Had it all to ourselves.Great swimming. Road is closed to trailhead but you can park at Wrights Lake campground with an $8 fee then hike about 1 mi to the trailhead. Clyde Lake is a 14.8 mile hike in Desolation Wilderness, just outside of South Lake Tahoe. Being a multi-year drought, that’s really damn nice. Tells Peak and Forni Lake. Campsites are limited but good. John Muir referred to the Sierra Nevada as "the most beautiful of all the mountain chains" or, more poetically, "the range of light." Before we started our loop at the Glen Alpine Trailhead, we first went up Mt. Please note: off line map is recommended to get oriented as several users have reported that this trail is not well marked and/or that there may be poor cell reception in this area. The hike over rockbound pass was tough and makes you want to stop hiking at the lake just over the top (Doris) but just drop your pack and take a 5 minute dip dry off and keep pushing. Campsite removal & restoration, trail maintenance, turnpike construction. The next day we cruised back over Rockbound and back to Wrights Lake TH. Desolation Wilderness is accessed through 13 trailheads: Loon Lake, Van Vleck, Rockbound, Twin Lakes, Lyons Creek, Pyramid Creek, Ralston Peak, Echo Lake, Glen Alpine, Mt. These project guidelines will be revised as needed. ... Schwacked up to Lake Lois, past Rockbound Pass, down into the valley, then up over the Mosquito Pass and down to Lake Aloha. 16.1. mi. Meek's Creek Trailhead is at the north end of the wilderness area along Hwy 89 at Meek's Bay. It is located west of Lake Tahoe and north of Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Hike some of the most primitive trails in Desolation Wilderness on this 2-3 day backpacking trip. save hide report. Wilderness Volunteers, PO Box 22292, Flagstaff, AZ 86002 USA. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. It is well worth the effort to see this in the spring. Desolation Wilderness. Downed logs, poor markings. This project is rated as a strenuous project. Lake Schmidell - Desolation Wilderness Because of the wonderful state of the world, all of my pre-work summer plans were canceled. Desolation Wilderness Eldorado National Forest Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Welcome to Desolation Wilderness, 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, granite peaks, and glacially-formed valleys and lakes. A beautiful hike to a beautiful lake. The trail from Schmidell to Camper Flat is … 0 comments. Please check back often for the latest version. Bring hiking poles and some confidence to pass over that baby! Over July 1st-4th, my wife and I hiked a ~40 mile loop in Desolation Wilderness. No problem whatsoever when you have it tracking you. 22. CA Sec K (Benson Hut) DIFFICULT 61.5 mi. This trail has a little bit of everything though, the only bad part I’d say is probably the hike out once you’re back down, it just kind of turns into a grind to get back to your car. It's super well marked and it's easy enough to navigate just with the help of maps.me. Bring bug spray as there are definitely bugs at Lake Lois (especially if you're camping). Next time, prob would skip the loop and do the Schmidell Loop or stay at Schmidell and just day hike to Leland. I was fine in standard hiking boots. The Forest Service will provide pack animals to carry tools, group food, and kitchen supplies to our base camp. If you are ready for some adventure, this is the trail for you! The route was fully clear of snow and the trails were mostly clear (a few downed trees). Campfires are never allowed in Desolation Wilderness. Lake Lois and Lake Schmidell is a 16.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Kyburz, California that features beautiful wild flowers. John Muir referred to the Sierra Nevada as "the most beautiful of all the mountain chains" or, more poetically, "the range of light." Pack animal supported, ©Copyright Wilderness Volunteers 2019 Camping in Desolation Wilderness is regulated by a strict quota system, with Lake Aloha being one of the fastest filling destinations. The trail is only recommended for very experienced adventurers and is primarily used for hiking, running, camping, and backpacking. Road is closed to trailhead but you can park at Wrights Lake campground with an $8 fee then hike about 1 mi to the trailhead. I didn’t make it all the way to Schmidell though. Desolation wilderness is one of the epic areas in all of California to day hike of multi day backpacking. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. There is still snow up past Rockbound Pass! Check out more photos from previous years Desolation project in our gallery. Not a ton of spots at Lake Lois and our canisters were definitely tossed around quite a bit. We continued on and then took the short climb up to Doris where we camped for the night. Trailheads on El Dorado National Forest (West) Side. Lake Lois is a lake inside of Desolation Wilderness. Tallac and Fallen Leaf Lake. Patches of steep snow below the pass ... should be ok if you have good boots and/or spikes (otherwise some minor scrambling around the boulder fields). Still some snow on Rockbound pass that you'll have to cross. After Lake Lois the trail drops down in to Lake Schmidell. The parking lot at the TH isn’t closed either but did fill up super early, I had to park by the lake and hike about a quarter mile to the trailhead. Continued on to Lake Gilmore as a storm approached. 