In fact we remain within the Stanislaus National Forest through the next two Wilderness Areas along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, the Carson Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness.

Hikers heading North or South out of Highway 4 along the Western flank of the High Sierra must obtain permits from the Stanislaus National Forest.

Stanislaus National Forest

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Resupply

Lake Alpine Lodge

The Lake Alpine Lodge is .75 of a mile West from the East Side of Lake Alpine where we emerge from the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail onto Highway 4 at the Bee Gulch Trailhead.

The Lake Alpine Lodge is on the West Side of Lake Alpine. The East and West sides of Lake Alpine are connected by a paved path nestled-in between narrow Highway 4 and the Lake.

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Lake Alpine from near the Top of Mount Reba.

Note the strand of dirt road visible along the crest of the ridge line in the middle distance. This is the jeep road that we are now on after it turns 90 degrees South at the point where our trail continues straight where the jeep trail turns. As we see below, the junction is well maked.

Lake Alpine is man made. Hey, I love Lake Alpine, but just look at those beautiful, deep granite channels that were drowned by Lake Alpine's creation. I'd love this area as well without the lake. But hey, California needs to keep doubling its population and halving its natural resources.... that can't end well...

In any case, you don't get many views of Lake Alpine from the top of Mount Reba, as the lake is mostly hidden from view by ridge arms, trees, and the lay of the land for most of your hike down. This is the best view you get, though fleeting...

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Expansive View Southeast from the top of Mount Reba

looking into our next trail section across the Carson Iceberg Wilderness

Thinking Ahead

Below: The mountain range in the Left middle-distance with a cutaway section sitting beyond the hilltop in the foreground is the great volcanic structure of The Dardanelles.

The Dardanelles are about thirteen trail miles distant from the our position on top of Mount Reba. The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail from here will run Southeast directly towards the middle of the Dardanelles, then swing Northeast along the West shore of Spicer Meadow Reservoir to pass around the top of the reservoir into Highland Creek. Along Highland Creek we shortly encounter a key trail junction, the Jenkins Canyon Trail Junction.

At Jenkins Canyon we are either going to follow the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail around the Northeastern end of the Dardanelles over to Arnot Creek and on up the Clarks Fork of the Stanislaus, or we will follow the Highland Creek Trail up to Highland Lakes to intersect with the Pacific Crest Trail.

Between these trail junctions ahead of us in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness there are many options for local loops and short backpacking trips. Behind us in the Mokelumne Wilderness there were not as many options for alternative long distance and local looping backpacking routes as there are in the Carson Iceberg.

Jenkins Canyon trail junction

Decisions, Decisions. How much food did you send yourself at Lake Alpine?

In the far distance the line of mountains on the left side of the far horizon line composes the Sierra Crestline heading South (left to right) to Sonora Pass. I'm thinking That's Sonora Peak towering-no, DOMINATING that section of the Sierra crest line. I've got to think about it. Hummm... Leavitt Peak may be the next significant peak to the Right of Sonora Peak, I'm pretty sure.

Right of the center of the horizon we can see the rolling ridges running up the Western flank of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

From Lake Alpine South the compass point of our Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route points Southeast towards The Dardanelles, then swings around the Northern shoulder of The Dardanelles through Jenkins Canyon. At the top the trail turns East across a low point of the ridgetop to access the Arnot Creek drainage. We're hiking a big frk'n "S" from Lake Alpine to the top of Jenkins Canyon.

The lower sections of the Highland Creek drainage now holds the long expanse of Spicer Meadow Reservoir. The black lines on the map represent the current extent of Spicer Meadow Reservoir.

I believe the great peak in the distance on the left side of the horizon is Sonora Peak. Highway 108 runs through Sonora Pass at the base of its Southern flank. The high point on the distant horizon, beyond The center-left of the Dardanelles formation, is Leavitt Peak, if I am not mistaken. But I may be. It's late... and that's a long view.

In any case those are the mountains around Sonora and Saint Marys Passes, the location of Highway 108 end point of the next section along our trail.

The end of this section of the trail, hot food, cold beer, and our next resupply package are all three miles ahead of us on Highway 4 sitting at the base of the next lowering hilltop in the near foreground.

Woo-Hoo!

