The Bee Gulch trail head is .75 of a mile East of the Lake Alpine Lodge along Highway 4, where you will pick up your resupply package and get some good food. The Lake Alpine Lodge is located on the West side of beautiful Lake Alpine.

Bear Valley, which has a nice store and deli, is three miles further West down Highway 4.

MILES AND ELEVATIONS

See the Lake Alpine Region Map for details of route down to Highway 4.

Lower Summit City Ford, Backpacking North

Mileage: 2.52 miles North to the Upper Ford.

Mileage: 7.45 miles North to the Summit City Creek trail junction to Fourth of July Lake.

Mileage: 14.38 miles North to Highway 88 via the Lost Cabin Trail route, of the three possible routes to Hwy 88 from Round Top Lake.

MILES AND ELEVATIONS

See the Carson Pass Region Map for details of the three routes past Round Top down to Highway 88.

Topo Hiking Maps

7.5 Detailed Map: Lower Ford to Camp Irene

30 min Section Map: Echo Summit to Lake Alpine

1x2 Index Map: Carson Gap to Lake Alpine

Click the Red Dots along map routes for more information. Click the Red Dots and marked routes on the Index map for detailed maps and trail guide pages.

questions or comments?

Approaching the Lower Summit City Creek Ford from the North

	Duck on shattered timber remnant.				A tiny duck, also on a piece of shattered timber, pointing us to the lower ford.

	A series of ducks leads us through this sliver of forest filled with shattered timber and debris along Summit City Creek just North of the lower ford.				Smashed remnants of shattered trees litter the small forest grove above the lower ford.

The Lower Ford of Summit City Creek

The last trail guide page, "Granite Flat campsite to the Lower Ford," described our Southbound approach to the Lower Ford of Summit City Creek. We continue.

Rejoining Summit City Creek after coming down the Manzanita-covered mountainside from the Granite Flat we find ourselves working our way downstream around and through a mass of shattered timber in a narrow slot of dense forest sheltering the creek.

About 40 yards downstream from entering this slot we find the well marked fording spot, and see that the ford is a set of slippery green tinted boulders, too far apart for a comfortable human step, especially as they are bearded-up with aprons of slick green algae. These above-water fording boulders are moist spots of slick rock surrounded by slow moving calf-deep cold water in mid-July. Such is the lower ford.

The slickness of the boulders, compared with the ease of a quick tennis-shoe ford across the shallow waters, prolongs deciding between options.

My last decision through here, in 2010, was to carefully work my way across the slick boulders. The Alex balancing act. The previous time through here I changed into my tennis shoes, ie, my fording shoes, and waded across on the slick rounded rocks that were submerged, rather than the slick rocks that sit above the creek's surface.

Spring seasons that feature heavy runoff flows will rearrange fording boulders, so each year can be very different. Or the same. It depends on each Season's weather.

The lower ford is not a challenging ford by any measure, but it is often slick, which requires an extra layer of caution for us solo backpackers in remote regions.

It's not a good idea to fall down and break your leg here.

Peak 8625 guarding the junction between Summit City Creek and the North Fork of the Mokelumne River.

The location where the canyon holding Summit City Creek merges with the canyon holding the North Fork of the Mokelumne River features hard rock ridges towering above you, dense forests surrounding you, and great jumbles of massive granite formations defending the junction between these water courses.

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Onto the Rock

After crossing Summit City Creek's lower ford you climb up into a v-shaped crack in the rock directly behind the fording point. Climb up to your left through this crack in the rock wall, Southeast, along a well trod path that then begins to bend up and around to your right in a big climbing buttonhook. This right turn ultimately carves a narrow hook back around to the Northwest where you pass a black pond and make your entry into the forest. When you enter the forest you are facing towards the Northwest, roughly the opposite direction you came down Summit City Creek.

This brings up an important point. I do not believe that the map of the terrain South of the lower ford is accurate. It does not show the sharpness of the hook move that the trail route makes on its way up to the black pond preceding your entrance to the forest. The main route marked on the map above is the one on depicted by the USGS in 1979. My route, marked in gray, is different.

As you can see by my alternative route on the map, I believe the actual route through the terrain is different than the one on the map. This is only important because all signs of trail end when you enter the forest past past the black pond. There are virtually no signs of trail visible until you exit this forest just North of the Munson Meadow trail junction.

