Since there are no trailhead quotas limiting the number of people who may enter each trailhead in the Emigrant Wilderness (except Kibbie Ridge/Lake), you do not need to reserve your permit ahead of time unless you are picking it up after hours. Contains rainbows and brookies, some in trophy size. Five miles from the trailhead, I ran into a group of hikers. I had to abandon my plan to keep hiking up North Fork Cherry Creek toward the upper Emigrant Lakes. Some of the extra weight could be offset by not bringing a tent as there wouldn’t be any mosquitoes this late, and there was no rain forecast either. To the south you can see far into the distance, across Emigrant Wilderness and towards the peaks in Yosemite, Long Lake with its little islands is prominent in the valley below. I packed away my rod and continued along the lakeshore. I also hiked to Deer Lake in one day but that was 20 years ago and I was super weary when I got there. Exposure Ridge Lake Emigrant Wilderness Published 2014-09-10 21:53:09 UTC Story by Kyle Frost Emigrant Wilderness. Day Hike to Chewing Gum Lake, Lake Powell, and Burt Rock from Gianelli Cabin – Emigrant Wilderness, Stanislaus National Forest. I planned a 3-night trip to Emigrant Wilderness to fish Emigrant Lake and some smaller lakes. Deer Lake rests deep in the Emigrant Wilderness amidst dozens of other lakes, each one as scenic and inviting as the next. ... Ridge, Sardella, Lewis. Locale: San Francisco. I still had almost 11 miles to the car, so I conjured an ibuprofen and acetaminophen cocktail to get me going. Watersheds drain to the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers. Part of Granite Dome visible on left side. A ranger that I met on the trail the day before said that he’d heard anglers catch 25-inch trouts there. The trout leaped into the air several times before accepting its fate. I ate dinner, watching the sunset reflect off the calm lake. The descent to Huckleberry Lake was painful. I kept going. Trailhead: Start by heading up to Dodge Ridge Ski Area on Highway 108, and turn right towards the cross country ski trails/experimental forest (just before reaching the lift area). Most of the 11 miles were downhill. It looked like the trail didn’t get much traffic. The chart above will give you some idea on what to expect. Even so, I wanted to push a bit further so I could walk back to my car the following day. How much do you usually like to hike in a day, in terms of miles or elevation? It is an elongated area that extends northeast about 25 miles (40 km) in length and up to 15 miles (24 km) in width. The trail passed through a pleasant pine forest. The fly dropped outside the cliff and sank. The last 2 miles of the road was unpaved, but passable with a car. My main concern was to stay warm at night. It was the last few weeks of trout season, so I also wanted to bring my fly fishing gear. I pulled out the barbless hook, snapped a quick picture, and released it. My water bottle had frozen overnight, but I slept warm. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from May until September. Gaps in the trees offered occasional glimpses of granite cliffs and the views ahead. Emigrant Wilderness is in Stanislaus National Forest, North of Yosemite. A decision by the Stanislaus National Forest to compromise and leave some dams to naturally deteriorate while allowing maintenance of others was overturned in court in 2006, reigniting some of the controversy. To the south you can see far into the distance, across Emigrant Wilderness and towards the peaks in Yosemite, Long Lake with its little islands is prominent in the valley below. To the north you can see the lakes directly below the ridge and further down to Relief Reservoir. In the morning, my foot was feeling worse. This past weekend, I headed up to the Emigrant Wilderness just north of Yosemite with my good friend Alex. Only later did I remember that I had hit the outside of my foot against a sharp rock. This lake holds stunning views and sits just under the sheer walls of Granite Dome. Every step I took on my left foot resulted in a stabbing pain near my heel. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. Ridge Lake. Along the way we found a smoldering fire in a large log and extinguished it .. apparently someone had built their campfire against the log and not put it fully out. Rainbow and Brook trout are found in almost all lakes and streams in the area. In September–October 1852, the Clark-Skidmore party became the first emigrant group to travel the West Walker route over Emigrant Pass, continuing through a portion of the present-day Emigrant Wilderness. [1], The Emigrant Wilderness is a glaciated landscape of scenic beauty. Fortunately, the other end of the lake was much more suitable for camping. The last miles of the trail passed through an old burn area. Day 2: Emigrant Lake, Maxwell Lake, Huckleberry Lake, Letora Lake, Cow Meadow Lake, Wood Lake.Day 3: Buck Meadow, Grouse Lake, Pine Valley, Crabtree Trailhead. The dams were constructed by anglers who tightly stacked nearby stones and