Hunter Creek Trail

Near: Reno, NV
Distance: 6 miles
Elevation: 5,000 to 6,100 feet
Vegetation: Desert scrub to pine forest
Last Visit: February 2018

Winter 2018 has been pretty sad in the snow department. Well into February we're in that awkward stage where there's enough snow at higher elevations to make lots of trails hard to follow, but not enough for good skiing and snow shoeing except the on the highest trails.  So on a weekend trip up to the Tahoe area we did a day of snowshoeing on Castle Peak and a light day on the Hunter Creek Trail on the west side of Reno at the base of the Mt Rose Wilderness.  This trail starts in the desert scrub at 5,000 feet and follows a canyon up to a modest waterfall just at the tree line around 6,000 feet.  As a real forest chauvinist this hike won't be making an top ten lists for me, but it was a nice change of pace.  The proximity of the trailhead to Reno and the steady, well-graded trail makes it a popular afternoon jaunt, so you'll have some company here.

Jackass Lakes

Near: Oakhurst
Trip Type: Day Hike
Distance: 8 Miles
Elevation: 7,000 - 9,200 ft
Vegetation: Pine Forest to Moonscape
Last Visit: 11/25/17

**Note: the Ansel Adams Wilderness was heavily impacted by the Creek Fire of 2020.  Check the Sierra National Forest website for up to date information on trail closures.**

It was that awkward time in late fall when there's enough snow at higher elevations to make following the trail near impossible, but not enough at lower elevations to go right into ski season.  Poking around on some NOAA snow depth maps, it looked like there was a relative dearth of snow in the far western corner of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, so we resolved to take a trip out there on Thanksgiving weekend.  We decided to hike up to the Jackass Lakes on the southeast side of Madera Peak. As usual Ansel Adams did not disappoint.

At 10,500 feet Madera peak is not particularly outstanding as a high Sierra summit, but it sits on the western edge of a large basin drained by the San Joaquin River. From its eastern slopes you therefore have an unobstructed view across this basin to a dramatic panorama of high Sierra peaks stretching from Mt Ritter and the Minerets in the north to the head of of the Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon to the south.  That's about 50 of some of the most dramatic miles of the Pacific Crest.   This is a view that must be taken in with the human eye to be fully appreciated.  The pictures included in this post are an even more pathetic representation of the real experience than usual.  We didn't have enough daylight to try for the peak, but it looks eminently hikable and should offer further views into Yosemite National Park to the north as well.   A return trip in Summer is on the to-do list for sure.

The only down side to this hike is the trail is a bit sketchy at points and only indicated with tiny cairns here and there.  We were able to find it OK most of the way, but I felt better having a topo map loaded up on my cell in case we needed it.  I very much recommend Backcountry Navigator as cheap emergency off-line GPS option.

Carr Lake to Glacier Lake

Near: Yuba Pass
Trip Type: Day Hike
Distance: 11 Miles
Elevation: 6,700 - 7,600 ft
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: 9/24/17

Recently Lori was nursing a sore hip and we went looking for some nice mountain scenery that we didn't have to climb much for.  The Round Lake and Glacier Lakes trails fit the bill.  With only a few hundred feet of climb, the Round Lake trail runs by or near five small alpine lakes in just a few miles.  Lori was doing OK, so we ended up extending all the way to Glacier Lake for a respectable distance and climb in the end but it was nice to have such a scenic easy option.  I think this area would be a great place for an intro backpacking trip, as it's got lots of picturesque camping spots that are attainable without much climb and manages to feel satisfyingly remote even though it's just a short drive from I-80.

Shirley Canyon Trail

Near: Tahoe City
Trip Type: Day Hike
Length: 8 miles
Elevation: 6,300 to 8,800 feet
Vegetation: Forest to open ski slope
Last Visit: Mid October, 2017

Olympic Valley from some open slabs of granite on the Shirely Canyon Trail 

This hike was actually a hilariously botched attempt to hike Granite Chief via the Granite Chief Trail with an inadequate map.   We ended up fumbling across an ambiguous set of use trails along a creek and emerging on to a marked trail we didn't know existed.  By the time we realized we weren't on the trail we wanted, we were well up Shirley Canyon trail and enjoying it enough that we just kept going.  This trail climbs along a pleasant creek with lots of pools and cascades, climbs some open rock slaps under granite cliffs and emerges at a large pond on the edge of ski area.  Following some access roads up the ridge takes you to Emigrant Peak.  From there a loop back down the Granite Chief Trail is possible.  For most of the hike a ridge to the south hides the unsightliness of the nearby questionably named ski area, making the hike much more pleasant than a casual look at the map suggests.

Montara State Beach to North Peak

Near: Pacifica
Elevation: 0-1900 ft
Surface: Old Pavement/Dirt
Distance: 9 miles
Vegetation: Costal Shrub
Last Visit: 11/19/17

Montara State Beach and McNee Ranch are rare California State Parks that allow you to bring a dog on the trail, provided you keep them leashed.  McNee Ranch is dominated by the 1900 foot Montara Mountain.  The summit area is a bit anticlimactic, as its a cluster of minor peaks with very similar elevations and some communications equipment on the highest two peaks.   The mountain is almost entirely covered in  low coastal shrub, so the less than stellar summit is more than made up for by the sweeping views afforded along the trail.  The best sections are the lower western ridge (which affords great views for whale watching) and the upper trail just below the peaks (which has open views to the north from the Farallon Islands to the San Francisco bay).  January and March are the best times for spotting grey whales, though we got lucky on our last trip in November.  March is particularly good for spotting mothers and young calves heading north.  Remember your binoculars if you've got em.  I was kicking myself for leaving them at home.

Twin Knolls via Cataract Falls

Near: Fairfax
Trip Type: Day Hike
Length: 8-9 miles
Elevation: 700 to 1900 feet
Vegetation: Forest and fern
Last Visit: 11/11/17

The sprawling network of trails open to dogs in the Mt Tamalpais Watershed are great, but they can be a bit frustrating in how close they come to stunning views, while mostly keeping them just out of reach.  The Cataract Creek Trail is one of most popular trails in the watershed, climbing up a lush canyon full ferns and modest cascades.  A couple of quick detours off the trail adds some of the best views in the watershed.  All around, this is my favorite hike on Mt. Tam so far open to dogs.  It's best hiked between rains in the winter season when the cascades are flowing nicely.  The pictures that follow are from an early-season hike in November, so the water was a bit lower than optimal.

Quarry Trail

Near: Auburn
Trip Type: Day Hike
Distance: 10 miles
Elevation: 500 - 700 feet
Vegetation: Scrub and deciduous forest
Last Visit: 11/5/17

The Middle Fork American River from the Quarry Trail.

Lori's coming back from an injury and we're keeping steep climbs to a minimum on our hikes lately.  We decided this would be a good time to check out some of the trails along the American River near Auburn.  We followed the Quarry Trail up the Middle Fork American River from near its confluence with the North Fork American River.  We went about 4 miles up near Brown's Bar, but you can continue as far as Poverty Bar (5 miles up) keeping close to the river at the base of a deep canyon.   The first mile is extremely flat and wide.  After that the road is more rolling and progressively deteriorates into single track.  Along the way you pass some remnants of an old limestone mine, now a popular climbing spot.  A great light hike on a cool autumn day.