25.25 miles; +6420' elevation. Kennedy Meadows to Granite Dome. Good camping at Doris, but there was a huge party there and we camped pretty far from the lake. The trail was not to hard to follow especially if you down the maps first! I have shared some very personal thoughts with you in the hopes that you can learn something about yourself too. Trip Overview: ~38 mile backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe. Modified Project Procedures for Volunteers. Maud Lake and Lake Lois via Rockbound Trail. The trail was also pretty narrow in some places and had lots of vegetation growing into and over the trail in places. Our service project includes trail work and campsite restoration by removing illegal campsites and fire rings. I really liked the section from Rockbound to Doris too, didn’t see anyone else on the trail and really liked the change in scenery. Overall though, the ascent up Rockbound wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated, it’s pretty steady and never gets to steep. The Eagle Falls Trailhead is off Hwy 89 at the end of Emerald Bay. Lake Lois is a lake inside of Desolation Wilderness. Lovely! It is the most picturesque place I have ever slept. Highly recommend if you want a challenging day hike! We couldn't have done it without the alltrails app. Day hikers are required to fill out a free day-use permit at the trailhead. Trail is largely dry with a sloppy, muddy patch located between Doris and Lois Lakes, closer to Lois. The trail in the rock field is very difficult to follow. Iceland Lake. We had to do a lot of scrambling and some passes on slopes covered with snow that were precarious. Lake Lois was a just a bit further. Backpacking the Red Peak Stock Trail, Lake Schmidell and Rockbound Pass in Desolation Wilderness. This was a beautiful hike, but Campers Flat was a bust. Trails are marked well. The final section winds downhill into the woods a short distance, before ending in a T-intersection with the famous Rubicon Trail, deep in the heart of the Desolation Wilderness. Lake is mostly melted out ... should be snow free within a week. You will get the opportunity to work closely with Wilderness Rangers and Desolation Wilderness Volunteers on this exciting project. Dayhiking, swimming, fishing in Lake Lois, photography, Strenuous : 7.5-mile backpack, digging, bending, moving rock & soil, 1580' elev gain. I hiked in on a Friday took 5 hrs to get to schmidell with a few stops at the lakes and i hiked back the next morning it took 3.5 hrs to finish with almost no breaks. However, Lake Doris has little to no good areas to camp since most of the terrain is very rocky (only con I would say). Probably won't do that loop again. This is one of my favorite trails. The hike to Clyde Lake can be done as a day trip or an overnight backpacking trip, as there is lots of stunning scenery to explore. I loved the massive slabs of granite that you go over just before the first lake. The pass is no joke! Whitney in 2 days. We went northwest off the trail at Horshoe to climb a short ridge and over the other side to Zitella Lake. We'll also maintain trails in the area by improving trail tread, improving stream crossings, and building rock stairs. We ended up camping at Lake Doris due to a late start, took 6 hours. the rockbound trail is amazing and getting over the pass is hard but worth it. Lower Lake Lois Falls is a marvelous two tiered waterfall in the Desolation Wilderness, totaling about 110 ft. in height. Beautiful views of the multiple lakes and surreal autumn nature! But don’t give up make it to schmidell at all cost. 3. The project will require doing a fair bit of rock work. The trail is quite exposed with little shade. Hiking Trails (6) 1. Javascript is required for this site to function properly, and is best viewed with the lastest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari. Couple of issues: 1) trail is overgrown in parts and in some places, trees had fallen down a long time and completely blocked the trail with no good workaround; 2) you need to use your trail finding skills as trail is tough to find in parts of the loop, esp between Horseshoe Lake and 4-Q lakes, where it’s an open granite face and some of the cairns are not clear; and 3) the Rubicon valley trail is very buggy and overgrown, incl a bunch of stream crossings and mosquito swatting. We backpacked and had wanted to stay at Lake Lois, however, it was covered with snow and was still pretty cold so we opted to stay at Maude Lake instead. It can get pretty warm because it is mostly in the sun but there are plenty of places to stop and rest in the shade. You can make online reservations for Desolation Wilderness Permits for a small reservation fee at Recreation.gov, or visit Pacific Ranger Station Fresh Pond, 7887 Highway 50, Pollock Pines, CA or call (530) 647-5415 . The work could also include building a turnpike through a