In any case, if you are following this nicely ducked route South of the lower ford (no matter exactly where it sits) when you pass by the "black pond" (a small body of dead water dyed black by bark tannin that's not fed or drained by a creek), you enter what I call the "Enchanted Forest," pictured below.

The picture below is looking South into this trackless forest section South of the Black Pond.

Independent of exactly where on the map the trail loops into the forest past the black pond, when you enter this section of forest all indications of trail end.

comments or questions?

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The Dense Unblazed Forest South of the Lower Ford of Summit City Creek

This is the forest you enter past the black pond just South of the lower ford of Summit City Creek.

Note the dense forest-floor liter without the benefit of trail or trail bed. When you enter the forest past the black pond, you immediately turn Left, and start down a gently graded slope into even heavier forest. Again, note the forest floor debris and unstable surface. Note the lack of trail or indications of trail. Ducks and blazes end here. You are really going to have to watch where you put your feet at the same time you are looking for the proper direction to hike.

There is no discernable trail, ducked or blazed route from this point until your exit from this forest about a third of a mile South of this point.

You will see a couple of faded blazes leading you into the forest, but they are the last that you will find, except for the occasional faded remains of very very old blazes that are all but indistinguishable from the random patterns on bark. The blazes past here are lonely, and they point the way to nowhere.

questions or comments?

Southbound into the Enchanted Forest

Note the position of the trail where it enters the green-shaded forest section South of the lower ford on the Summit City Creek map. I call this small section of forest The Enchanted Forest. Though it looks simple, this is the most complex piece of navigation along the whole Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route.

As I mentioned above, I believe the current trail route enters the forest to the a bit Northwest of the position as it is marked on the USGS map. I believe that the actual trail route "hooks" up and around to the Northwest much more than the old route depicted on this map indicates. This is just a heads-up. I may be wrong. I will check this segment of the route out carefully in 2011 if I heal up in time...

The trail from the lower ford to the forest entry past the Black Pond was well-ducked as of July 2009, and it was well-ducked during every trip I have made through that section for the last 20 years. The ducks between the Lower Ford and the entry into the forest past the Black Pond have been stable for years because they are not swept away by the Winter snows or the Spring thaws. Odds are this section will also be well ducked in the future. Now let's enter the Enchanted Forest.

* * *

Again, lets observe the trail route through this forested section on the topo map. We are looking at the point on the map South of the lower ford where our route enters the forest. We need to understand the terrain between where the trail enters and exits this forested section. On the map this forested section appears roughly shaped like a boot. I call this forested section "The Enchanted Forest."

First, let's take note of the interface between rock and forest along the West side of the boot, across from our entry point into the forest. This rock-forest interface is tracking to the Southwest . If you hike a bit South of West from the point where the trail route enters the forest you will encounter this forest/rock interface. Follow this rock/forest interface Southwest, down to the point where you will see the trail finally exiting the forest through a gap in the rock in the heel of the boot.

Notice that the trail out of the boot climbs out where this seasonal creek drains into the Southwestern edge of The Bowl, on its way to the N Mokelumne River. This is what I call the "Western" route through this tough little section, and it will do.

But if you take the "Western" route you will miss out on exploring the rock formations North of The Bowl, and not see the white sand beach that lines the shore of the North Mokelumne River where it passes along the Eastern side of The Bowl.

I call the lowest section of level forest within these rock/river boundaries "The Bowl." When you first enter the Enchanted Forest your route South will take you lower in elevation. When the terrain is flat, you are in The Bowl. The Western Boundary of The Bowl is a rock wall. The North Mokelumne River is the Eastern limit of The Bowl, and a big rock formation forms the Northern boundary of The Bowl.

We enter the Enchanted Forest from the North, and basically stay between the rock wall to our West, and the Mokelumne River to our East, as we make our way South to seek the resumption of marked trail on the Southwest side of The Bowl.

Note on the topo map that the Northeastern boundary of "The Bowl" consists of the rock formation, part of which we crossed while hiking from the lower ford of Summit City to our entrance to the Enchanted Forest. The North Fork of the Mokelumne River sits beneath and to the East of this rock formation. The Bowl sits South of this rock formation. Summit City Creek sits to the North of this rock formation.

