Mt Elwell Loop

Region: Northern Sierra
Distance: 8 miles
Elevation: 5,800 to 7,800 ft
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: Mid July 2019

Mt Elwell Summit Panorama

Mt Elwell is a minor Sierra Peak at the southern end of the Plumas National Forest.  While it's not particularly tall, it still commands an excellent view of the surrounding alpine lakes in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area and the taller peaks of the Sierra Buttes about 9 miles to the south.  If you're just going for views Sierra Buttes is more impressive, but I found Mt. Elwell more pleasant. The scenery is nicer, the trails less crowded and there aren't any ATVs or dirtbikes taring around nearby.  Also instead of the out and back up Sierra Buttes, there are several options to loop over the summit of Mt. Elwell and visit one or more beautiful lakes along the way.

Caribou Lakes

Region: Trinity Alps
Distance: 16 miles
Elevation: 4,900 - 7,200 ft
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: Late June 2019

Dawn over the Klamath National Forest from the overlook over Lower Caribou Lake.

The Caribou Lakes are yet another cluster of beautiful alpine lakes in the Trinity Alps.  The lakes are situated on the northern side of the core peaks of the the Trinity Alps.  From the north there are two access trails to the lakes that can be linked into a loop, though because of snow we were only able to take the lower, newer, Caribou Lakes Trail.  Later in the summer the older, steeper route over a minor side peak of Caribou mountain should offer some epic views of the region.  The lakes also make a good staging area to scramble along Sawtooth Ridge to the south, which also boasts famously great views. We tried to make it up to Sawtooth Ridge, but we were turned back by several feet of steep, barely-stable snow on the north side of the ridge that was just a little too dangerous for some humans and dogs on this trip.  In snow years less epic than 2019, this route will probably be snow free by the last weekend of June, when we visited, but in big snow years it appears waiting till mid-July is advisable to open up all the route options in this area.

Even without making either of the two nearby high points, the views on this hike were excellent.  The Caribou Lakes trail contours around Caribou Mountain along many steep, open hillsides looking out over the steep valley of the South Fork Salmon River below to the north, and the 1,000 foot cascade of the Caribou Creek as it drains from Lower Caribou Creek to the west.  The trail to Canyon Creek Lakes has more waterfalls, and the trailhead is easier to access, so that's probably still my recommendation for a first hike in the Trinity Alps.  But the quality, quantity, and variety of views on the Caribou Lakes Trail make it a strong contender for best hike in the region.  We did this hike as an overnight backpack, which is probably the optimal choice (especially if you want to get up Sawtooth Ridge), but a fit group with an early start could make it as a day hike.