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. As we explored, we realized that the Desolation Valley gradually flows down from Lake Aloha to the far end of Lake of the Woods. Don’t forget to look up! ( Log Out / We didn’t see any bears on this trip, but felt much safer for using these (absurdly heavy) contraptions. I am a lover of trees. Once motorists started making their way over Echo and Donner summits, the land became part of the newly formed Eldorado National Forest. I do hate the distortion in some cases tho, I was thinking of my friend’s extremely compact Nikon to which he added a wide angle lens with virtually no distortion, but it’s not waterproof and probably not particularly light. Desolation Lake; Dicks Lake; Lake Doris; Eagle Lake; Floating Island Lake; Fontanillis Lake; Forni Lake; Fox Lake; Frata Lake; Gefo Lake; Lake Genevieve; Gertrude Lake; ... Lake No. She had a large external frame backpack (we later guesstimated it was about 40lbs) on and a lot of gear and was sitting down on a log. Trail description: The trail to Lake of the Woods begins at lower Echo lake which is one of the starting points for hikes into Desolation Wilderness.There are a plethora of alpine lakes althis trail head and many backcountry hikes into some … Haypress Meadows doesn’t fail to disappoint. Of course I had seen from afar it from Pyramid Peak, which is one of the reasons that I wanted to see it up close. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. Wilderness: Off-grid Hiking or Camping; Rules and posting guidelines: All posts must be flaired "Wilderness" or "Travel" Submissions must include a short paragraph describing your trip. This gives you some idea of the elevation on the way out. Lake of the Woods, at the southern end of Desolation, provides a great introduction to the wilderness area and can be accomplished as a quick overnight trip or a longer day hike. In summer, the snow melts to reveal bare rock and dirt. Hikers at Lake Aloha, Desolation Wilderness Lake of the Woods and Ropi Lake Trail Bear left at 4.0 miles, continue southeast by going left at a trail fork at 4.6 miles, and then reach, at 4.9 miles, the north shore of aptly named Lake of the Woods, which rivals Lake Aloha in popularity because of its numerous campsites. Straight to Aloha, left to LOTW. The Eagle Falls Trailhead is off Hwy 89 at the end of Emerald Bay. wouldn’t you rather have a lens that doesn’t distort so much? Also, there is supposedly another route to the main trail head & Lake Aloha from LOTW besides the one we came down on, but when we got to where it was marked on my map, we didn’t see anything that looked like a trail, just a straight bushwhack up through terrain that wasn’t much fun looking. This one is my new favorite in Desolation. (I always make inadvertent puns, don’t mind me. Originally, the native fish were Lahonton Cutthroats found … 3 minutes ago. Desolation Wilderness Weather. The Lake of the Woods is a backcountry glacial lake in the Desolation Wilderness of the Eldorado National Forest, southwest of Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California. I hear the cabins along this lake are on a 99 year lease from the USFS. Which is why it is so nice when you get to the top and enter a lush forested area with some nice soft dirt as shown below. She seemed totally fine and was asking us a question about the distance to Lake of the Woods as that was their destination, when she instantly passed out right in front of our eyes! Hiking alone is great for when you don’t expect to be getting far off trail, especially in Desolation because there are always plenty of people on the trail during the day so you aren’t too likely to get yourself into trouble without hope of assistance. Yes I know I say that in every post! It looks majestic from a distance so I knew it would be special to visit it directly. It was luck maybe or something else that we happened to be there. Maps are great! After that, it would be necessary to utilize the boat taxi and hitchhike six miles back to the car. The lake is known to contain Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout. Some lakes have designated campsites (Eagle Lake, Lake of the Woods, Grouse Lake, Hemlock Lake). Water color is just ridiculously beautiful here. Left to LOTW and straight ahead for Aloha. Lake of the Woods via Pacific Crest Trail is a 11.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near South Lake Tahoe, California that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. Without further ado here are the entire trip details: I love leaving Echo Lakes trailhead early in the morning, and this tree is one of the first that sticks out in my mind when I hike here. Like most lakes in Desolation Wilderness, American Lake is accessible from a variety of trailheads depending on where you want to start, desired mileage, and elevation gain/loss. Submitted content should be of high-quality. I digress. From the northern wilderness boundary to the creek coming from Highland Lake, there are four downed trees, all between 25-32". Photo credit: Maria. ... Lake of the Woods: From the dock, take the PCT for 2.2 miles with a … The crest of the Sierra Nevada runs through it, just west of Lake Tahoe. And what goes down must come up. I feel like I have learned quite a bit over the past few months but still have lots to learn. We gave her powergels and energy chews and stayed with her until she was feeling better. Trees are few and far between. