On our way we passed a couple groups on horses. (see pics in my profile) Good elevation gain for a nice workout. ABOVE: Emigrant Wilderness offers spectacular campsites, like this one in the vicinity of Bear Lake. Quite a climb in altitude had my heart pounding! The climb from the lake up and over the pass is great with a snowfield the last 300 yards over the top. Day 2 packed up camp and set of for Bear Lake. From the south, the wilderness is accessible from Cherry Lake, along the border with Yosemite National Park. Mosquitoes were pretty bad & swarmy at dawn and dusk but absent during the day. My friend was frustrated as I moved as slow as a sloth and eventually we were on trail by 9:00 am. So beautiful with lovely fall foliage. Bear lake was great, camping at grouse lake required some scrambling to get to the granite bluffs away from the bugs, but worth it. November 23, 2007, The Emigrant Wilderness. We made it to Camp Lake, lots of camper and people however great sites to camp. Great spot for sunrise & sunset. Maps, miles, elevations of Mosquito Pass route off TYT to Emigrant, Bluebird, Maxwell Lakes. I hope you like mosquitoes and because because they ate everywhere. - there are 4 stream crossings total, the highest one coming up to ~2-3 feet. Pretty cool. We set up camp on the North side of the lake. Long Way to Long Lake – Emigrant Wilderness: Stanislaus National Forest. The water was quite warm and clear but the mushy bottom of the lake made walking around a bit uncomfortable. The climb and elevation can get to you however once at the top the views are amazing 180 degrees of views. After about a half mile we hit the next intersection and turned left towards Bear Lake. From there we made it to a little lake where we had lunch and then down into the valley to cross Lilly Creek. - the trail is hard to find on the crossover from groundhog to piute meadow, but you can stay on course by keeping piute creek to your left Bear cans are not required. The loops is tough but we managed and wasn’t that difficult nothing you can’t grid through. We hiked further on and ended the day at Bear Lake. Lots of super rad places to camp, would be perfect for packing in and staying overnight. We got to Grouse Lake had lunch spent some time fishing. July 16-17, 2011: Overnight backpack in Emigrant Wilderness with David, Paige, Greg, and Sam. Despite being a little scarred we still dropped our packs and jumped into the lake. This day was quite strenuous and took us longer than estimated. We had lunch at Camp Lake. This trail goes by Camp Lake, No Camping, and Crabtree Camp. Mostly dirt trails with lots of horse dropping!!! The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from April until October. - easiest leg, mostly shade We were up and moving by 7 am the next morning. We decided to cross the stream where we found some floating logs and found a much quieter camp site. Some ups, some downs, some sun, some shade. After crossing Lily Creek to check out the south-eastern side of the lake we opted to cross back over and hang out on the western side of the lake. Bear lake back to crabtree trailhead. The mosquitoes have just started to hatch, and were present in only a few places. This peaceful, alpine lake makes for a perfect one day getaway during the summer months and to escape the heat of the foothills. We opted to do the loop from Crabtree TH to Grouse Lake to Piute Crossover down to Bear and Camp Lakes. We cross on a couple down logs just to the left of the trail when you go to cross. Plenty of water, bugs no so bad, snow at the top, not too muddy or wet. The drive was straightforward but did require a little bit of driving on dirt roads. We stayed overlooking the lake however don’t miss the opportunity to hit the top of the ridge above the lake. of thunder. Just walking a few miles can make you feel as if you've left the wilderness behind for another one. Elevation: +3000ft. Bear Lake and Grouse Lake via Emigrant Wilderness Loop. Varying terrain including forests, alpine lakes, and rocky ridges make for fun and enjoyable trips. June through October are the best times weather-wise to visit Emigrant Wilderness; however, the trail does tend to open in May when the snow has cleared the roads. We did three days and two nights. The out-and-back is about 12 miles with not a great deal of climbing. - roughly 4 miles, half shade and half exposed My exploits as a low end climber and lazy backpacker in the wonderful state of California. The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada.It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. I cannot imagine what the trail is like on the weekend. There was almost no one on the trail beyond the junction with the Camp Lake trail on this Sunday. The water was quite calm and only a single pair of day hikers were at the lake. Emigrant Wilderness is an area located North of Yosemite. Bear Lake is a fun popular destination for backpackers and day hikers, hosting warm water and great views all summer. Highest Elevation: 9200 ft. Park: Stanislaus National Forest (California, USA) Trail(s): Huckleberry Trail, Lunch Meadow Trail. Eventually we reached the trailhead where we took a quick break by dipping our feet in the nearby stream. Our second day was a beast! Just poke around, though, and you’ll find plenty of