seasonal stream-wet meadow crossing between Lake Doris and Lake Lois, as well as clearing down trees from the McConnell Loop. For more information, visit the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. If you bushwhack a bit up the stream off trail there are a few rocks and a log that are easier to pass (we found this on our way back). A welcome cloud cover made hiking all the more enjoyable past Lake Lois and Doris. Fish in Lake Lois if you're interested! We have detected that your brower has javascript disabled. We got surprised by a thunder on the way but it went away before the evening started. Hiked from Twin Lakes on my second day while on a 6 backpacking trip. Rockbound pass is no joke. Our base camp will be at Lake Lois, elevation 8,320 ft. That's a 7.5-mile hike from the trailhead at Wright's Lake, elevation 6,940 ft. About 6 miles from the trailhead the trail crosses Rockbound Pass, elevation 8,520 ft., then descends 200 ft. for the last 1 mile to Lake Lois. Desolation Wilderness. Day 2 we hiked past McConnel Lake which was really just a swamp and on towards Horseshoe. Desolation Wilderness is located west of Lake Tahoe near Wright's Lake Recreation Area. Spent an hour trying to find the trail. Please try not to judge me too harshly. Lake lois is amazing, This hike was excellent! Snow is all but gone. Posted by 5 days ago. If you are from the Tahoe side, check with Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit at (530) 543-2600. Desolation Wilderness. Every single step was step inward into the heart of the Desolation Wilderness's beauty. The Desolation Wilderness, located southwest of Lake Tahoe, above Emerald Bay contains 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, bald granite peaks, dramatic cliffs and glacially-formed valleys and more than 100 lakes. We renamed it Campers Hell! The climb from Yellowhammer to Leighton Lake had some wonderful granite slabs, as well as endless views toward Yosemite. I would do this trail again as a backpacking trip. Distance. We arrived at our camp site around 1. 5; Lake No. Permit is easy to get online during this time. 3; Lake No. I have only made it to Maud lake, but it was beautiful, single track, Abd great views. Lake Lois and Lake Schmidell is a 16.1 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Kyburz, California that features beautiful wild flowers. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. There is also one stream crossing. Lake Lois. Emigrant Wilderness. The trail was pretty rocky and rugged, which is to be expected in Desolation. Lake Lois, Desolation Wilderness. Did it as a one night camping by Lake Lois backpacking trip. You'll need to have reservations the limit the number of people backpacking in from all of the entry points. The Desolation Wilderness, located southwest of Lake Tahoe, above Emerald Bay contains 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, bald granite peaks, dramatic cliffs and glacially-formed valleys and more than 100 lakes. The trail is only recommended for very experienced adventurers and is primarily used for hiking, running, camping, and backpacking. The Desolation Wilderness takes its name from the barren, rocky basins and gnarly old-growth conifers that characterize its heights. DIFFICULT 17.4 mi. I hiked to Doris and then decided to head back. The Desolation Wilderness is by far the most popular destination for backpackers in the Echo Summit area, which is why the wilderness has among the strictest permit regulations in California. The elevation gain to the pass is 1,580 ft. over the distance of 6 miles. Trailhead : Miles One Way: Difficulty: Twin Lakes to: Grouse Lake: 2.1: Moderate/Difficult : Hemlock Lake From the pass, the trail passes a junction with Blakely Trail (a short distance north along which is Lois Lake). You will get to lake Lois pretty easily after that but DO NOT stop there keep pushing on to Schmidell it is hands down the most breathtaking lake on this hike with big granite slabs leading to the lake. The following 20 pictures can give you only a small glimpse into our fantastic experience in Desolation Wilderness, but be assured it was blissful! Due to additional COVID-19 precautions, we are prohibiting mixed household volunteer carpooling (with volunteers outside of the same household traveling in the same vehicle) to projects until further notice. Exceptions to this policy (eg close friends traveling together) will need to be discussed with/pre-approved by the office and will require additional precautionary steps for the individuals involved. Please note: Due to COVID-19, Wilderness Volunteers is operating our 2021 project schedule under our Modified Project Procedures for Volunteers. The Desolation Wilderness, located southwest of Lake Tahoe, above Emerald Bay contains 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, bald granite peaks, dramatic cliffs and glacially-formed valleys and more than 100 lakes. Some campsites are too close to the lake, and our task is to remove those illegal camps and naturalize the area. Used this trail as a prep for Mt. There were no mosquitos. Excellent trail. Stopped for lunch at Maud Lake which is a nice