Between the rock wall on the West side of The Bowl, and the waters of the Mokelumne River on the Eastern side of The Bowl sits a deep, dense, dark little forest, sporting a forest floor littered with deep debris and obstacles. Among the obstacles are a couple of deep drainage trenches cutting across it. Now we have to make our way Southwest across The Bowl to where the exits at its Southwest corner.

This means that the key elements that will guide you down to, and through The Bowl, are your own navigation skills, your ability to observe and understand your location within the terrain, and the limits and nature of the terrain itself. There is no trail, only futile old almost-invisible blazes that no longer mark a path.

Two basic Routes through the Enchanted Forest

The Western Route

You have two options after you enter the forest. You can turn hard Left, to the South. By staying as far to your left (East) as possible as you hike South, and following along the Eastern interface between the forest and the rock formation, you will head down and South into the bowl.

Or you can point your course to the Southwest from your entry point into the enchanted forest, to work your way Southwest across the forest to the rock wall that bounds the Western side of the bowl. From there you can follow this rock/forest interface down to The Bowl. Continue to follow this forest/rock interface around the Western side of The Bowl until you come to where the rock wall cuts Southeast. Here the trail cuts up through a gash in the rock wall onto an easily noticeable well-ducked trail up to the Munson Meadow junction. This is the "Western" route.

The Eastern Route

After you enter the forest past the black pond, turn a hard left, and begin heading just a tiny bit West of directly South, through the forest down towards The Bowl.

Stay as close to the rock formations that begin rising to your left, the East, as possible, while staying in the forest. As you drop down towards The Bowl you will soon find access to massive granite formations opening up to your Left, to your East, towards the gorge the North Mokelumne River is slipping through.

These formations lead nowhere. They are dead-ends off of our track. But they compose an amazing bit of terrain that is worthy of exploration. if you explore them to their Southeastern extent, you will find amazing bits of terrain, and be able to observe elements of the sections of the North Fork of the Mokelumne River where it cuts a precipitous course through this sheer canyon, almost completely hidden within the steep and deep gorges that the river funnels through before reaching Camp Irene. Unless you scramble this cool granite formation to take a look down at the North Mokelumne.

These hidden features were cut into this stunning landscape first by ancient glaciers, and recently by the flow of the mighty North Fork of the Mokelumne River itself. These massively profound granite formations are well worth the time and effort it takes to even get a glimpse of them, let alone fully explore them. Unless you set up camp in The Bowl, and give yourself the time necessary to explore them, and this cool little section, thoroughly.

Thus the utility of short trips that give the backpacker enough time to thoroughly explore a place. You will see amazing things and places if you give yourself some exploration time, which means carrying more food, which means a heavy backpack.

The key consideration for extra explorations are how well you have supplied yourself with enough time and food to support some off-route explorations. This is a stunningly beautiful place with many hidden treasures that you will find only if you give yourself the time to camp in The Bowl, and expend the energy to explore the surrounding terrain.

If you do head East to explore these formations, you can stash your pack to make your scrambling easier. Make sure you remove your bear proof food container from your pack, and properly stash your food so a bear does not violently remove your food canister from your pack, ( A packectomy) and bear cannot roll your canister off a cliff, into water, or too far away from your stash point.

Even more importantly, MAKE SURE that you can find your pack again when you return from your scramble. Most importantly, be very careful exploring these granite formations, especially if you are a solo backpacker as I am.

If you get injured in this remote location scrambling far off the beaten track, off of a route that is already off the beaten track, you're screwed. There will be no rescue. It is likely no one will find you for years, if ever.

So be careful!

Continuing South past the granite formations along the Eastern edge of the Enchanted Forest down towards The Bowl will bring you across a series of small drainages cutting diagonally across your path towards the Southeast, towards the North Mokelumne River.

The first couple of drainages flow into rocky jumbles that are obviously dead ends for hikers, but as your path through the forest flattens out approaching The Bowl, you will be able to follow the lowest drainage into the center of the bowl. These small drainages are not marked on maps.

I think it is the third drainage that cuts left down onto the forest floor of The Bowl to empty in the North Fork of the Mokelumne River. These little drainages change year-on-year, so don't depend on the count. You will have a good idea it's a good drainage to follow East when you see it is draining into a forested flat, The Bowl, on its way to the river.

