Gold Lake Road The Gold Lake Road travels from Hwy 49 beneath the towering Sierra Buttes and heads north to Graeagle. We met over 10 backpackers on a summer weekday on their way into various locations in this area. STATE - California, Nevada. Amazing views from the top of the ridge in all directions. It was pretty crowded already. The 3.2-mile hike is only moderately difficult. People were leaving as we were walking in. Not sure where that extra mile came from. I didn’t have to travel back in time 2000 years to events that required a leap of faith to believe. The novel describes Siddhartha’s journey to enlightenment at the time of the Buddha. Best part is coming up the rise about 10 minutes before you arrive at Glacier Lake -- you are greeted by the Black Buttes right in front of you, and it is awesome! Challenging climbs but leveled out often enough that the hike still felt doable. Other than that, didn't see any bugs the whole day. In 2019, Upper Rush Creek supported ~2,647 newborn Brown Trout compared to ~1,572 in 2018. Fantastic backpacking trip. A close-up of the area. The Sierra Trek, “Captain Sully, May I Take Your Photo?” … A Fateful Plunge into the Hudson River, Making Waves... No One Does It Better than the Pacific Ocean, The Duomo and Santa Croce: Two Great Churches of Florence. A waterfall in the Five Lakes Basin provides water from snowbanks to one of my favorite lakes. There isn't running water, but there is a vault toilet, and sites accessible by car. The Grouse Ridge area is very popular, with Glacier Lake, the 5 Lakes Basin, Black Buttes and other destinations all accessible from this location. I waved one last time, turned, and hiked down the trail toward the Five Lakes Basin. A gradual incline made it very enjoyable. Meteors. Beautiful lakes, the forest itself, and views from Sand Ridge. You'll need a permit for this loop so make sure to stop by the Summit District Ranger Station in Pinecrest to pick yours up. Sand Ridge and the Five Lakes Basin is a 17.4 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Emigrant Gap, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Old Sand Ridge Trail is still buried in snow. People were arriving when we left around 1400. We started at Carr Lake. We usually stick to 3 things for a hike: water, food and good vibe! While the lake aesthetic is limited, the hike itself is compelling. We had a great time on this trail! (They didn’t need it.) Lots of fun lakes to swim in and have fun around. I would wait another few weeks to do this hike. Ethan was like a deer on the trail, bounding ahead. It lies in a wide, level basin ringed by thick timber and marshy willow below Grouse Mountain (12,726’). We camped at Milk Lake and hiked to Penner. I hid out under my tent’s groundcloth as lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and hail pounded down on my campsite. Not an easy trail with a pack. Yes, it’s 2.7 miles of bumpy dirt road to get to the trailhead, but it’s not atrocious - 4WD and high clearance helpful. After 2 nights at our campsite we trudged up to Granite Lake at the base of the Black Buttes and took that trail back to Carr Lake and the end of our trip. Hey, It’s Burning Man. The ascent up Sand Ridge Trail can be difficult, but beautiful views from the top. but, bring bug spray. The Grouse Lakes area is truly the “land-o-the-lakes.” A long but rewarding loop hike will bring visitors within view of more than fifteen lakes of all sizes, and to the shores of seven. Craig. There were a lot of bugs, which was fine but would be more fun with bug spray. I dipped my feet in at Glacier Lake while eating lunch and it was pretty dang cold, which is no surprise because it's fed by snowmelt from a patch about 500 feet away from the edge of the lake. Only reason it didn't get a 5 was the amount of people. Park in the dirt parking area and then cross the metal footbridge, and you will see the trailhead marker on your left. That's ok. We found the lake, and had it to ourselves. I highly recommend! I had told him the night before that I lived in the Applegate Valley near the small town of Ruch in Southern Oregon and he wanted to know if I attended one of the churches there that he was familiar with. Only downside is it's very trafficked. Afterwards, continue the circuit up onto Sand Ridge Trail -- again, some elevation gain, but not terrible. It is doable in a day If you are a local. It was a holiday so we knew it was going to be busier than normal. Could not find the trail for the five lakes so we set up at the first lake after descending Sand Ridge. From Round Lake Trail, take the turnoff toward Glacier Lake and continue to follow signs for Glacier Lake for the remainder of the trail. Brightly colored flowers called to insects with an urgency that predated man’s sojourn on earth. If you're a hardcore biker, you can bike at Grouse Ridge.You can go boating at Lake Spaulding. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Lionel, Baboon, and I drove from Truckee, California down to Fresno, where we m… However, I understand why so many people want to visit - its got gorgeous lakes and streams and beautiful wildflowers. Sign up here and I will let you know when a new post is out. It was still snowy when we were there, so good GPS through AllTrails was key. Met backpackers that fished Penner and Island with no luck. I have just returned from my last backpacking trip of the summer, my fifth— one for each decade I’ve shouldered a pack and disappeared into the wilderness. Cato Wildfire – working with NRCS, Lake DeSmet Conservation Service, Johnson County Weed & Pest, The Nature Conservancy, Johnson County Emergency Management Coordinator, BLM, and seven landowners on the reclamation and restoration of 28.000 acres of which about 20,000 is high priority sage grouse habitat. I explained that I was a bit more Eastern in my beliefs, a bit more Zen, and something of an Agnostic. Camped near Glacier Lake below the Black Buttes. In my youth, I had been considered a prime candidate for becoming an Episcopal priest. There was still a bit of patchy snow on the ground and the lakes were frozen in spots but gorgeous views. He lives outside of nearby Nevada City (just above Grass Valley in the map below), and, like me, has wandered and loved the glacier carved country from top to bottom, from the Buttes to the Basin. I went into the Basin on the Sand Ridge Trail when I backpacked in with my family. It's also dog-friendly - a huge plus for us. Heading cross-country toward Grouse Lake. This was also a great choice with only 2 other campers around this lake. Pretty well marked. It was all beautiful. a naked bug with a white body and brown hair. We arrived at the lot around 1100. I recommend taking the Glacier Lakes trail towards Glacier Lake - there is some elevation gain but it's fairly gradual. Glacier Lake is nestled at the base of the spectacular Black Buttes in the Grouse Ridge recreation area of Northern California. Hiked this trail from the Grouse Ridge Campground trail head. Trail to Glacier Lake was easy to follow, trail to Five Lakes Basin was not. I went into the Basin on the Sand Ridge Trail when I backpacked in with my family. About Grouse Creek Northwestern Utah is characterized mainly by the deserts and salt flats of the Salt Lake Basin. There is a good trailhead at the Grouse Ridge campground. There are at least three developed campsites at Five Lakes. The following day we did a day-hike to the 5 lakes which would have been very difficult with packs on! Only saw 2 other people all day. Thanks for the updates! At this time of year the water is warm, and we enjoyed swimming. Trail Map | … Great backpacking and hiking area. Being said this, wild flowers were amazing on high point on Sand Ridge trail. The Gem Lake Loop is located in Emigrant Wilderness, which borders Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park, and offers incredible views, smaller crowds, and diverse terrain. Taking the Glacier lakes trail towards Glacier Lake milk Lake, has near. On high point on Sand Ridge trail when i backpacked on my first into. 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