boulders. It's not a fishing lake, but it can have spectacular sunsets and offers good swimming. I haven’t adventured much off of Sonora Pass, so I immediately said yes! Snowpacks typically linger into June, sometimes later following very wet winters. It felt like plantar fasciitis but had appeared suddenly. The Emigrant is most easily accessible from Hwy 108, with many visitors entering from near Pinecrest Lake or Kennedy Meadows. At the time, I didn’t think much of it as the pain subsided in minutes. Our six-day on- and off-trail journey to remote lakes of the Emigrant Wilderness traverses a glacially sculpted landscape with broad granite expanses, rushing mountain streams and deep canyons. Activities in Emigrant Wilderness include hiking, swimming, fishing and hunting. Aug 29, 2012 at 7:54 pm #1907425. chris Nelson. I gave it a few quick jigs and boom–the trout slammed the fly. Hyatt Lake is a 11 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Mi Wuk Village, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. Several more emigrant parties were enticed by officials from Sonora to use this route in 1853, but it was a very difficult passage with many hardships and was soon abandoned. Immediately I noticed that something wasn’t right. Chewing Gum Lake is a beautiful little camping spot not far inside the Emigrant Wilderness. I passed through some of the most impressive granite landscapes of the whole trip. When they wrote "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" they were in the Emigrant Wilderness. Time-lapse of Ridge Lake at Emigrant Wilderness. The Trail to Deer Lake Wildflowers, Panoramic Views, Tranquil Lakes. This time it was around Emigrant Wilderness, to a series of lakes for which there is no trail, only sloping slabs of granite and a topo map to guide us. Thinking about going early October. You didn’t report much on your fishing adventures. And we were not alone. I didn’t try fishing there on that trip, will need to do it next time I’m out there. This area is entirely within Tuolumne County, California and is approximately 140 miles (230 km) east of San Francisco, California and 50 miles (80 km) south of Lake Tahoe. ICELAND LAKE & EMIGRANT WILDERNESS. I rigged my Tenkara rod and picked a size 16 bead head nymph with a pink hotspot. The views over Huckleberry Lake were some of the most impressive of the trip so far. Mileage is very individual. In addition, three major deer herds – Jawbone, Yosemite and Stanislaus herds – live in Emigrant Basin. Member. I woke up as the sun began to illuminate the mountains. @nel250. Precipitation averages 50 inches (1,300 mm) annually, 80% of it in the form of snow. 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. My 12-foot rod bent as the line whizzed through the water. These free permits are required year-round. A small stream that flowed through the field had frozen overnight. I picked up my Emigrant Wilderness permit at the Summit Ranger Station right after it opened at 8:30 am. With my go-to adventure buddy stuck taking pictures of coffee shops in Montreal, I’ve been enjoying hitting the trail with some new faces. Many other trails criss-cross the Emigrant Wilderness, from Leavitt Meadow on the East side, Kennedy Meadow on the West side, and other trailheads. Emigrant Lake was much larger than any of the lakes I visited the day before. October 4 - 6, 2019. [1], Following the discovery of gold in 1848, large numbers of miners and settlers came to the Sierra and the native cultures quickly declined. Towering granite peaks surrounded Upper Buck Lake. Our first clue was the more than fifty cars at the trailhead. I also planned to do some off-trail exploration in the high country. But the miles clicked right along, up over one ridge, down into the valley, back up over the next ridge,,,and on and on. At Huckleberry Lake, I left the main trail and headed up towards Letora Lake. Wearing both a fleece and gloves, I started climbing. But Ridge Lake and its companion were full of fish, as was Summit Creek.) I planned to camp at Wood Lake. The Forest Service chose not to appeal and the dams will gradually disappear. Wilderness Permits. The most recent groups were the Sierra Miwok of the western slope and Piute of the Great Basin. Gianelli Cabin is a very popular summer time trailhead in the Emigrant Wilderness. Hope you did well. Looking south from Granite Dome peak, Long Lake is visible in the distance. 15-25 miles a day is in the super human category! Relief Valley and Relief Reservoir were so named because of the assistance some emigrants received there from residents of the Sonora area. Tom McElroy-Wild Survival Recommended for you The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada.