to Saphire Lake, and beyond. Soon after we and our friends set off on a day hike up to the top of Sawtooth Ridge above Caribou Lake. We did not see much wildlife on this particular trip. My main issue with Emerald Lake was just that it got a bit crowded since it’s easier to get to compared to Sapphire Lake. If you are backpacking in the middle of the summer, be prepared for warm temperatures and also check that there are no forest fires in the area. Emerald Lake is a lake located in the Trinity Alps Wilderness area, in Northern California. of Special Collections Contributing Institution UC Davis, University Library, Special … The Trinity Alps Long Canyon to Emerald Lake continues down Deer Creek. For remote meadows, jagged peaks and an alpine lake nestled in a scoop of granite, spend four days on this out-and-back to a high-alpine lake in California’s Trinity Alps.Start at the Stuart Fork Trailhead and follow an old road to the Trinity Alps Wilderness Boundary, then climb beside the Stuart Fork of the Trinity River until you reach the turnoff for the Alpine Lake Trail (mile 5). Rock climbing is excellent in the areas with granite cliffs, such as Caribou Peak and Sawtooth Ridge. The outflow of Alpine Lake cascades through granite boulders until it combines with Stuart Fork Creek and eventually Trinity Lake. Day 1: 9.2 miles; + 2,600 feet / -900 feet; Stuart Fork Trailhead to Morris Meadows. Sawtooth Peak is just left of center. Emerald and Sapphire Lakes rest in the cavernous cirque at the end of Stuart Fork Canyon. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. There are also campsites in the meadow if you prefer camping in the open rather than among trees. Caribou & Emerald/Sapphire Lakes Alpine, Smith, Emerald and Sapphire Lakes Papoose & Grizzly Lakes Trinity Alps PCT On a day hike up and the old trail back down the lovely warming sunshine off! Several groups camped at Morris Meadows to Sapphire took an extra ~45 minutes and some... To relax at rock climbing is excellent in the Trinity Alps us as! 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