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  • #31
    August Trinity Alps trip report Day 3

    Our friend had to leave early the 3rd morning, so bluegoose and I were on our own and decided to check out the Boulder Creek Lakes. These were about a 4 mile hike from our base camp iirc, and again mostly steep. This trip takes you out of the Canyon Creek Canyon and into the Boulder Creek Canyon. We went with day packs again, and headed up fairly early. Even though it was early, it was already getting hot. Even at 5-6,000 feet temps were approaching 90 by mid day.

    If you ever run, ride or hike with bluegoose, you're going to go fast. He led out at a good clip and soon I was on my own, left to die at the hand of one of the thousands of Bigfoots that populate the Trinity Alps. It's a very squatchy place for sure.

    Not only did we make it to the Boulder Creek Lakes, we managed to miss them initially and we went much higher. In fact, we made it to the Forbidden Falls which are the outlet of one Forbidden Lake, a lake tucked into a cirque much higher up the mountain. We toyed with going all the way up there but thought better of it and headed back down to our original destination. As far as sights go, this canyon also did not disappoint. One benefit of overshooting the place was this birdseye view of the three lakes.

    The Boulder Creek Lakes



    Once again, it was granite as far as the eye could see. These are photos of the biggest of the 3 lakes. We swam in this one for a while and it was much warmer than the Canyon Creek lakes as it was much shallower.





    The 3 lakes sat ensconsed in a granite cirque with a huge front wall that dropped several hundred feet. It was really something to stand there and look out. This next pic is the only one I have that shows a part of that drop off (to the far left of the lakes).




    The views from the edge of those cliffs:

    Sawtooth Mountain and the Canyon Creek Canyon (it runs left to right in this pic)


    Overall, it was an incredible trip. I can't wait to get back up there again.
    Last edited by SteelBlue; 02-26-2013, 07:32 AM.

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    • #32
      Return to Canyon Creek Trail- October
      I have 2 brothers in LA and one in Sacramento and after hearing me rave about the Canyon Creek trail, they asked me to take them there in the Fall. I somehow got permission from my wife to take another 3 days and the four of us headed up on a Friday afternoon.

      It was the 3rd week of October, but the weather was very nice. Warm days (shorts weather) with cold nights (just below freezing). We arrived at the trailhead with about 10 minutes of light left and we hiked to the exact same base camp where I'd stayed in August which is 6 miles in. Once the sun sets it gets cold in a hurry, and it was great hiking weather for the 2 ½ hour hike. We went under headlamps the entire 6 miles, so my brothers had a very exciting hike out seeing the first 2/3 of the trail for the first time really.

      We repeated the visits to lower, middle and upper falls and Lower and Upper Lakes. This time around though we chose to visit “L” Lake, a small lake nestled in a cirque high above the Canyon Creek Lakes. This hike was quite steep, but the views were fantastic. Here are some shots from about ¼ of the way up giving us a birds eye view of the Canyon Creek Lakes, and allowing a long view down the canyon which is really quite straight.

      Upper Canyon Creek Lake


      Upper and Lower Canyon Creek Lakes



      While there, I took what ended up being one of my favorite pictures ever as my brother was resting and soaking in the view.

      A Moment of Reflection


      After much suffering and pathfinding (there isn't a trail per se, it's a granite scramble) we arrived at L Lake. I hadn't taken into account that the Fall colors would add to the experience, but they certainly did.

      The cirque in which this lake sat was quite stunning. Incredibly white granite with a blue October sky as background and fall colors in most of the foilage. Here are some shots from different areas of the cirque:











      And then there was the lake itself. Small and clear as glass, with hardly a ripple on the water but for the occasional rising trout.







      We returned to base camp that afternoon and my brothers chose to spend the final day sleeping in and hiking out leisurely to see what they'd missed on the night hike in. I didn't take many pics on the way out, but did get this one that gives you an idea of all the unnamed peaks with cool crags that you see in this place.



      It was another incredible trip with scenes I won't soon forget.

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      • #33
        When are you doing the CUF guided 3-day hike? Absolutely stunning.
        I'm your huckleberry.


        "I love pulling the bone. Really though, what guy doesn't?" - CJF

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        • #34
          Originally posted by FN Phat View Post
          When are you doing the CUF guided 3-day hike? Absolutely stunning.
          That would be a blast! FN, you have a standing invite with no expiration date.

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          • #35
            Originally posted by FN Phat View Post
            When are you doing the CUF guided 3-day hike? Absolutely stunning.
            Yeah, no kidding. Looks like a blast.

            Any trout in those lakes?
            "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
            "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
            "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

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            • #36
              Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
              Yeah, no kidding. Looks like a blast.

              Any trout in those lakes?
              Yes, though we didn't fish. The reports I've read say that L Lake is a sure thing. The Canyon Creek Lakes require more skill.

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              • #37
                Originally posted by SteelBlue View Post
                Yes, though we didn't fish. The reports I've read say that L Lake is a sure thing. The Canyon Creek Lakes require more skill.
                Oh I have skill. Mad skills.
                "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                Comment


                • #38
                  Most of my pictures were framed similarly to Steelblue's pics. Only a couple to add.

                  Another look at Upper Canyon Creek Falls through the trees. There were some excellent campsites around these trees, although being this close to the falls I would be afraid that I would have to go to the bathroom all night.


