The link above brings us to the Front Page of the High Backpacking Trails and Topics Forums. It can be difficult to find solitude, especially if you’re hiking to Lake Aloha or up Pyramid Peak on a summer weekend. Meek's Creek Trailhead is at the north end of the wilderness area along Hwy 89 at Meek's Bay. Elevation Along the route you are treated to amazing scenery with highlights including: alpine lakes, granite peaks, meadows, waterfalls, and expansive views of El Dorado National… 8320 feet The middle section, connecting This loop traverses over Rockbound Pass and Dicks Pass on its way to the beautiful Lake Aloha. The trail follows the shore of Loon Lake and also the nearby Rubicon Jeep Trail. If you choose not to take the water taxi, add 5 miles to the overall trip. At waterfall camp, you'll have the opportunity to explore over 50 waterfalls. forest-wilderness PERMITS, Hike the fine Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. There are seven major trailheads to access the Desolation Wilderness from Highway 89 and Highway 50. North TYT:  Stony Ridge Lake                                                      South TYT: Rubicon Lake. Next page South We had fished until dark and it must have been about 9:30 or 10:30PM. Tallac, Bayview, Eagle Lake and Meeks Bay. The Desolation Wildnerness is just west of South Lake Tahoe. Desolation Wilderness Volunteers - This site is for public information, trail conditions, and communication related to Desolation Wilderness, CA. Maps The constricted expanse of the surface of Rubicon Lake itself creates the opening in the surrounding forest and boulder field bringing a shifting spotlight of sunlight across the lake every day. Rubicon Lake is... The route would combine some familiar places along the Rubicon trail near the northern boundary of Desolation Wilderness, as well as the Eagle Lake trail from Emerald Bay up to the Velma Lakes. Below: Magnificent Slab leads us into the channel. Pack anim, ©Copyright Wilderness Volunteers 2019 The Desolation Wilderness, located southwest of Lake Tahoe, above Emerald Bay contains 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, bald granite peaks, dramatic cliffs, and glacially-formed valleys and more than 100 lakes. John Muir referred to the Sierra Nevada as "the most beautiful of all the mountain chains" or, more poetically, "the range of light." +2081' rise from Meeks Bay trail head Desolation’s characteristic features, especially at the higher elevations, are the vast exp… During the summer you can see jeepers along the Rubicon Jeep trail parked and camped at Spider Lake. Though Desolation is noted for its grand open basins of glacial cut granite surrounded by magnificent peaks, it also has some segments of trail into and through narrow, sheer canyons. A large cool draft was blowing down mountain along with the small cool flow of water. This project is rated as a challenging project. But don’t let this scare you away from enjoying 64,000 acres (100 square miles) of subalpine and alpine forest, granitic peaks, meadows of wildflowers, 75 glacially-formed lakes with names, and countless ones without names. You will get the opportunity to work closely with Wilderness Rangers and Desolation Wilderness Volunteers on this exciting project. Sunrise at Lake Aloha in Desolation Wilderness The Rubicon Trail leads from the north shore of Lake Aloha over Mosquito Pass and into the Rockbound Valley Climbing up to Mosquito Pass in Desolation Wilderness Looking back Climbing up to Phipps Pass opens up broad vistas of the Southwestern Shore of Lake Tahoe, and dropping down off the pass brings us into the Heart of the Desolation Wilderness. Lake, Meeks Bay Check out more photos from previous years Desolation project in our gallery. That pocket slips our trail East over onto Rubicon Lake's nifty little granite flat hemmed in by granite and forest, nestled in on the mountainside below Phipps Pass and Peak. Weather, North Hiking to Rubicon LakeinDesolation Wilderness. We're 7.55 miles North of the Trailhead on the South end of Desolation Wilderness at Lower Echo Lake. Rockbound Trail, Rubicon Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Velma Lakes Trail Loop is a 38.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Kyburz, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Desolation Wilderness The resort is just six miles away from the hiking […] John Muir referred to the Sierra Nevada as "the most beautiful of all the mountain chains" or, more poetically, "the range of light." Rubicon Reservoir, Desolation Wilderness, El Dorado National Forest, CA (Sep 8th - Sep 14th 2019) Description. Many visitors comment that the name is entirely inappropriate for an area with such a rich diversity of scenery, topography and natural beauty. Another trail ascends Tells Peak, but doesn’t connect to the rest of the wilderness area. desolation wilderness – meeks bay trail – stony ridge lake and hidden lake Posted on October 4, 2012 by pete July 24, 2014 A long weekend spent visiting a few lakes along Meeks Bay Trail in Desolation Wilderness. Water on the Rocks... is