At this point you can cut East and follow the drainage, or just cross the forested flat Eastward to the River's pristine white sand beaches under ancient groves of Cedar and Sugar Pine, all sitting in the shadow of the sheer granite monolith rising out of the Eastern Shore of the river across from The Bowl. This is a stunningly beautiful and very remote location. And this is the only place you can drink from the Mokelumne River before you reach Camp Irene.

I favor the Eastern route through the Eastern side of the Enchanted Forest down to The Bowl. This route allows me to explore the massive granite formations that compose the Northeast boundary of The Bowl, before I cut down to and across The Bowl to visit the remote white sand shores of the North Mokelumne River along Eastern side of The Bowl.

This is an extraordinarily remote, remarkably hard to find, and almost spooky location that makes an excellent place to camp. Don't make fire rings, or do anything to this pristine little location except enjoy it...

The Western Route

After entering the forest past the black pond you turn left. But rather than keeping to your hard left in a Southern direction, as you would do to explore the granite along the Eastern side of the forest, you point yourself to the Southwest, to cut diagonally across the forest's narrow neck, so you can parallel the rock wall on the Western side of the forest down to The Bowl.

One way out of The Bowl

There is only one way out of The Bowl. It is on the Southwestern corner of The Bowl where a seasonal creek emerges from the surrounding ridge. This makes it easy to find the trail out of the South side of The Bowl. The simple fact is that from any position on the North side of The Bowl you can track roughly South until you pick up the creek bed that tracks out of the crack in the rock wall where our now well-ducked trail continues South towards the Munson Meadow trail junction and on to Camp Irene.

Follow the creek bed Southwest up to where it first enters the forest, and you've found the well ducked trail to Camp Irene.

Yeah! Congratulations! You've successfully passed through the non-trailed section of the Tahoe to Yosemite trail, and now will enjoy almost-maintained trails almost all the way to Tuolumne Meadows. There is a good, if faint, trail from the Munson Meadow trail junction to Camp Irene.

The only exception is further South, at the South end of the Carson_Iceberg Wilderness where we have a small cross country section following a faint trail track from the head of the Clarks Fork of the Stanislaus River to Saint Marys Pass on Highway 108. No big deal!

questions or comments?

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	Following a small creek down to the Mokelumne River.

	This is the third or fourth drainage coming down the Eastern Side of the Enchanted Forest towards the bowl. Don't depend on the count, as these small drainages shift every season.

	The faded blazes are being absorbed by the trees.

	This faded blaze sits in a dense forest with no discernable trail, or any other blazes, for as far as you can see.

Peak 7813, above and behind untracked forest

This is the dominant peak, a dome really, to the Northwest of Camp Irene. The base of this peak makes up the Western boundary of The Enchanted Forest.

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In The Bowl alongside the North Fork of the Mokelumne River, there are large examples of some of our favorite Sierra Trees

	Big Sugar Pine.				Large Incense Cedar.

	In the chaotic jumble of this dense forest, these titans have cleared out space around their massive canopies.				The sheer granite walls on all sides combine with the dense forest to create a hushed zone of deep quiet in The Bowl.

Deep in the Terrain

The trees pictured above sit about 40 yards from where white sand beaches line the shores of the North Mokelumne River as it passes by The Bowl.

Last year (2009) I stopped alongside this pure white strand of beach, cooked myself a hot lunch and coffee, completely re hydrated myself, and stocked up on water for the remaining short hike to Camp Irene.

The beauties of the terrain were as refreshing as the fare. Man, food tastes great on the trail.

After lunch I left my pack behind, and took a long walk around the perimeter of The Bowl. I found it to be a completely delightful place to spend a night. It has excellent assets: Old growth trees towering over a dense young forest growing out of a dense jumble of smashed forest floor liter. Massive granite formations and mountain tops peeking down at you through the dense canopy. Soft white sand beaches along a most remote stretch of a beautiful river. It's a winning combination.

Add to all of these beauties the special feeling imparted by the hushed quiet and deep isolation created within this unique environment. This small densely forested space enclosed by sheer granite walls imparts a special feeling.