                  Here is the view of Canyon Creek from our campsite. You can see the base of the falls through the trees. Incredibly tranquil spot.

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                  • #39
                    Tangle Blue Lake - Trinity Alps Wilderness, Aug 2009

                    A few years ago I was feeling the bug to go for a backpacking trip, as it had been several years since I had done so. My youngest was almost 4 years old at the time, and the older two were 6 and 9 years old. So I found a trail that many people called "kid friendly" and went for it, leaving the youngest home with my wife and setting out with the older two and the dog.

                    Tangle Blue Lake hike is about a 3 mile hike in with something like 1,500 feet elevation gain. The first mile is on an old forest service road, and the remaining 2 miles are through a beautiful, lush forest, with several mountain meadows interspersed along the way.

                    Here is the first marshy meadow that we came to:


                    There were several groves of old growth Incense Cedar trees that we passed through.



                    Here are my hiking buddies for the weekend. What in the world happened to my daughter's backpack, you might be asking? Oh, that's right,I'm carrying it, on top of the 55 pound pack of my own. But don't let the older one fool you - I ended up carrying his pack as well for the last 3/4 mile. At least the dog carried his weight the whole way.


                    Here is the view from our lake-side campground. As you can see, the lake is set in this alpine cirque with a towering granite cliff as the south backdrop. Beautiful spot, but due to its relatively easy access, it was somewhat busy with several other groups scattered around the lake. Not close enough to be bothersome, but still visible when looking around the area.

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                    • #40
                      Originally posted by bluegoose View Post
                      Most of my pictures were framed similarly to Steelblue's pics. Only a couple to add.

                      Another look at Upper Canyon Creek Falls through the trees. There were some excellent campsites around these trees, although being this close to the falls I would be afraid that I would have to go to the bathroom all night.


                      Here is the view of Canyon Creek from our campsite. You can see the base of the falls through the trees. Incredibly tranquil spot.
                      That campsite pic reminds me of you being stalked by a large Sasquatch while you were reading on that rock.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by bluegoose View Post
                        Tangle Blue Lake - Trinity Alps Wilderness, Aug 2009

                        A few years ago I was feeling the bug to go for a backpacking trip, as it had been several years since I had done so. My youngest was almost 4 years old at the time, and the older two were 6 and 9 years old. So I found a trail that many people called "kid friendly" and went for it, leaving the youngest home with my wife and setting out with the older two and the dog.

                        Tangle Blue Lake hike is about a 3 mile hike in with something like 1,500 feet elevation gain. The first mile is on an old forest service road, and the remaining 2 miles are through a beautiful, lush forest, with several mountain meadows interspersed along the way.

                        Here is the first marshy meadow that we came to:


                        There were several groves of old growth Incense Cedar trees that we passed through.



                        Here are my hiking buddies for the weekend. What in the world happened to my daughter's backpack, you might be asking? Oh, that's right,I'm carrying it, on top of the 55 pound pack of my own. But don't let the older one fool you - I ended up carrying his pack as well for the last 3/4 mile. At least the dog carried his weight the whole way.


                        Here is the view from our lake-side campground. As you can see, the lake is set in this alpine cirque with a towering granite cliff as the south backdrop. Beautiful spot, but due to its relatively easy access, it was somewhat busy with several other groups scattered around the lake. Not close enough to be bothersome, but still visible when looking around the area.

                        To be fair to your son, the pack was as big as he was. That lake is beautiful, I need to check it out. Was this the trip where your dog was growling at deer all night and you got no sleep?

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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by bluegoose View Post
                          One thing about those stoves -

                          Since they do come from Hong Kong, or china or wherever, they estimate a longer shipping time. Mine took all of 4-6 weeks, as I recall.

                          I see that there are some other vendors that are now selling them. Not sure if they are the same stove or not, but if you need it in the next little while you may want to look into another supplier.
                          Mine came in two days. I can't believe how tiny it is.
                          "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                          "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                          "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                            Mine came in two days. I can't believe how tiny it is.
                            That's what she said.

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                            • #44
                              So...as long as we're talking equipment.

                              I've been looking to pick up a water filter. I've used the MSR sweetwater (with ceramic filter that you brush clean) and the Kataydn hiker (with a disposable filter that you replace when the filtering gets too slow).

                              I like the idea of the MSR, but ended up having to clean the ceramic more than I'd like. But I assume that the Katadyn would slow at a similar rate.

                              What's been your favorite brand/style of water filter for backpacking? Which do you find filter the most water at the best rate, etc.

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                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Eddie View Post
                                So...as long as we're talking equipment.

                                I've been looking to pick up a water filter. I've used the MSR sweetwater (with ceramic filter that you brush clean) and the Kataydn hiker (with a disposable filter that you replace when the filtering gets too slow).

                                I like the idea of the MSR, but ended up having to clean the ceramic more than I'd like. But I assume that the Katadyn would slow at a similar rate.

                                What's been your favorite brand/style of water filter for backpacking? Which do you find filter the most water at the best rate, etc.
                                I use the steri-pen and really like it. Drawbacks are that you can only do 1 liter at a time and of course that it is battery dependent.

                                Last edited by SteelBlue; 02-23-2013, 09:18 PM.

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