a nice feature of Desolation Wilderness. Digging, bending, moving rock & soil. I see Rubicon Lake as a tiny island of liquid peace wedged in the profound complexity of this sweet solid rock mountainside terrain. Sierra General Notes: Loon Lake is a very scenic location for hiking, and is actually what used to be two lakes (along with Pleasant Lake) which have been combined into one for water storage purposes. Due to it’s relatively easy access and proximity to large populations in the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Reno, Desolation Wilderness Area receives more use per acre than any other wilderness area in the U.S. Above: Winding our way up towards Phipps Pass reveals lots of rock rising above dense forest cover surrounding us. Hiking Greg Lamy Genevieve Lake Crag Lake Stony Ridge Lake Rubicon Lake Phipps Peak Desolation Wilderness Lake Tahoe Hikes Hiking. Once inside of the wilderness we will set up camp at Rubicon Reservoir. Lake Genevieve, Hidden Lake, Stony Ridge Lake, Rubicon Lake 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. Rubicon Lake is not one of our options along this little chain of lakes. The hike up the switchbacks to Rubicon Lake from Stony Ridge Lake is not too hard, a short but solid intermediate difficulty trail. On our third night there we sitting in camp. Stony Backpack to this secluded destination that's hidden from most of the traffic in Desolation Wilderness. Photos from Desolation Wilderness, California (near Lake Tahoe) Soft segments of the trail are really nice after extended lengths on hard granite. Above: Moss & trickle, and immature cone. Some campsites are too close to the lake, and our task is to remove those illegal camps and naturalize the area. Middle Velma Lake is another 3.44 miles beyond Phipps Pass, which makes it a total of 5.7 miles to Middle Velma from the South Shore of Stony Ridge Lake. Main 7.75 miles South of Meeks Bay trail head, 1.13 miles South of Stony Ridge Lake. Only.2 miles away, the top of Phipps Peak looks to be an imposing climb after already having logged 10 miles on the day. The hike over Rockbound Pass is far less crowded than many of the trails on the eastern side of the wilderness. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Tiny Rivulet. TYT Day one of a 4 day backpacking trip through Desolation Wilderness. Ice House Road Trailheads on the west side of Desolation: Loon Lake Trailhead, elevation 6,500 ft. A 6 mile hike starting along the southern edge of Loon Lake leads to the Buck Island Lake on the northern border of the wilderness area. INDEX, All Click the Big Red Dots. The Backpacker's Forum. http://BruceHaverkos.comDesolation Wilderness, Backpacking Crag Lakes Basin. The Rockbound Trailhead is from the northern portion of the wilderness and can be accessed by way of Ice House Road off Hwy 50 to Loon Lake Notes: The Desolation Wilderness consists of 63,000 acres with over one hundred small- to medium-sized lakes within a subalpine environment of granitic peaks and glacially formed valleys. Above: Great split boulders. Read more about the Rubicon Trail. TRAILHEAD, Central The Rubicon River is a major tributary of the Middle Fork American River in the Sierra Nevada of Northern California, west of Lake Tahoe. Backcountry Ski Maps’ Lake Tahoe: Southwest covers backcountry skiing and ski touring descents on Rubicon Peak, the rest of the West Shore, Mt. and Trail Guide 520 feet above Stony Ridge Lake, 1.13 miles North of Phipps Pass Ridge Miles Sara Lake - NL#1; Angle Lake - NL#2; 4-Q Lakes; Lake Aloha; Alta Morris Lake; American Lake Restrooms located at the beach parking area on the trail. 480 feet below Phipps Pass. The Desolation Wilderness takes its name from the barren, rocky basins and gnarly old-growth conifers that characterize its heights. The Sun is hard on the head, while Sun and heat make hiking harder. TahoetoWhitney.Org ON the South end of Stony Ridge Lake we turn into a set of switchbacks up a steep densely forested mountainside, until our upper switchback turns into a rocky forested pocket in the mountainside. Short, Steep, and Sweet. The route would combine some familiar places along the Rubicon trail near the northern boundary of Desolation Wilderness, as well as the Eagle Lake trail from Emerald Bay up to the Velma Lakes. North Shore of Lake Aloha We're a total of 21.16 miles South of the TYT Trailhead on the North end of Desolation Wilderness at Meeks Bay. Map. The crest of the Sierra Nevada The middle section, connecting these two ends, would all be new to me and include the mysterious, and ultimately elusive, Highland Lake. +480 feet above Stony Ridge Lake. That's compared to "exposed" terrain across hard rock terrain. Hiking on hard surfaces takes its toll on the feet. That's compared to "exposed" terrain across hard rock terrain. Note the fine trail work that keeps these heavily-trodden trails in top shape. The rocky trail up Phipps Pass that did its best to show off the beauty of Desolation Wilderness below. Well, at least a couple! 