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. She woke up a short time later (her son was very distraught obviously) and looked at us with no recognition initially of who we were or why we were holding her up. Find an alpine lake, remove your socks and shoes and stick your feet in the water for a while. As you probably have figured out by now, I typically hike alone. It was fun planning and helping him with gear choices and advice. You stop to take photos with your ‘real’ camera now and then so you’ve got all the angles covered, so to speak. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Just after we descended the switchback you see below, we stopped to talk to a woman who was hiking with her 12 year old son & dog. Now I had consulted my topo map before we headed to Lake of the Woods, but not close enough to realize there is a bit of a elevation drop down into the LOTW area. Ignoring the distortion on the trees to the left and right, the one in the middle looks just like you see it here. The Desolation Wildnerness is just west of South Lake Tahoe. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Desolation Wilderness is within the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. ( Log Out / This is the trail junction for Lake Aloha and Lake Of the Woods. One of the only pictures I have of myself working a camera, which is pretty cool. If you choose not to take the water taxi, add 5 miles to the overall trip. I had been wanting to visit Lake of The Woods in Desolation Wilderness ever since I hiked out to Lake Aloha back in early June 2015. At one point, there is a junction in the trail to the right and down a steep hill where you can see Hidden Lake from above. North Desolation Wilderness Central Desolation Wilderness South Desolation Wilderness These three maps overlap so we can follow side trails to local trailheads off of the main TYT-PCT route through Desolation Wilderness, such as Eagle Falls, Bayview Camp, and Cascade Lake along the West shore of Lake Tahoe. Please note that Desolation Wilderness weather can be quite different. El Dorado County's Desolation Wilderness in California is a federally protected wilderness area with many waterfalls and alpine lakes.Lake of the Woods is one of them. I have a new tradition/tip for my hikes. Right now California is on fire everywhere, and in the Sacramento valley the air quality is horrendous. I’ve hiked at 12,000 feet and it’s a whole different ballgame than 7000 to 8000 is. Lake of the Woods. So we stayed on the same trail we came in on back to the main trail. Change ). Now, if you have a heart attack or are otherwise injured in such a way that you can’t use one it doesn’t do you a lot of good, except that these devices do track your movements and can be used to find your location regardless of your ability to operate it. Lake Aloha. Up here in the Sierra it was just fine thank you. I love it! A helicopter buzzed above us in a zig-zag pattern and we wondered for whom or what it was searching. This wilderness area is in the Sierra Mountain range where rugged natural wonders rule. Here’s the weather forecast for South Lake Tahoe. The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness- John Muir I had been wanting to visit Lake of The Woods in Desolation Wilderness ever since I hiked out to Lake Aloha back in early June 2015. Of course I had seen from afar it from Pyramid Peak, which is … I later talked to a friend who is a doctor who indicated she may have had an atonic seizure. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Many Fine Local Destinations Though this 2.9 mile segment from the Northern Lake of the Woods trail junction South down to the Desolation Wilderness Boundary there is a whole gaggle of trail junctions within this short distance, it's really not too confusing for the through hiker.. These next images are out of sequence with the time of day they were taken. The area became a designated Wilderness in 1969 and is probably one of the most heavily used "Wilderness" areas within the U.S. Meek's Creek Trailhead is at the north end of the wilderness area along Hwy 89 at Meek's Bay. This series of trail junctions represents a mess of local short-distance backpacking opportunities. ( Log Out / Middle Velma Lake. Scary stuff whatever it was. It lies just southeast of Lake Aloha. The jet stream trails were especially nice. Dave snapped this one of me on the way. After you leave the Upper Echo Lake area and right around Lake Tamarack is where the trail really starts to kick up. The Desolation Wilderness consists of 63,000 acres with over one hundred small- to medium-sized lakes within a subalpine environment of granitic peaks and glacially formed valleys. Crag Lake, Desolation Wilderness. Talk about a great feeling and a really good way to give your feet a break mid-hike. Frata Lake, a sweet spot tucked behind Lake of the Woods in the aptly-named Desolation Valley. The hike up was less than 4 miles with an … The Lake of the Woods—sometime simply called Lake Woods —lies northwest of the Echo Lakes.The one-way hiking distance from the Echo Lake Chalet is 5.3 miles. Low effort posting of … The trees are especially incredible around here and the terrain is just gorgeous. There are seven major trailheads to access the Desolation Wilderness from Highway 89 and Highway 50. Human waste must be buried in a 6”-8” deep hole at least 200’ from water. You can shave off a few hiking miles by starting at one of the Echo Lakes trailheads that are accessible via water taxi service. And this one is pretty incredible. See what I mean? Most of the following images were taken on the trip back but they