beautiful sites tucked into the pines. Things to note: She stated it was a very spiritual and one amazing adventure. We stayed on west side of Piute creek at the loop connector trail, the creek was flowing fast. I spent a lot of time on top of the rocks to do my camp chores. We began the trip at Crabtree Trailhead. If you navigate along a narrow trail to the northern section of the lake, you'll find a variety of established campsites with soft and flat ground. There was a line across the creek to hold on too. No wonder Ansel Adams loved these mountains. Water was NOT ice cold and made for a super pleasant swim after that hot sunny climb! Keep walking through the forest for another mile until you hit the rocks on the western side of Bear Lake (7,700 ft). We decided to walk around for a bit and find a nice place for a snack and a swim. Crabtree to groundhog meadow: The single sleeping bag was perfect for the night. What is important is that we went to enjoy some nice lakes and take in some fresh air in the mountains. Fabulous loop! Large boulders, epic rock formations, pine trees as far as the eyes can see, and plentiful lakes make this loop a serene escape from California’s busy cities. Landmarks: Relief Reservoir. - roughly 6 miles, steep climb near the end (rock trail) Backpacking Emigrant Wilderness Loops. Thankfully the thunder had subsided and the night remained warm. Between Lunch Meadow and Emigrant Lake. Rather than try and camp somewhere we had already been, we began heading towards Piute Meadow, descending 150 feet vertically towards Lily Creek. - beautiful lake with lots of jumping rocks and you can swim to the island We did this loop in the clockwise direction from Crabtree trailhead to Bear Lake (~4 miles) where we camped the first night. Our way back saw quite a few people, a fair amount of day hikers and even more backpackers. So that 150 foot descent turned back into a 150 foot climb, something both of us were not very excited about. Chewing Gum Lake is a beautiful little camping spot not far inside the Emigrant Wilderness. began to see dark storm clouds slowly rolling in. Beautiful, but definitely not for the faint of heart. Pretty hot during the day, and some creeks starting to dry up so fill your water when you can. Day 3 we hung out till noonish and then headed down off the mountain. Views are so much more expansive than I would have expected! But the most exciting part of the trip came on the way back. Past dried up Piute Creek we ended our day at Grouse Lake. While we tried to Alright so lets talk about what we wanted to get done. It is 13 difficult miles from Crabtree campground, a large part of it uphill. With those insane lows, we opted to only bring a single sleeping bag to use as a blanket. From the creek it’s a climb up and over the top. - good amount of switchbacks; pretty lake at the top that made it worth it And also saw some shy deer. Led by a lovely friendly man, a train of four llamas rounded the corner, bells jingling, followed by a beautiful medium sized dog. As we sat there we Set Up: 8ft Payne 200 Medium action bamboo rod made by moi. Nice chilly nights probably 40-30s. Next time for sure. But the glorious high mountain vistas were absolutely worth it! Great sandy flat spots, plenty of wood to build a nice fire and enjoy the views. We passed another marsh on our right and were forced to rush by to avoid the only hoard of mosquitos we encountered during the daytime. At Grouse Lake we found a spacious camp site with a large stone fire ring on the North of the Lake and trail. Tiene un lago y es calificado como moderado. We put our packs back on and started on our way back towards Camp Lake with thunder rolling behind us. We headed out from Grouse back to the trailhead with a short 3.5 mile hike on Sunday. This was our first backpacking trip and have to say we are exhausted however this was worth it. I camped in an area under some trees and I couldn't be outside of my hammock for a minute before I got swarmed. Camping at Grouse lake was a lot buggier but had plenty of sites with camp fire rings and a lot of dry wood lying around. Watch out for pot holes, you could do this in your Honda Civic but you may have to take some parts a little bit slow. Day 1 we left the Crabtree TH late morning and took out time up to the trial split. Plenty of trees for hammock camping too ;) The lilypads are just starting to emerge and look really cool below the surface. Groundhog meadow to bear lake: A few nice swimming holes. The views from the top of the passes are beyond describing. The trail is pretty dusty to start. There's no quota for this area, so no need for reservations in advance.To reach the trailhead, make your way south from the Ranger Station and... Backpack Chewing Gum Lake. There are no trails into the Lake, and only a very experienced backpacker can nagivate the ducks, granite faces, and ridgelines to make it there. Right at the end of the trail we ran into a single pair of backpackers who were prepping to go fish. As with the image below, we are viewing the Northwestern end of Emigrant Meadow across the Northwest shore of Emigrant Meadow Lake, looking at Brown Bear Pass in the middle distance, and the distinctive dual peaks of Relief Peak beyond. Oh! Took us an extra 30min just to stop the bleeding. Trail