area to camp however it is more crowded. At lunch (tabouli again – delicious) it started to rain. We got lucky and snagged a awesome campsite right on the water! Desolation Wilderness '06. photos from previous years Desolation project. Got a little chilly in the evening. We started at Wright's lake and hiked over Rockbound pass, past Lois and Doris Lakes and finally camped at Lake Schmidell the first night. Scenery was beautiful. Rockbound is an intimidating pass, but the 8 miles went by fairly quickly. Mosquitoes are out in full force. Good day adventure, completed in just under 7 hours. Zitella was fabulous! Trail is very well maintained. This hike is gorgeous, there is no doubt about it. Also, there’s an $8 day use fee now but there’s an electronic parking machine that accepts credit so pretty easy. Seasonal Popularity. The Regional Forestry Service office is right off Al Tahoe where you can pick up your permit an make your reservations. We started/ended at Rockbound Trailhead and camped at Maud Lake, Fontanillis Lake, and Lake Aloha. We have 6 permits to camp at Lake Lois. Moon over Lake Lois, Desolation Wilderness. It can be difficult to find solitude, especially if you’re hiking to Lake Aloha or up Pyramid Peak on a summer weekend. I just did this hike with my girlfriends for my 29th birthday. Wrights Lake Road. share. Pyramid Falls, Peak, and Lake. Bring a water filter--you will need to refill and definitely don't want to carry all the water you will need! This hike was so enjoyable! ... Email; directions Driving Directions. Overall great hike, great views. 4; Lake No. ... we gained the ridge and headed over into the lush meadow area where Doris Lake is. Fontanillis Lake and Dick’s Peak. 36. Lake Aloha. The Desolation Wilderness, located southwest of Lake Tahoe, above Emerald Bay contains 63,960 acres of subalpine and alpine forest, bald granite peaks, dramatic cliffs and glacially-formed valleys and more than 100 lakes. John Muir referred to the Sierra Nevada as "the most beautiful of all the mountain chains" or, more poetically, "the range of light." There are seven major trailheads to access the Desolation Wilderness from Highway 89 and Highway 50. Emigrant Wilderness. This web page describes my 10 day hike in Desolation Wilderness in the Summer of 2016. Tallac with our day-packs to enjoy the fantastic view of Mt. Many visitors comment that the name is entirely inappropriate for an area with such rich diversity of scenery, topography and natural beauty. The hike over Rockbound Pass is far less crowded than many of the trails on the eastern side of the wilderness. Desolation Wilderness The Desolation Wildnerness is just west of South Lake Tahoe. Desolation Wilderness is one of the most heavily used wilderness areas in the country. Gertrude Lake; Gilmore Lake; Granite Lake; Grass Lake; Grouse Lake; Grouse Lakes (Large) Grouse Lakes (Small) Half Moon Lake; Heather Lake; Hemlock Lake; Hidden Lake; Highland Lake; Horseshoe Lake; Island Lake; Jabu Lake; Kalmia Lake; Lake No. Desolation Wilderness. 2. ... Today’s start was late and leisurely. One large tree with a re-route is near Doris, and there are two trees between Lois and Schmidell, 24" & 30". After being cooped up in an apartment in Santa Cruz for a few months, there was an extreme need to get out and do … Off-Trail Granite Above Yellowhammer Lake - Emigrant Wilderness. There are seven major trailheads to access the Desolation Wilderness from Highway 89 and Highway 50. During the winter months, most of the trailheads are covered by snow and are not accessible. Tallac, Bayview, Eagle Lake and Meeks Bay. Meek's Creek Trailhead is at the north end of the wilderness area along Hwy 89 at Meek's Bay. The views from the top are excellent but once you get over and see Lois, man, what a view, just incredible. Desolation Wilderness. Directions:The Desolation Wildnerness is just west of South Lake Tahoe. I’d like to do this again and make it all the way, did as a day hike and took about 7 hours total. This 26 mile loop meanders through some of the most primitive trails in Desolation Wilderness. Got totally lost around Campers Flat. Overall, this is a fun, beautiful loop that takes you up through a bunch of cool alpine lakes. Elevation gain. Overview. Highly recommend setting up camp near Lake Schmidell to watch the sunrise. Finally did after making a loop through heavy undergrowth, then cruised easily to the junction where the Velmas trail goes east. Would definitely recommend but go up Rockbound early, the sun can be rough. This loop traverses over Rockbound Pass and Dicks Pass on its way to the beautiful Lake Aloha. You'll find complete information about planning a trip into the Desolation Wildernesson the Desolation Wilderness Permit Informationpage. Quite snowy still on the other side of Rockbound pass (at least 1-2 weeks more probably to melt out). Day 3 we continued on the loop with the intention to go through 4Qs lakes and Campers Flat and on up a last climb to Doris Lake. Starting from Wrights Lake, the route proceeds over Rockbound Pass, loops around several lakes, and returns to Wrights Lake. 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