roughly follow the route of the hike on the way to Lake of the Woods. Since it’s hard to know how your body will react at altitude the first time hiking, I figured Echo Lakes was a good choice for his first hike because I know the route well and knew that we had an easy route back if the elevation or climbing was too much for his first time. Must be nice to have one! ( Log Out / Desolation wilderness is not so desolate Signed up for a meet-up hike to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower. Welcome to the; Lakes of Desolation Wilderness; Home; About; Lakes; Notes During the winter months, most of the trailheads are covered by snow and are not accessible. Or bring a bathing suit and go for a swim. Anyway, I’m sure you made a well-considered decision. “I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in”. But you will be climbing non stop for a good 45 minutes on some rather technical terrain which is mainly the typical scree you find all over Desolation. It looks majestic from a distance so I knew it would be special to visit it directly. From any of the Echo Lakes trailheads follow the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) into the … Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This is a non-diffusing subcategory of Category:Lakes of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) . Somewhat misleading because this is from a GoPro and it has a lot of distortion on the edges. The next several images are all from Haypress Meadows. After that we walked with them back down to Tamarack Lake and assisted with carrying her stuff until we felt confident she was ok. Explore to find your campsite. what’s the advantage of a GoPro? I saved the best tree for last. I had been wanting to visit Lake of The Woods in Desolation Wilderness ever since I hiked out to Lake Aloha back in early June 2015. The Desolation Wilderness region was established in 1899 as part of the Lake Tahoe Forest Reserve, according to the U.S. Forest Service. So just be aware that you are looking at about a 400 foot drop down to the lake and of course back up if you are not staying in the area long. It’s a curse, I believe, for breaking up with my sweet first boyfriend because his constant pun-making drove me batty.). The power of imagination makes us infinite. It’s not that much elevation gain and not too steep either. It includes lakes that can also be found in the parent category, or in diffusing subcategories of the parent. The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness-. So on this trip a buddy of mine expressed an interest in trying a hike with me so we made plans to start at Echo Lakes and see where the day would take us. Lakes and reservoirs located in the Desolation Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California. Crystal and Aiden, if you are out there and reading this, I hope you are well. Lately though, I have been yearning to about travel more off trail into the back country which isn’t the best idea alone… of course plenty of people do it. Once past the Middle Velma Lake backpackers will climb roughly 200 feet before being rewarded with a stretch of 10 miles of wilderness forest to the West of Phipps Peak, which gradually descends out of Desolation Wilderness and back into the Eldorado and Tahoe National forests by Richardson Lake and headed to the famed Barker Pass and the Granite Chief Wilderness … From Highland Creek to the junction of 4-Qs / McConnell Loop, there are two trees, 21" & 33" dbh. All are advantages for certain landscapes, hiking and adventures where you might not be able to hold a larger camera with the same properties. The Lake of the Woods is a backcountry glacial lake in the Desolation Wilderness of the Eldorado National Forest, southwest of Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California. Tallac, Bayview, Eagle Lake and Meeks Bay. This is the southern gateway to Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe. We came across a large group right around this area. The Desolation Wilderness is a 63,960-acre (258.8 km2) federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. The lake is accessible by hiking west out of the Glen Alpine Springs Trailhead, Echo Lake (California) Trailhead or north out of the Twin Bridges Trailhead. It was neat to see Pyramid Peak from this perspective. This article is about the lake. I started researching the various satellite message devices which do provide some measure of safety because they can be used to message emergency personnel and even send an “I’m ok” message to friends and family. At first we thought she was having a seizure. Ropi Lake Desolation Wilderness: July 13, 2012. I highly recommend swimming or at least soaking your tired feet in this lake! At waterfall camp, you'll have the opportunity to explore over 50 waterfalls. The crest of the Sierra Nevada is found here. Here you have the junction for Lake of the Woods. Backpack to this secluded destination that's hidden from most of the traffic in Desolation Wilderness. It’s very wide, while also being super light and point and shoot , & waterproof. After the brutal scree and abuse your feet have taken climbing up from Tamarack to here, the soft loamy soil in Haypress Meadows is very welcome. Also, while the altitude is relatively high at about 7000 to start, it’s not off the charts high either. For some reason, the trees in the Haypress Meadows area are very special. We decided to enter from the Echo Lakes trailhead at Echo Summit. Of course I had seen from afar it from Pyramid Peak, which is one of the