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. Desolation Wilderness moderate (33) Length: 14.4 mi • Est. Most of the trail work is repairing the damage from overuse, rather than Natural damage. The hike to Lake Aloha is the ultimate day hike in Desolation Wilderness. It can be difficult to find solitude, especially if you’re hiking to Lake Aloha or up Pyramid Peak on a summer weekend. Above: Climbing upward into and through an amazing cut in the top of the rock rising above Stony Ridge Lake through beautiful forest and increasing-angle rock. We have detected that your brower has javascript disabled. Lakes. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used Rubicon Lake Another reason to keep our eyes on the skies, and the cliffs framing our skylines. The Forest Service will provide pack animals to carry tools, group food, and kitchen supplies to our base camp. The trail is primarily used for This large lake with scenic views is a great place for groups to camp. 7 h 46 m This lake is the source of the Rubicon River. Trail clearing/maintenance, rock step/water bar construction, illegal campsite removal & area natura, Challenging : 8.3-mile backpack @ ~6500' with moderate gains/loss. The Desolation Wilderness is a 63,960-acre (258.8 km2) federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. Tallac is just a preview of what's to come. This part of our hike begins offering some dramatic views of the stunning interface between Tahoe Forest and Sierra Granite at the moderate elevations of the Tahoe Rim. Elevations, Details along the Trail LOCATION: Located 12 miles from Tahoe City, off the lake side of highway 89, escape the hustle and bustle and relax with family and friends situated on a level, expansive double lot minutes away from the sandy beaches of Meeks Bay and granite boulders of Rubicon. Attractions The Rubicon Trail The Rubicon Trail is world famous for its challenging off road experience traversing some of the most incredible scenery in the world…and it’s just down the road! Rubicon Lake is nestled into rocky folds buried under dense forest above the head of this valley, about 400 feet higher and a mile further South past the South Shore of Stony Ridge Lake, which is the last lake in this little series of valley lakes. Post it on We usually set up a base camp at Rockbound and then day hike and fish at several lakes in the area as well as the Rubicon River. Crag Lake and Rubicon Lake Trail to PCT is a 22.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Tahoma, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. This service project will be held in the northern end of the wilderness area and will be accessed by an 8.3-mile hike starting at Loon Lake. We'll also maintain trails in the area by improving trail tread on nearby trails, and improving stream crossings. Javascript is required for this site to function properly, and is best viewed with the lastest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari. Tallac, the areas around Meyers, and the Desolation Wilderness. Meeks Creek is a western tributary of Lake Tahoe which has its source on Rubicon Lake, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) northeast of Phipps Peak in Desolation Wilderness, trends northwest through Stony Ridge Lake, Shadow Lake, Crag Lake, and Lake Genevieve 3.5 miles (5.6 km), continues northeast 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to Meeks Bay on Lake Tahoe. Its length is 60 miles (97 km) with a watershed of about 184 square miles (477 km2). The crest of the Sierra Nevada runs through it, just west of Lake Tahoe. Trip Overview: ~38 mile backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe. Local Temp and Snow Reporting Stations Desolation Wilderness is just west of Lake Tahoe and the Pacific Crest Trail. Welcome to Tahoe to Whitney The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. These delicate sounds, smells, and sights create tiny unique environments within the otherwise overwhelming grandure, inducing our senses to explore the smallest, as well as the largest, ranges of perception. Wilderness Volunteers, PO Box 22292, Flagstaff, AZ 86002 USA, photos from previous years Desolation project. The Trails are mostly forest-soft, with hard-packed and rock sections. And the forest filling these voids as well, for everything that presents beauty also contains elements of danger. Rock and trail work above Stony Ridge Lake. Surface and Exposure. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. to Our trail to Phipps Pass runs through a forest-filled channel of granite cut by glacier into the mountainside between Phipps Peak and was likely the source of the two magnificant granite ridge arms running off its Southwest flank as well. The project will require doing a fair bit of rock work. During the winter months, most of the trailheads are covered by snow and are not accessible. From Phipps Pass, the view above Goose Lakes below toward Mt. Trailhead: The Vikingsholm parking area is located approximately 9 miles north of South Lake Tahoe on CA-89.The Rubicon Trail parking area is located in the D.L. 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