length much longer than posted, I completed 15 miles and didn't even do the offshoot because I started late and was running out of daylight. The Emigrant Wilderness borders right upon the northern end of Yosemite National Park and is quite a recreation destination. Overview This is a moderate out and back trail in Emigrant Wilderness. We hiked with our two dogs from Crabtree past Grouse Lake to Piute Creek, where we turned around and came back. After a fifteen minute swim we got out and settled in for another snack break. This appears to be a fairly popular trailhead with quite a few cars there mid week in July. On its own that would have sounded like such a cool experience too but we had just seen four llamas so we were not as impressed. We didn’t make Bear on this trip. Lots of nice flat camping spots up on the granite ledge south of the lake & trail at Lilypad. The "stairway to heaven" between Grouse Lake and Piute Creek is quite impressive. Day 1 started at the Crabtree trail head. It is located in the Emigrant Wilderness which is just 4 hours outside of San Francisco. Will be back here for sure. Even a little cowbell! Just north of Yosemite National Park area, it is at the junction of the volcanic formations characteristic of the Sierra to the north and the granite mountains found farther south. Crazy high water levels kept us from our original plan so we followed the crowds to Bear Lake. 3 day 2 night Trip Led by veteran BABB organizer, Alex, the group, which also included BABB regulars Jane, Noreen, and Paul, entered the wilderness at the Crabtree Trailhead, outside of Pinecrest, CA. We made our way towards Camp Lake, passing a few other backpackers and watching quite a few others hike past us towards the trailhead. The trail is pretty well marked until you get down to the lake. At the end of the crossover we picked the trail up and crossed back over the Piute. Because we are smart cookies we did our weather research before hand. We thought this would be a great place to camp but we were quickly swarmed by mosquitos. This is actually one of the worst sites I’ve had up here (relatively speaking of course) as it was more than a bit exposed. Trip Report GPS Track All in all, great weekend backpacking experience for beginners and seasoned hikers alike! After lunch my son stood up quick and from the high altitude he got a massive bloody nose. Water was filtered, dinner was cooked, and thankfully we were in the tent before the mosquitos came out in full force. My wife was speechless at times and even had her breath taken away. Backpacking at Chewing Gum Lake, Emigrant Wilderness. Groundhog meadows to bear lake Bear Lake and Grouse Lake via Emigrant Wilderness Loop es un sendero circular de 13.8 millas con tráfico pesado localizado cerca de Pinecrest, California. It is about 50 miles east of Sonora off Hwy 108. After half a toilet paper roll used, we continued on our journey. Starting Point: Kennedy Meadows. I'll detail why this did not work out later, but that is not important. Hiking | San Francisco: Bear Lake/Emigrant Wilderness | Wildflower pockets and piles of granite boulders punctuate this mellow 7.4-mile route to two alpine lakes with primo campsites. 2. Bear Lake and Grouse Lake via Emigrant Wilderness Loop is a 13.8 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Thankfully the mosquitos were quite merciful and decided not to bite too harshly. Recommended hike! The butt was spotted to the left, We were very excited at this point in the day. Minimal bugs, many lovely wildflowers and a nice range of wildlife (if you are quiet enough). We got to the Piute Creek and just before we crossed it we decided to stay on the rocks to the right of the trail between the trail and the Piute Creek. We found a nice spot on a forest road and camped out for the night. gauge whether they were heading for us or not we began to hear the roll We were on trail by 10 am on Wednesday morning, ready to take on the day! Bear Lake and Grouse Lake via Emigrant Wilderness Loop is a 13.8 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Camping at Bear Lake, however, is limited to a single night. Disclaimer: Not my best photo taking trip so sorry if they look a little off or silly. Ending Point: Granite Dome Lakes. Crabtree trailhead to groundhog meadows Enjoy. Lily Creek was about knee-deep and easily wadable, and Piute Creek looked similar but we didn't cross it. Gorgeous hike in with buddies, and … closer and closer to us. The man stopped and chatted with us about our trip and where he was headed and even let us snap some pictures with his beautiful llamas!!! Time:9:00 am- 4:00pm Weather: Clear and Cold Water Level: Low Moon Phase: Full Moon on the next day. This was my first backpacking trip. As we approached a turn in the trail we heard the distant ringing of bells. Natures raw beauty and sweet serenity. Bear Lake rests on Lily Creek just inside the Emigrant Wilderness. It's not a fishing lake, but it can have spectacular sunsets and offers good swimming. On our third day we finished the loop back to Crabtree trail head. Varying terrain including forests, alpine lakes, and rocky ridges make for fun and enjoyable trips. Great stop for lunch or a location to get to and set up a base camp for day hikes. 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