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Heading Southeast off of the Top of Mount Reba

	Cutting down the jeep trail from the top of Mount Reba brings us across a vast field of Paper Plants, well, "Mule Ears," as they're commonly called. I call them "Paper Plants."		The view West, down Horse Canyon, and on into the Canyon of the North Fork of the Mokelumne River. We are hiking Southeast, away from this canyon, just below and East of the top of Mount Reba.

			This perspective is looking West through Horse Canyon, into the canyon of the North Mokelumne River, further downstream from our fording point at Camp Irene. Note the bright green of paper plants visible on the distant hills. Note the Paper Plants run all the way down mountain, as far as I could see. The picture at Left shows them covering the whole flank of the mountain above us, the picture at top shows them below. I've never seen a bigger colony of Paper Plant. top of page

	When Fall's dry winds blow through their golden dried leaves later in the season they make a sound like the rustling of thousands of long dried loose paper rustling around an ancient library. Paper Plants.

The Southbound Trail Junction to Bee Gulch

	Trail Junction where the jeep road turns South and our trail continues Southeast (Left) down to Lake Alpine.		Just a few feet down towards Lake Alpine you will find this fire ring, which looks allot like a place local kids will drive up to on a Friday Night.


			A North-South trail over to Underwood Valley cuts across your path here, but follow the trail Southeast across this junction.
	"LK Alpine," with Arrow!

Second Trail Junction

The marker at the second junction where the trail to Underwood Valley cuts through North and South.

This post is bare.

You can toss a rock from this second trail junction up to the jeep road.

The trail down to Bee Gulch lays beyond the post.

Bee Gulch

	Bee Gulch				Another momentary glimpse of Lake Alpine.

	A massive field of lupine. And everything else.				View of the Eastern shore.

Bee Gulch in Bloom

	Bee Gulch's Flowers. That's why it's called Bee Gulch...

	Bee Gulch's dense Flowers bloom deep into Summer.

Volcanic Terrain

Looking East fine volcanic structures parallel our trail down Bee Gulch.

Bee Gulch decorated by volcanic formations

Though the Sierras are famous for majestic granite formations, the volcanic terrain is more than half the show. And the upper half... As we continue South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail we will hike through The Dardanelles.

The Dardanelles consist of a massive ancient volcanic remnant, much older than the last phase of activity which covered the granite we love so much. No problem.

I love terrain.

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Trail junction between Lake Alpine Lodge and the Bee Gulch trailhead

Nearing the base of Bee Gulch we run into a trail running from the Lake Alpine lodge to the Bee Gulch Trailhead along and behind the houses along Highway 4. I head Left, towards the East Side of Lake Alpine. I will drop my pack and make camp before I venture over to the Lake Alpine Lodge.

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail Sign in Bee Gulch just North of Lake Alpine

If you are hitting and running, I mean just picking up your resupply and continuing on down the trail, you will want to turn Right here, as this is the most direct route to the Lake Alpine Lodge.

I've been on the trail between five and seven days, depending upon which Lake Tahoe trailhead I started from. It is likely that I'm going to spend the remainder of this day, and the entirety of the next day, kicking back at Lake Alpine before I continue South.

So I continue South on the TYT through this junction towards Bee Gulch, and my hidden campsite behind the "official" expensive backpacker's camp on the East Side of Lake Alpine.

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The Bee Gulch Trail head

Look carefully if you are driving past the East side of Highway 4. This trail head is nestled in and hard to see from cars. There is a parking lot for the day use area right across Highway 4 from the trail head.

Northbound Bee Gulch trail head on East End of Lake Alpine and Highway 4

Coming South off of Mount Reba is a swift hike down through Bee Gulch's ample flowers and jagged volcanic outcroppings.

Your hike through the Carson Gap to Lake Alpine section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail (The hardest part of the whole trail) ends when you exit the trail through the Bee Gulch trail head at the East end of Lake Alpine on Highway 4.

Woo-Hoo! Good Work!

Entrance to East Shore Lake Alpine across Highway 4 from Bee Gulch

This paved road will bring you to the Silver-Highland Creek trail head where you will continue South on the Tahoe to Yosemite trail.

Lake Alpine's East Shore Road lays about three-quarters of a mile East of the Lake Alpine Lodge, and is right across Highway 4 from the Bee Gulch Trailhead.