Whoah! If you are uncomfortable being alone, this place will really freak you out! If you enjoy deeply isolated locations, you will find this place is a little bit of heaven on Earth.

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	A Big Boy: Sugar Pine Cone

	I always listen carefully when traveling under the Sugar Pine.

Soaked, Salted, and Scraped.

And worth every bit of it! This is where I take lunch, wash myself and my shirt, and enjoy the beauties of The Bowl from my spot leaning against a tree in the soft white sands along the shore of the North Mokelumne River.

Deeelightful...

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Munson Meadow Junction followed by a more or less ducked route to Camp Irene

Out of the Bowl onto the Rock

Let's get back to the map, and check out the overall shape of The Enchanted Forest. The forest forms an "L" or a boot shape. Our Southbound exit from the trackless forest in The Bowl is located on the heel of the boot. A creek also flows into The Bowl at the same place our trail exits this forested bowl.

Note where we entered the Enchanted Forest following the ducked trail on its North side, at the top of the boot, and turned left, or South just past the Dead Pond.

At that point we were in the forest, but were sitting on the North rim of The Bowl, faced with making our way South down into, and across the densely forested bowl. Our ultimate goal was the Southwestern corner of The Bowl, where our trail South resumes. But how will you even know you are in "The Bowl?"

You will know are are in The Bowl when the terrain is flat, the N Mokelumne bounds the forest to your East, and a steep rock wall marks the Western boundary of the Enchanted Forest.

Out of The Bowl from the East side of The Enchanted Forest

If you are looking at the Mokelumne River, then you are on the East side of The Bowl. Your knowledge that the The Bowl is boot shaped will put you on a Southwest line across the forest towards the heel of the boot from our position on the shore of the North Mokelumne River. You will also be looking out for the creek that runs from the gap in the rock that our trail exits through, but you will continue roughly Southwest if you encounter the creek or not.

If you reach the rock wall where it is running to the SE, you are below the intersection that composes the heel, and you must hike to your Right towards the heel. If you reach the rock wall, and it runs to the SW, you are above the intersection that composes the heel, and you must hike to your left towards the heel.

If you are on the West side of the Enchanted Forest

As mentioned above, you have different basic routes you can attempt between your entry to the Enchanted Forest at the black pond, and your exit point through the heel of the boot. If you are paralleling the rock wall on the West side of the Enchanted Forest, your Southwest direction should take you down to the heel.

I can't find my damn pictures of the crack in the wall where the Southbound trail resumes South of The Bowl. Sorry...

comments or questions?

The Munson Meadow Trail Junction

A half mile South of your exit from The Bowl you will encounter the remains of the Munson Meadow trail junction.

Munson Meadow

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Down the Mountain towards Camp Irene

	There are a series of Ducks visible leading the way down the rock surface.		View of the Western flank of the canyon bounding the North Mokelumne heading down to Camp Irene..


			We are working our way Southeast from the Munson Meadow trail junction down to Camp Irene. This is the view looking back over my Right shoulder. The trail through here was decently ducked and easy to follow in 2009, though I had to stop and look around a couple of times, before continuing.
	Besides the numerous ducks, the trail is actually burnished along parts of this section.

The Long View South from above, and North of Camp Irene

Mount Reba is the rounded mass dominating the left side of the ridge. Underwood Valley sits to the Left of Mount Reba. Lake Valley sits to its Right. The flank of Peak 8353 is visible descending from the Left of the image. Camp Irene sits below the larger granite mound at center-left in the foreground. We're heading down there now.

From Camp Irene we will climb up and traverse the visible flank of Peak 8353 on our way to cross below the mouth of Underwood Valley. From there we will pass around the near side of the mass of Mount Reba, roughly at the interface between the white rock and forest, to enter Lake Valley. From Lake Valley the trail will take us up to the crest of Mount Reba, from the Right side of the peak.

View of North Mokelumne River above and to the North of Camp Irene

This image was taken from past the Munson Meadow Junction where we bend Southeast on our way down to Camp Irene. Below this point we will not be able to see the surrounding ridge and mountaintops from within the forest.

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Camp Irene

				Lake Alpine: 8.8 miles
I almost always stay at the best camp at Camp Irene, which is on the North Side of the North Fork of the Mokelumne River.

