Carson Gap to Lake Alpine MILES AND ELEVATIONS

Telephone Gulch

Elevation: 6720

Mileage

6.76 miles South of Round Top Lake

11. 71 miles South of Carson Pass

15.01 miles North of Highway 4 at Lake Alpine.

Maps

7.5 Detailed Topo Map: Summit City Creek

7.5 BIG Topo Hiking Map: Fourth of July Lake to Mount Reba

30 min Topo Hiking Map Echo Summit to Lake Alpine

1x2 Index Map: Carson Gap to Lake Alpine

This big 1 x 2 is an index map linked to maps along the dotted trail and trail guide pages through the red dots. It will bring you to both PCT and TYT locations.

Telephone Gulch Trail Forum Page

questions & comments

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail Information

Review

Start point of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail: Meeks Bay Trail head

End the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail: Tuolumne Meadows (only the maps and resupply pages have been put online down the the trail to Tuolumne Meadows. Trail guide pages will follow.)

About the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route.

Current position: Heading South on the Tahoe to Yosemite trail past Telephone Gulch, along Summit City Creek, between Carson Pass and Lake Alpine. Mokelumne Wilderness in the El Dorado National Forest.

Current Destination: Camp Irene, and the start of maintained trails.

Next Resupply: Lake Alpine Lodge. (14.31 miles to Highway 4 at the Bee Gulch Trailhead)

Big Map of the trail between Carson Pass to Lake Alpine.

Detailed Map of this segment of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

Nearby Campsite options

1>Just North of the Upper Ford. Improved site. (Below)

2>Just South of the Upper Ford. Primitive, but real cool site. (Below)

3> Just South of where the trail approaches Summit City Creek, 1.32 miles South of the Upper Ford. An amazing location. (Below)

We are in the great granite section of Summit City Creek North of the Upper Ford. We are looking North, up Summit City Creek. Fourth of July Peak is peeking over the descending ridgeline, below the cloud in the distant Right-Center of this image. It is a real relief from the dense forest.

The granite beauties up the canyon angle Northeast, towards Summit City Creek's trail junction to Fourth of July Lake, where we entered this awesome canyon.  You must rely on your good observation and route finding skills through this whole section, but there has been a solid line ducks guiding the way across the open granite section.

The biggest ducks survive the Winter snows, but the rest are swept away, to be replaced by each Summer's hikers. You don't need ducks through this granite section, in fact too many ducks take away from the experience.

These wide open sections force the hiker scan the totality of the terrain to weigh route options. Ducks can diminish the experience.

I am heading left, to work my way down to the fording boulders, after checking out the fording situation to the Right of these nice fording boulders.

But before fording, I've got to get down to them.

Summit City Creek's Upper Ford

Fording is one of the two most dangerous threats to High Sierra Nevada Spring and Summer backpackers, along with lightening.

Always approach a ford with great caution, as you likewise should always evaluate weather developments before crossing open terrain. Both fording and lightening are seasonally dangerous, and very dangerous when in season.

Backpacking itself is dangerous! Use great caution at all times, and especially at fords and across open terrain.

The peak of Fording Danger is during the height of the Spring Thaw. The peak of the Lightening Season correlates with Summertime heat waves pushing massive cells of superheated moisture out of the San Joaquin Valley up the Western flank of the Sierras.

As these cells rise up the Western flank, they concentrate into powerful electric storms.

Even outside of their peak periods, fording and lightening are objective dangers that must be treated with respect.

Fording and Lightening dangers can even correlate. I believe it was during my 2002 Tahoe to Whitney hike that saw powerful afternoon thunder storms that carried intense Lightening, thunder, and downpours. These afternoon storms flooded the creeks, making afternoon fording dangerous during mid-Summer!

These Summer Storms flooded Tuolumne Meadows, knocking out the water and sewage plants. TM looked like a disaster zone when I hiked in. Big granite boulders had been pushed around, and deposited on Highway 120. I was lucky enough to observe these powerful Summer storms as I was crossing Benson and Matterhorn Canyons on my way South towards Tuolumne. These storms were powered by a super-hot heat wave in The Valley.

If you observe the weather carefully in the Sierras, a well-traveled Californian can extrapolate what the general weather conditions are in the Valley and on the coast.

I was privileged to observe bits of these thunder and lightening storms from above, as thunderheads traveled up the canyons that divide the five ridges North of Tuolumne Meadows. It was really beautiful, though many backpackers were not real happy about the storm's intensity, the long daily duration of the storms, or the 12 or 13 consecutive days of downpours.