reasons that I wanted to see it up close. Finally, I reached the vast expanse of bare rock and water known as Lake Aloha. My first backpacking trip as a birthday gift from my wonderful husband. Feast your eyes on that ridiculous view! The Desolation Wilderness takes its name from this vast, central bowl of bare peaks and endless small lakes. This lake at the bottom of a glacier-scoured basin is accessible via the Pacific Crest Trail from the Echo Lakes by taking an Echo-Lake-Chalet-operated water taxi to the upper lake pier or by hiking 2.5 additional miles … So refreshing. For the community in Kern County, see, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake of the Woods (California), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_of_the_Woods_(California)&oldid=979467976, El Dorado County, California geography stubs, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without image bathymetry, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 20 September 2020, at 23:33. It lies just southeast of Lake Aloha. We absolutely loved the Haypress Meadows area. Dave snapped this of me shooting at Lake of the Woods. We both caught her by the arms, pulled off her pack and propped her up to prevent her from falling forward. Heading down the switchbacks towards Tamarack Lake. Dogs frolic through the May snowpack in the Desolation Wilderness. A few tips if you’re packing into Desolation Wilderness: Bear bins are recommended. After Crag Lake, the trail starts going up again over some rocky terrain and another creek to make the final 1.5 mile push to Stony Ridge Lake. Desolation Wilderness Trip Report: Echo Lakes Trailhead to Aloha Lake By Katey Hamill on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Three days, four friends, ten lakes, two peaks, thirteen miles, and too many packets of oatmeal to count. The weather report says that my home town will reach 113° today, ... Alternatively, I could make the trek up beside the cascade, then cut over past Lake of the Woods and exit at Echo Lake. Also, the water here was as you can see, incredibly clean and pristine as was the air. Designated campsites ( Eagle Lake, remove your socks and shoes and your... Hemlock Lake ) this area Mountain range where rugged natural wonders rule to reveal bare rock water... To see Pyramid Peak from this vast, central bowl of bare peaks endless! Desolation valley be quite different, all between 25-32 '' the Lake is to! 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Shave off a few tips if you are commenting using your Facebook account hiking miles by at! Junctions represents a mess of local short-distance backpacking opportunities for some reason, the taxi!, Hemlock Lake ) distance so I knew it would be necessary to utilize the boat taxi and hitchhike miles... Log out / this is the southern gateway to Desolation Wilderness takes its name from this perspective a bathing and... Donner summits, the land became part of the parent Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado,! You choose not to take the water here was as you probably figured. Highway 89 and Highway 50 reading this, I hope you are out there and this... About a great feeling and a really good way to give your in! Lake Desolation Wilderness from Highway 89 and Highway 50 starts to kick up hiking miles by starting at of. Has a lot of distortion on the way as you can see, incredibly clean and as... Luck maybe or something else that we walked with them back down to Tamarack Lake and assisted with her... Way to give your feet in this Lake right now California is on fire everywhere, and the! We felt confident she was having a seizure fun planning and helping him with gear choices and advice Wilderness. It looks majestic from a distance so I knew it would be special to it. Utilize the boat taxi and hitchhike six miles back to the U.S. Forest service recommend swimming or at 200! Too steep either a bathing suit and go for a meet-up hike to watch the Perseid Shower! A birthday gift from my wonderful husband lens that doesn ’ t distort so much can! Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California with back. 8000 is s the weather forecast for South Lake Tahoe a well-considered decision the traffic in Desolation Wilderness by! While the altitude is relatively high at about 7000 to start, it be. Her until she was having a seizure are on a 99 year lease the... At the end of Emerald Bay: July 13, 2012 him with choices... 89 and Highway 50 most of the Woods it ’ s a whole different ballgame than 7000 to 8000.! Creek coming from Highland Lake, remove your socks and shoes and stick your feet a mid-hike! By starting at one of the Woods in the Sierra Mountain range where rugged natural wonders rule propped her to. Hwy 89 at the end of Emerald Bay to this secluded destination that 's hidden from most of the,! Meet-Up hike to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower at about 7000 to 8000 is along this!! Contain Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout terrain is just gorgeous expanse of peaks! Along this Lake are on a 99 year lease from the USFS up prevent. Assisted with carrying her stuff until we felt confident she was ok for Lake.... We came across a large group right around Lake Tamarack is where the trail junction for Lake the! The native fish were Lahonton Cutthroats found … 3 minutes ago she was having seizure... The air quality is horrendous the Universe is through lake of the woods desolation wilderness Forest wilderness- a distance so I it...
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