During my 2009 visit this camp was equipped with log benches, a fancy fire ring, and a table made out of branches with a bark tabletop.
This camp sits above a fine white sand beach at the ford.				This dude was leaning on a tree next to the fording spot.

Camp Irene

Elevation

5280 feet

Mileage: 5.24 miles South to the Top of Mount Reba.

Mileage: 8.02 miles South to Bee Gulch trail head at the East Side of Lake Alpine.

NOTE: The sign post at Camp Irene says, "Lake Alpine 8.8"

As you can see, I call the distance at 8.02 miles, and I stick by that number.

Crossing National Forest Boundaries

When you cross the North Fork of the Mokelumne River Southbound, you are exiting the El Dorado National Forest, and entering the Stanislaus National Forest.

You will exit the Mokelumne Wilderness hiking South across the top of Mount Reba. The Carson Iceberg Wilderness begins South of Lake Alpine.

comments or questions?

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Camp Irene campsite details

	Fancy Fire Ring with heating surface..				The bark and branch table.

	With a rock stool for the fire tender.				I'm generally too busy hiking to build things, but I am often amazed and amused by the things people build.

Serene Camp Irene

	View of the beach on the North Side of Camp Irene, from the rocky South side of the River.		Looking South across the fine white sand beach on the North side of Camp Irene.

	The campsite on the North side, across the river, is hidden up in the trees above the beach. The campsite on the South side of the river is much rougher than the fine camp on the North side.		The North Fork of the Mokelumne River comes out of its narrow channel to flow through a wide section at Camp Irene.

	Camp Irene Camping

Camp Irene is a place where the physical quiet easily reaches into personal tranquility.

There are three basic places to make camp at Camp Irene.

North Side of the River

My favorite place is on the North side of the river. A massive rock formation lines the river on the North side of this camp, a sandy beach sits in front, and a dense thicket of a forest bounds the Southern extent of the camp on the North Shore of the River.

An excellent flat features a fire ring, some improvised seating, and a stick and bark table.

Plenty of soft flat spots for you to crash out.

I have never seen anyone camping here when I camp here.

South Side of the River

At the Ford

The South side of the River at the Camp Irene ford is a jumble of rock and forest.

Though there are a couple of sites here, they are rough, nothing like the site on the North side of the river.

I always prefer to camp at the camp on the North side of the River.

I have seen two parties camping here over the decades.

South Side of the River

Downriver

After the ford the trail continues South along the River for a few hundred yards before turning up for the big climb up Mount Reba.

There are a couple of real nice sites on the little rises sitting between the trail and the river.

I camped in a nice place here once a long time ago, and met Evan when he camped here.

Another view of the sandy beach along the North Shore of Camp Irene along the North Fork of the Mokelumne River.

I'm pretty sure the cinnamon colored tree is a Giant Sequoia.

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Backpacking & Camping South of Camp Irene

The location of the campsite South of Camp Irene pictured below is marked on the topo map as the red dot just South of Camp Irene, alongside the North Fork of the Mokelumne River.

As we have crossed the river Southbound, we are now in the Calaveras Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest.

The Stanislaus National Forest is the permitting authority you will contact to begin a Northbound trip into this area from Highway 4 trailheads.

The Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail will shortly turn away from the North Fork of the Mokelumne River to begin its long climb up to the top of Mount Reba, where we will exit the Mokelumne Wilderness.

Before climbing upward, the trail follows along the North shore of the Mokelumne River for a few hundred yards where there are a couple of nice campsites.

Evan and the Bear

I met a cool dude, Evan, from Marin County, at one of the campsite locations South of Camp Irene. This must have been around 2000. He was cruising around looking to safely store his food away from a bear prowling the area.

Camp just South of Camp Irene, South side of the Mokelumne River

This was Evan's first backpacking trip. He picked a good trip for his capabilities, making a solo three day round trip from Lake Alpine to Camp Irene and back. This is a hard trip for a first-timer because it is in a remote location, the trails are good if thin, and it is a hell of an Eight Mile Climb from Camp Irene to the top of Mount Reba. Evan gave himself a good challenge for his first backpacking trip. Here's my notes on this encounter, it was 1999:

"Sunday, Sept 5, 1999. Walking back to his camp Bear, was approaching his camp & (bear) departed very quickly upon our arrival. I showed Evan the proper way to suspend food."