I lectured them about how lucky they were to experience this special showing of Nature's Power. It was awesome!

***

Independent of the season, you must observe conditions carefully, fully consider your situation, (solo?, experience level? food and gear?), and make good decisions. If you reach an obstacle you cannot safely deal with, turn around, or wait until conditions change to suite your level of skills.

This is especially important with fording and lightening, both of which change with the season and during each day, with the changing conditions in the atmosphere.

High runoff through fording spots is lowest during early morning, when the runoff is slowed by low overnight temperatures. Summer Lightening storms start with Valley heat crossing the Sierras in the early afternoon, generally around 2 pm, and end no later than sunset, when the Sun powering the afternoon heat and moisture pumping out of the Valley sets.

Mountain Safety Pages

After fording Summit City Creek and looking right for the trail, you will climb a rocky route to the top of a bluff where you can get a view of the terrain North that you just crossed. In this picture, looking South, Summit City Creek is passing through a narrow section of the canyon off to the Right. The narrow gorge Summit City Creek cuts through has forced our route to climb over shoulders descending off the mountain's flank.

If we were hiking the Pacific Crest Trail route between Highway 88 and Highway 4 we would be mostly be hiking across exposed volcanic terrain. Not so for the longest parts of the Tahoe to Yosemite route, which are dominated by fine granite and deep forests.

After crossing the ford it appears that the route South continues straight up a small drainage. It does not. Look to your right for a path that climbs up, to roughly parallel the Creek South.

Climbing up to the top of this rise you will find a small flat with a small fire circle.

Coming off the first bluff, or small rise, South of the Upper Ford reveals another rise to our South. Note the trail running up the rise on the Left side of the picture.

Summit City Creek is off to our Right, in the deepest and most inaccessible portion of this particular part of the canyon. But just wait until you can't see the North Mokelumne! It is buried in deep granite gorges where it and Summit City Creek intersect.

The trail section between the lower ford and the Munson Meadow junction has one very nasty twisted gorge section that the North Mokelumne River passes through, that we can get access to, if you know where to look. Continue on down the trail with me, and we'll try to find it.

My point is that many sections of the trail route circle around places where rivers are continuing to work on deepening the gorges ancient glaciers had carved through sheer granite.

The View North from the top of the second bluff, the high point South of the Upper Summit City Creek Ford. This view is looking back up the Summit City Canyon we have just followed down to our current position.

We are looking up at the massive cut Horse Canyon slashes into the Summit City Creek's canyon. Highway 88 is on the other side of the far mountains, and the trail through Horse Canyon connects the Summit City Creek to Highway 88 at the Oyster Creek Trailhead just West of Caples Lake on Highway 88. Head up to the Horse Canyon trail junction for more information on that route.

The peaks in the far distance are Covered Wagon Peak, on the Left, with Melissa Coray Peak rising to 9763 feet at Right. these peaks make up Horse Canyon's Northern wall, and the trail leading to Silver Lake on Highway 88. The picture below imparts a broader context.

The big peaks visible in the distant North bound the North side of Horse Canyon, and are at the backside of the Kirkwood Ski Resort. Fourth of July Lake is situated below, and just to the Right of Melissa Coray Peak, the furthest and highest peak in this picture. That's where we entered this canyon.

Horse Canyon contains a trail that links Summit City Creek with Highway 88 just North of Silver Lake.

Take a look at a view of this whole canyon complex from near the top of Mount Reba, to our South, which offers a bird's eye view of this magnificent terrain.

Historical Information about Melissa Coray Peak.

Coming off the Bluffs South of the Upper Ford of Summit City Creek.

The bluffs we cross on the South Side of Summit City Creek's upper ford are exposed. On the South of the second bluff we enter some manzanita, which offers resistance rather than cover.

Our loss of elevation will soon bring us into the Manzanita Zone. The Manzanita Zone is exposed and hot.

It's like this: The Manzanita Zone is composed of a Very Hot Southern exposed mountainside zone with long sections covered by dense mazes of thick manzanita. These conditions necessitate "plunges" through the grasping thickets of manzanita.

I hope the material of your ultra light pack can deal with this.

This is really a blast, if you are into this kind of thing. This type of terrain begins in earnest after we drop off the South side of the upcoming Granite Flat...