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. This trail goes by Camp Lake and Crabtree Camp. This is a difficult out and back trail to Bear Lake in Emigrant Wilderness. With my go-to adventure buddy stuck taking pictures of coffee shops in Montreal, I’ve been enjoying hitting the trail with some new faces. The weather forecast for the trip showed clear skies. From Sonora Pass in the north, the Pacific Crest Trail follows a scenic route at the east edge of the Emigrant Wilderness along the high ridge past Leavitt Peak, turns further east from Kennedy Canyon to Bond Pass, and then heads south down Jack Main Canyon. :-) This trip, we decided to go in to Granite Lake, which is … Dogs are also able to use this trail. It offers a much higher starting point than the nearby trailheads of Crabtree(7100ft) and Bell Meadows(6500ft). Only 25 people may obtain a Wilderness Permit to Kibbie Ridge/Lake, but due to damage from the RIM fire only 10 people may obtain a permit to Lake Eleanor per day in these areas per National Park quotes. I normally hike long days, 15-25 miles, so I thought the first day was fairly easy. 5-star camping at Upper Buck Lake. She's one of those athletic types, so we let her carry the stove and water filter to slow her down. Solo Survival: How to Survive Alone in the Wilderness for 1 week --Eastern Woodlands - Duration: 34:07. At this point, it had been over two full days since I’d seen another person, and over a day since I’d even seen a footprint. There were a lot of fallen trees that had thankfully been cleared off the trail. Deer Lake was a bit more shallow/marshy at least in one end. 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. I also planned to do some off-trail exploration in the high country. Cherry Lake Dam gate to Cherry Lake, Kibbie Ridge, and Lake Eleanor opens from April 1-December 15. They were uniformly lovely. Highlights include cliffs in the Granite Dome area and lakes such as Emigrant Lake, Huckleberry Lake, and Lake Lertoria. It was still near freezing when I started my backpacking trip. What was your experience? Elevations range from below 5,000 feet (1,500 m) near Cherry Reservoir to 11,570 feet (3,527 m) at Leavitt Peak, but the elevation range of most of the popular areas is 7,500 to 9,000 feet (2,300 to 2,700 m). When I got to the West side of the lake, I was disappointed to notice that it was a shallow, swampy lake. In fact, I hadn’t seen a single fresh human track on the trail since Emigrant Lake. To see that contrast, compare the red volcanic rock in the image of Emigrant Meadow (below Right) with the granite in the other images. Follow the road to a T and turn left onto Crabtree Rd. In addition, I brought down pants and wool socks to stay warm in camp. The evening was chilly, but I stayed warm by my campfire. The lake is considered a premier destination for the Emigrant Wilderness. Emigrant Lake: 140 acres at 8827' elevation, about 15 miles from the trailhead. I planned for a short first day, stopping either at Jewelry Lake or Deer Lake. Thanks for sharing. I had time for one last weekend trip to the Sierra before winter. Any nice spots to camp prior (Camp Lake or other?)? There’s nothing like a relaxing weekend in the Sierra backcountry. I think Gem and Jewelry lakes would also have made good campsites. It was the first weekend in November last year, ← How to plan an ultralight backpacking trip, San Francisco Bay Area overnight bikepacking trip →. The trail followed the edge of a large meadow on the Northside of Upper Buck Lake. Deer Lake has great rainbow fishing. Some are wide, classic mountain lakes while others are quiet, little gems hidden away in the forest. Hi, just talked to a friend who says trying to reach Buck Lake on day one is really ambitious. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished into the dark. 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. Summers are generally dry and mild, but afternoon thundershowers occur periodically and nighttime temperatures could dip below freezing anytime. The night was wind-still, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Suddenly, I saw a big trout come up for a bite. The 4.5-miles hike to Chewing Gum Lake passes among wildflowers and has panoramic views of … From there, I had another 15 minutes to the Crabtree Trailhead. A Wilderness Permit is required for every party camping overnight in the Emigrant Wilderness. It is an elongated area that extends northeast about 25 miles (40 km) in length and up to 15 miles (24 km) in width. Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front, California State Mining and Mineral Museum, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area, University of California Natural Reserve System, Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Emigrant_Wilderness&oldid=992361095, Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Protected areas of Tuolumne County, California, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from public domain works of the United States Government, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 December 2020, at 21:30. Nice Pics Paul! But it’s much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking. Granite Dome to Ridge Lake and Iceland Lake is a 24.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Pinecrest, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. 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