That's important because the Lake Alpine Lodge serves three meals a day, and has a Store. But so does Bear Valley, at the Bear Valley Store and Deli, which sits three and three-quarter miles West on Highway 4 from our location on the East shore of Lake Alpine.

Check out the Lake Alpine Lodge and Bear Valley Resupply Page

Directly South across Highway 4 from the Bee Gulch trailhead is the East Lake Alpine Road, which leads South to your campsite, and the Silver-Highland Creek trailhead, where you will continue South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Directly South across Highway 4 from the Bee Gulch trailhead is the East Lake Alpine Road, which leads South to our campsite. There is a backpacker's camp just down the paved road, but I've never camped there.

South down the road beyond your campsite the paved road ends at the Silver-Highland Creek trailhead, where you will continue South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

See the Lake Alpine Map to better determine your precise location

North: Mount Reba top of page South: Lake Alpine

Lake Alpine

Trail Section Completed

Arriving at Lake Alpine marks the end of the most difficult section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, the section between Carson Pass on Highway 88 and Lake Alpine on Highway 4.

Overall, we've covered around 67.18 miles hiking down the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail from Meeks Bay to Lake Alpine on Highway 4. Good work.

Our route so far has crossed the Desolation Wilderness, the Meiss Country Roadless Area, and now we have finished hiking the tough and remote unmaintained section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail through the Mokelumne Wilderness between Carson Pass and Lake Alpine.

This section contained the most difficult challenge of the whole Tahoe to Yosemite Trail by my measure, the 9.5 mile section of unmaintained trail between Summit City Creek and Camp Irene.

This is quite a compliment, as most Pacific Crest Trail hikers rate the section of trail between Jack Main Canyon and Tuolumne Meadows as the hardest section of the whole Pacific Crest Trail. The section between Jack Main and Tuolumne Meadows is the second hardest part of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

However you assess each section of the Tahoe to Whitney Trails (and you will), every trail section of these trails are worthy of hiking on their own merits, without having to be part of a longer trip.

Work yourself up to do a hard section of one of these classic trails.

This section down Summit City Creek is a hard section taken alone or as part of the TYT.

The Next trail Section South

Next, after a nice rest, resupply, and feast at Lake Alpine we are heading South into the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness of the Stanislaus National Forest towards Saint Marys Pass on Highway 108.

Carson Iceberg Wilderness Map

Upcoming Route Options

A little less than half-way down to Saint Marys Pass from Lake Alpine we will examine the Highland Creek Trail option at the Jenkins Canyon Trail Junction. Following Highland Creek brings us up to the Pacific Crest Trail at Wolf Creek Pass.

From Wolf Creek Pass I follow the Pacific Crest Trail South down to Sonora Pass through the East Fork of the Carson River. This custom route adds mileage, elevation, and distance to the section of trail between Highways 4 and 108.

South from Highland Creek through Jenkins Canyon along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail we can also cut up to the Pacific Crest Trail through Arnot Creek, Disaster Creek, and finally Boulder Creek. The Carson Iceberg is unique in that it offers a web of trails connecting the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite routes.

The upcoming Carson Iceberg Wilderness offers a wide range of amazing backpacking loops for short and medium distance backpackers, as well as classic sections of both the Tahoe to Yosemite and the Pacific Crest Trail routes for long distance backpackers.

Loop the Mokelumne Wilderness?

Here at the Southern edge of the Mokelumne Wilderness I appreciate that. We can do a big PCT-TYT almost-loop through the Mokelumne from Lake Alpine to Ebbetts Pass. But the Mokelumne Wilderness, though beautiful, does not sport a web of trails like the trails across the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness.

We can make a great "crescent" route, not quite a loop, through the Mokelumne between the PCT and TYT if we push a Northbound TYT trip from Lake Alpine past the Fourth of July Lake junction in Summit City Creek to Blue Lakes, where we have many options on just how we will link up with the Southbound PCT to Ebbetts Pass. Map. Trail Guide Page.

Back to Lake Alpine

7.5 Hiking Topo Map: Lake Alpine

30 min Regional Topo Hiking Map: Echo Summit to Lake Alpine

South on the Tahoe to Yosemite

Carson Iceberg Wilderness Map

Miles and Elevations

Next page South: Lake Alpine

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Backpacking Trail Guide

North

Mount Reba