When I ran into Evan he was worried about the bear that was actively trying to get his food. Neither was used to each other. The bear was not used to humans, and was fearful but hungry. A Yosemite Valley bear would have just walked right into Evan's camp, taken the food, flipped him off, and sat down and ate it right in front of him. Trust me, I know! But that is yet another bear story. But this particular bear was not acclimated to humans, and was very uneasy approaching Evan.

Evan, on the other hand, was doing his first backpacking trip and was as unused to bears, or protecting his food from a bear, as the bear was unused to him. Evan was very uneasy having the bear approaching his camp and probing his defenses.

This made for a situation where two very nervous creatures were eyeing each other uneasily across a void of mutual uncertainty. One wanted to steal food, the other wanted to prevent that. Neither had a great deal of experience with the other.

I met Evan as he was checking out moving to a different campsite closer to Camp Irene proper from his camp just a bit further South of Camp Irene, along the SE shore of the North Mokelumne River.

He explained his bear problem, and we went back to his camp site and I showed him how to scare the shit out of the semi-wild bear prowling his camp. I make bears that are curious about humans never want to see a human again.

No bears are injured during these lessons, though their feelings of comfort around humans are destroyed. Better me putting a deep fear of humans into the bear before a hunter or ranger shoots the poor bastards after they become acclimated to humans.

(If any of the Riverside Firemen I met mule-camping at the camp in Fish Valley read this, POST UP! That was a great time, & yet another great bear story...That bear didn't bug you guys again after I got done, did it?)

Then I explained "Bear Technology" to Evan and showed him the two basic ways to hang food, the counterweight and hidden line methods on a tree branch that was bear-proof.

I'll put up articles about the stuff I mention above, being Bear Tech, scaring the shit out of "borderline" acclimated bears, and proper food hanging in the Bear Section of the Living Things Forum as I continue building this trail guide South towards Mount Whitney.

Evan, if you see this Post Up!

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The End of the Unmaintained Trail

Crossing the North Fork of the Mokelumne River Southbound marks the official end of the unmaintained section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

You will notice the disordered nature of the terrain on the South side of the River. Look downriver and you will see elements of the trail forming up.

North: Lower Summit City Creek Ford South: Mount Reba

The Catastrophic Thaw of 1998

From the moment your Southbound route brings you into the chute of forest preceding the lower ford of Summit City Creek, until you begin climbing up the Northern flank of Peak 8353 South of Camp Irene, you are passing through an area devastated by floods that swept down the North Mokelumne River in the Spring of 1998. Much of the underlying "strangeness" that I still sense while hiking through here is a product of the remnants of the wreckage from this powerful event. Evidence of this event still decorates the terrain.

I was hiking Northbound from Tuolumne to Lake Tahoe during the Summer of 1998. As I dropped down towards Camp Irene coming down from Mount Reba, the trail disappeared into the most amazing thing: I estimate 13 feet of smashed tree debris was sitting above what had been ground level. All the small and medium trees were gone. Big trees that survived were sticking up through the debris mat, stripped of bark for dozens of feet, and showing signs of great trauma.

This terrain stretched from Camp Irene through The Bowl, and up the slot of forest around the lower ford of Summit City Creek.

This terrain was very difficult to cross. It was a spongy, unstable irregular mass of tree bits, smashed in every configuration possible, from toothpicks to 30 foot long trunks snapped like toothpicks, to "shredded" logs stripped naked of bark and branches, piled yards deep in an unstable mass across the terrain. Every step across this unstable surface was like walking on a rope bridge, and each step threatened to punch my feet and legs deep into this mass of shattered wood bits, and be impaled on bits of root and branch in this amazing mass of debris.

All of the small and medium sized trees in the flood zone had been swept up, smashed into splinters, and deposited as wreckage in this huge mat of debris. Large trees that remained rooted showed damage high up on their trunks, and none were holding low branches, as they were all scoured off. I found my way to Camp Irene through and over the debris, and thought about what I was seeing. It was a strange and desolate sight.

