June dayhikes from car camping

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maiathebee
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Re: June dayhikes from car camping

Post by maiathebee »

maiathebee wrote: Sun May 05, 2019 9:49 pm
kpeter wrote: Sun May 05, 2019 7:30 pm Trinity Alps only would have the lower Stuart Fork open by then, if it is like 2016.
I think you would have a lot more options than that in the Trinities in June. In normal snow years, I've made multiple trips in early May. I hiked up the Stuart Fork on May 4-6 in 2018 and didn't encounter snow until above Emerald Lake. I hiked up Canyon Creek on May 10-11 in 2016 and only encountered snow on the last bit of the route up to upper Canyon Creek Lake. I also did some trips in 2014 but that was an exceptionally low snow year, so not a good comparison.
Indeed this report from 5/26/19 says Canyon Creek is snow free to the lower lake:
Canyon Creek Trail snow free till approach to the lake. Upper lake still snow covered/frozen. Waterfalls are amazing! Very wet trail but only tricky crossing is the one closest to the TH
61039712_10214510650985080_6021040727285301248_n.jpg
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Re: June dayhikes from car camping

Post by Wandering Daisy »

First week in May, 2009 on Canyon Creek. Not sure which lake, but I think it is lower Canyon Creek Lake. Up until this lake it was snow-free. Canyon Creek faces due south and melts out early. I climbed Wedding Cake and Thompson Peak 4th July 1997? the high snow year. Dry trail to the lakes, then snow climbing. No photos on that trip.
Lake in Canyon Creek_small.jpg
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Re: June dayhikes from car camping

Post by dave54 »

Lassen is still under snow. The Park road is still not open (the plow equipment is battling 28 foot snow drifts) and the part that was already plowed has been closed again from the new snow last week.

Likewise Caribou. Some of the Caribou may be open late June, but people that know the area understand immediately following the snow melt is mosquito season in Caribou, and they are numerous! Caribou is a late summer/fall destination after the first hard frost has knocked the bugs back.

You may have to look at mid elevations.
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Re: June dayhikes from car camping

Post by AaronRDavis »

I'd like to bump this, since my inquiry is similar. I have a few days free later this week, so I'm interested in some car camping/day hikes. Anywhere within a few hours of Bay Area. Any further recommendations now that we've had some more melt?
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Re: June dayhikes from car camping

Post by maiathebee »

I car camped a couple nights in the Trinity Alps area last week. I camped at Bridge Camp on the Stuart Fork. Beautiful weather, almost no other campers at the 10 walk-in sites. I day hiked up the Stoney Ridge trail almost to Stonewall Pass. Lots and lots of snow above 6,500 ft, I got tired of it and just gave up sitting on a couple rocks poking out of a steep slope. Was going to hike the Stuart Fork trail the next day, but I did it already last year and weather was looking iffy, so I headed over to Malakoff Diggins to meet some friends and hike to the Yuba River instead. Last few nights I car camped at Donner Memorial state park and it was awesome! Still lots of snow around Donner Summit and the lakes up there are frozen over so I didn't hike the PCT as planned, but I checked out the train tunnels, rented a kayak, and swam in the lake.
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Re: June dayhikes from car camping

Post by wildhiker »

Some dayhikes in the Tahoe area that should be doable now (June 11) without significant snow. All are mapped on caltopo.com if you select the "Mapbuilder Topo" layer.
-Phil

1) Johnson Canyon off Interstate 80 at the Donner Lake interchange (the one halfway up to the pass that leads down to the west end of Donner Lake). We drove by on the freeway on Sunday 6/9 and I could see that the entire south facing canyon was basically clear of snow up to the ridge. When you get off the freeway at this interchange, go to the north side and the little access road deadends at the trailhead. This trail is well graded for about 3 miles up to the ridge where it meets the planned Donner Lake Rim trail. We hiked it mid-June in 2017 (similar snow conditions) and it was full of flowering bushes, particularly ceanothus, I believe. When we got to the top, we ran into a solid 4 to 6 foot deep snowpack. Great views of the snowy Sierra crest. Only downside is lots of freeway noise, especially in the first half.

2) Rubicon Trail at DL Bliss state park on the west shore of Tahoe. Runs close to the lake shore all the way to Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm (where you will run into lots of people coming down the short trail from the Emerald Bay parking lot). 9 miles round trip from Rubicon Point to Vikingsholm. If you make it that far, be sure to take the less than 1/2 mile trail up to Eagle Falls. Great views across the lake to all the mountains at numerous points along the trail. And the lake is always fabulously clear and blue. We just did it on Saturday, 6/8. Trail completely dry and no mosquitoes. Parking lot fills up early in the morning on weekends. $10 entrance fee.

3) Hunter Creek in the Mount Rose Wilderness in the Carson Range. You access this from the western outskirts of Reno. Look up Hunter Creek Trailhead on Google Maps - it even has user reviews from the last few days! Good trail up an open canyon with sagebrush and wildflowers in the lower half, then changing to conifer forest. Trail ends after about 3 miles at a nice waterfall. You have to cross the creek right away at the beginning - if the water is high, it can be very difficult. Very popular trail with the locals.

4) Sagehen Creek north of Truckee. A pleasant walk in open eastside Jeffrey Pine forest along a riparian corridor with little meadows, a beaver dam, and great wildflowers if you hit it right. Might be on the early side for flowers yet. The hike starts at a little parking area on the north side of Sagehen Creek right where state highway 89 crosses the creek - about 8 to 10 miles north of the Interstate 80 - highway 89 junction. Hike loses barely 200 feet elevation in 2.5 miles where it gets to an arm of Stampede Reservoir. The distant Carson Range is visible across the lake, otherwise this is not a hike to see mountains. Camas lilies can be abundant in the meadows near the reservoir.

5) "Picnic Rock" (Peak 7766) - great viewpoint on the north shore where you can see almost all of Lake Tahoe. You start on the Tahoe Rim Trail where it crosses state highway 267, just south of Brockway Summit. There is lots of roadside parking and generally lots of cars there, so you can't miss it. Head up the TRT to the east. Climb for about 1.5 miles and then take an obvious short side trail on the left to the open rocks.

6) The Flume Trail on the east shore of Lake Tahoe should be accessible with only occasional snow patches in shady forest areas. You can start up the Tunnel Creek Road (old dirt service road, not open to vehicles). Park along state highway 28 at the south end of Incline Village across from the Tunnel Cafe. Then walk up the paved road behind the Cafe - it will turn into gated dirt Tunnel Creek Road. A steady climb for about 3 miles gains 1500 feet. Good views of Lake Tahoe in the first mile, then interesting forest. When the climb levels out, you intersect the signed Flume Trail. Take it heading south. Another couple of mostly flat miles gets you to the outstanding views on the steep slope directly above Sand Harbor. Really, the slope is practically a cliff in here. We usually turn around at the 5 mile point, where it starts to get more into the forest again and eventually ends up at Marlette Lake.
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