Road to Andersson mine is fun. But can’t drive all the way to fordyce lake, it is gated
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It’s a nice hike & doable for most folks. Dusty in the fall & I have found that this TH is best for getting to lower Loch Leven Lake as it’s TH is very steep, rocky, tree roots, wash outs, etc. caveat is drive out to TH from Yuba Gap. Google doesn’t take you to far enough. It’s about 7.5 miles from the Yuba Gap exit/I80 to Salmon Lake TH. Close to 5.5 miles of it is unpaved. I have a 4-Runner so no problem & I saw a Crosstrek, Highlander & a few other cars at TH so…
Go .3 mi south from Yuba Gap exit, turn right toward Lodgepole campground. At about 1.1 mi further go left on road 19 (unpaved). Drive 4 miles & go left on 38 (I never saw a sign). In about 2 more miles there will be a TH. You must pass Huysink Lake 0.5 mi. TH on left & about 4 parking spaces next to it. Loch Leven & Salmon Lake trails intersect. From that point Lower Loch Leven is only about a mile or so further & better for swimming. Hikers don’t like to swim with the catfish in Salmon Lake & there are a lot of them-small ones however.
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One of my favorite roads to drive my Jeep when it opens August 1. Not to hard but fun and very beautiful. I love to hike to Tinker Knob from the ridge.
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This is a must do. North to South. Have plan to bailout to the east if you encounter lightning.
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This trail is great for a short & I would rate as moderate. A group of seniors ages 60-84 hiked the trail yesterday & two of us summited Donner Peak & the group went to the top of Mt. Judah, which is Trail all the way & not difficult. We had a historian talk to us about the wagons, oxen & Pioneers who made their way up that 400+ climb at Roller Pass. Day started out cool & later warmed up to be close to hot yet still great. Spectacular views from Donner Peak & Mt. Judah Summit. This trail would be a better one to use than Coldstream when hiking to Tinker Knob. It’s more gradual with switch backs to break that elevation gain to the PCT ridge line. 7.2 miles for us & gain was over 1300 feet, which is doable.
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Definitely a favorite! I just did the hike on 8/4/2019 and there was a cool breeze all day. The trail gradually gains elevation until the last few hundred yards where it's kind a steep -- like castle peak. It's nice though since there is very little elevation loss from the trailhead to the peak. I would rate this as a moderate trail in terms of technical difficulty. And if you are in decent shape I would not say it's overly strenuous.
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Good views of desolation wilderness,granite chief wilderness, and lake tahoe. Mostly easy fire roads with some fun ohv jeep roads.
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Wonderful moderately difficult hike in the Sierra which which is largely in a moderately dense pine forest passing through some small creeks that are easy to cross and then ascends in the last mile above the treeline for the ascent to Castle Peak which is fairly steep and covered with sand and scree near the top. Trrekking poles are helpful here The snow was almost completely gone, mosquitoes were bad in the lower elevations and the wildflowers were incredible, likely near their peak.
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Gentle hike on and off the PCT with great wildflower views. Drive to the Barker Pass trailhead for and extra gentle hike experience. Be prepared for mosquitos in some spots, and snow to mid summer possible. ATV and OHV trails in some spots but we didn’t see any vehicles on the trail this day.
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I really loved this hike on Spaulding lake trail to Fordyce falls. Lots of shade and beautiful views of Spaulding Lake and Fordyce falls.
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I started at trails end. I did not start mr track until the top. All paved
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Trail conditions were great as the ground is not yet saturated from the rain. Creeks are still running slow and very easy to cross. Still be cautious of poison oak if wandering off the trail, the leaves have fallen and just bare branches now. Trail traffic is light this time of year and cooler temperatures make the hike a breeze. Beautiful views and old mining relics can be found along the trail.
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