Precipitous Spring Thaw

It quickly became apparent that the heavy Spring rains earlier that year had caused a catastrophic thaw. I could see indications that the water level at Camp Irene had been at least 75 feet above the normal river level. I could estimate this by the height of the debris up the mountainside that I had encountered coming down off of Mount Reba. The "bathtub ring" of debris was at 75 feet above river level on all surrounding terrain, but I saw a better indication of the high water level that is still visible at Camp Irene to this day.

Look carefully at the steep rock formations and high cliffs that surround Camp Irene, especially the formation on the Northwest side of Camp Irene's location. You will notice smashed trees deposited high up on that cliff by the high water level of this flood, and abandoned there when the flood waters retreated. Those trees remains deposited high up on the cliffs are a remnant of the Catastrophic Spring Thaw of 1998.

The heavy Spring rains and the catastrophic thaw only told part of the story I was seeing. As the rapid thaw swept down huge amounts of trees in its rush down the mountain drainages, the trees were carried down until they jammed up.

It was crystal clear to me that a major jam up happened in the steep gorge between The Bowl and Camp Irene. The high water level in front of the jam up at Camp Irene reached 75 feet as it came through. I don't have an estimate for the water level behind the jam-up, though it had to be higher than the high water mark at Camp Irene.

Behind the jam up all the timber in the surging pool created by the logjam ground itself to splinters. When the pressure of the water and debris behind the jam up hit the critical point, the jam up broke and a massive wall of water full of timber debris swept downriver.

This massive jam-up explains the devastation that had swept through the Enchanted Forest, and left the huge amount of tree debris burying the forest floor. The high-water mark was far above the height of the Lower Ford of Summit City Creek, where you can also see evidence of the jam-up and scouring that took place. After the jam up broke, a huge amount of water filled with surging, shattered timber, blew down river, smashing everything in its path.

This jam-up first flooded, then scoured, everything along our Tahoe to Yosemite trail route from the lower ford of Summit City Creek through the Enchanted Forest and The Bowl, and swept through Camp Irene at a height I estimated at 75 feet above highest Spring Thaw high water mark. In the wake of this devastation, nature quickly snapped into action.

Aftermath

Within three years of this devastating flood sand had been carried in by each years storms and Spring runoffs to quickly fill the deep mat of shattered timber with soil. Grasses, shrubs, and trees quickly followed. I think that big parts of the giant mat of wood debris was actually composting itself. That would explain the rapid transformation from devastation to rapid growth.

Many parts of the present terrain around Camp Irene have now healed so completely that you cannot tell the flood occurred.

In any case, massive bursts of tree growth quickly replaced all of the young timber the flood had swept away. This explains why you are confronted with dense thickets of young trees throughout the Enchanted Forest.

Many of the mature trees who had monopolized the light were swept away, and now the next generation is struggling en masse to fill the void. This massive growth will be thinned out as the firs and pines eventually push up a canopy and sweep the forest floor of all the runts by denying them light.

This is why you see very mature and very young trees making up the majority of the tree population within the flood zone. All of the young and smaller trees were swept away in 1998, leaving only the big boys behind.

Now the Enchanted Forest and The Bowl are full of young trees growing rapidly, flying to fill in the void left by the flood's devastation. They fill it quite densely, for now.

Since the flood devastated the forest floor through this small section of trail, backpackers have been struggling to find their way through these areas (The Bowl in The Enchanted Forest) where all signs of trail bed were swept away and buried with a dense mat of debris by the fearsome power of nature.

comments or questions?

THIS PAGE IS PRETTY MUCH DONE, BUT STAY TUNED FOR MUCH MORE!

I'm looking forward to seeing you POST UP the highlights of your adventures through here on the Carson Gap to Lake Alpine Trail Forum. And, I have never shot videos through this section, which I am looking forward to doing during the Summer of 2011, if at all possible...

So, COME ON BACK NOW, 'YA HEAR?

And, the fact is that you won't really "know" a trail until you run it at least four times, camped at all the sites on the route, and explored the nooks and crannies of the terrain along the way....So keep on coming back to unlock the endless treasures along this fine route.

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7.5 Topo Hiking Map: Summit City Creek to Mount Reba

Big 7.5 Topo Hiking Map: Summit City Creek to Mount Reba

30 min Topo Hiking Map: Echo Summit to Lake Alpine

Miles and Elevations

South: Mount Reba

Backpacking Trail Guide

North

Lower Summit City Creek Ford