Wednesday, December 30, 2020

All Good Things Must End



Well, they say all good things must end.  Does this mean Norcal Dog Trails was a good thing?  Meh.  Based on my stats it looks like very few people ever found this blog of much interest.  Either way, it's ending. We're off to new adventures back east and this blog is getting mothballed. Bumbling around California with a dog and the girl he owns for sevenish years definitely was pretty great though. 

Hopefully the hikes listed on the Hike Me First and Hike Me Next pages will help some folks find some great places to get out with their dogs in California.  Those pages are the best distillation of my favorite hikes.  Please take note that trail conditions can change fast, as the massive wave of fires this fall showed quite dramatically. So always check the official websites of the national forest service or appropriate park service for updates before going out on the trail.  All Trails is getting to be a pretty good source of trail condition updates too, through sheer usage numbers.

Have adventures. Be safe. Be polite. Clean up after yourselves. And please please please don't leave the dog at home to miss the fun!

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Four Lakes Loop Deluxe

Near: Weaverville
Distance: 33 Miles (3 Days)
Elevation: 4,700 to 8,200 feet
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: October 2020

The summit of Siligo Peak and Sawtooth Peak in the background.

The Four Lakes Loop is probably second only to the Canyon Creek Lakes as the headliner hike of the Trinity Alps.  The greater climb involved for Four Lakes keeps fewer people from doing this route than Canyon Creek Lakes, but because it's at higher elevation and melts out later. The shorter access window intensifies the crowding a bit in the mid-late summer.  We were out on a chilly October weekend and still saw lots of folks, so I would really advise avoiding summer holiday weekends on this route as competition will be fierce for the limited camping spots at the lakes.

The core of the loop is a ring around Siligo Peak, visiting four small lakes tucked in their own steep ravines. Many hike descriptions don't make this clear, but Siligo Peak is easily summited via a use trail from the ridge between Deer and Summit lakes and absolutely should not missed.  If you're short on time skip anything else, but not Siligo Peak. It's one of the most beautiful walk- up summits in California.

The hike described here is a 'deluxe' version of the four lakes loop. Really it should be called the '5/3 Loop' for five lakes and three peaks.  

Monday, December 28, 2020

Pleasanton Ridge Trail

Near: Pleasanton
Distance: 6 Miles
Elevation: 300 to 1,500 feet
Vegetation: Pasture and Oak
Last Visit: November 2020

Pleastanton Ridge is yet another East Bay cowpark.  Wide trails, a big climb and a few decent views of the Pleasanton area.