In the meantime, Light forest cover begins as we drop down nearer to the place Summit City Creek emerges from its little inaccessible run, to cross this stunningly beautiful granite flat we are approaching.

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Notes on Navigation: Manzanita Maze, Constant Observation, and the Big View

After the Southbound backpacker crosses over the second, higher bluff, Southbound, the route is all down-mountain to the lower ford of Summit City Creek.

As you begin descending, take in both the long and near views of the terrain. You will soon hike down to where you can see Summit City Creek emerging from its narrow gorge section off to your Right. It will shortly become accessible again.

(This is also where the Northbound backpacker will reacquire the Summit City Creek, to their Left, after climbing up the manazanita-covered mountainside heading North from the lower ford.)

Southbound hikers should begin watching for creek access to your right. This will also help guide your selection of paths through the patches of manzanita you will now begin to encounter.

Thick manzanita characterizes this segment of your route from the top of the bluff down to the lower ford of Summit City Creek.

Though you are following a "trail," you will see that the manzanita presents you with many choices of paths heading in roughly the same direction.

I always pick the easiest path that keeps closest to what I perceive is the best route through the terrain. There are many paths through the manzanita. The animals who maintain these paths are concerned with the best route through the terrain, but their destinations differ from ours, thus their fine paths can only take us so far.

This brings up an important tactic of cross country travel. Make sure you take note of the upcoming terrain at every point you can get long views, and guide your selection of paths towards or along the best route to your last observed destination point through the terrain.

When you can't see your overall position in the terrain, you will have to remember the terrain elements of your last observation.

These high points are also good places to pull out your map, align the compass with the map, observe the map location of the nearby mountain tops, and ascertain your your position on the map.

Then you can take note of the compass point of your next destination.

This will allow you to determine where the trail route should be, relative to your current position. Remember, the trail is unmaintained through this segment of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, and there may be long lengths without any indications of trail at all. This means that you may not find any indications of trail where you think it should be, or where your stupid GPS says it is.

A GPS will not replace personal navigation skills. Period.

Navigating through the terrain is your personal responsibility, and you must be capable of finding your way if you lose the remnants of the trail, which will happen along this part of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail on a regular basis.

Through these types of non-trailed sections I try to observe and follow the remaining trail elements, but I am also keeping an sharp eye on the upcoming terrain to determine my most-likely best route through.

This allows me to keep a general geographic frame of reference on the terrain when the trail "bits" I am following disappear.

If you are successfully following the best route through the terrain you will run across faint signs of the unmaintained trail route on a regular basis (as of July 2009).

If you are not on a legit route, and end up chasing a dead end, you must be able to navigate yourself back to your last "known" position on the actual route. From that known position you can reset your search for the proper route through the terrain.

I've laid out a placeholder page for the upcoming Navigation page. I've posted a few informative links to sources of astronomical information. Astronomical information for navigation purposes because the universe is your ultimate clock and compass.

* * *

At this point heading South past the Upper Ford we are looking for where Summit City Creek again becomes accessible. This position is 1.32 miles South of the upper ford, and here you will find a beautiful scene. The creek runs across a big granite flat surrounded by light forest scattered across the broken granite terrain. It's a real pretty place that represents many aspects of the subtle beauty and the quiet power of nature.

At the South side of this special granite flat there is a fine improved campsite. I did not use the site the last time I was through here. Instead, I found a very nice patch of soft sand wedged in a little hollow, deposited at the high-water point of the Spring runoff. Nice and soft...

comments-questions-trail experiences?

The whole trail between the Carson Gap and Lake Alpine is short, adding up to only 25 miles. But these are deceptively difficult miles.

9.52 of these miles are across an un-maintained trail route. This may considerably slow your progress. Or it may not.

This will be determined by your actual level of fitness and skills. If you miscalculate by giving yourself too much credit, you will suffer.

Remember: Better Safe than Sorry!

In any case, backpacking is dangerous, and unmaintained trails involve an even higher degree of danger of getting lost or injured than maintained trails.

If you are injured or lost in un maintained sections you have little prospect of support.

This is why the manager of the Lake Alpine Lodge, Kim, insists that backpacker re supplies sent to The Lodge have the backpacker's expected date of arrival, along with the phone number of the person you designated to be knowledgeable of your itinerary. This may well save your ass if you get lost or injured in this difficult section.

I call that insurance. Isn't Kim Sweet?

Mel and Kim at the Lake Alpine Lodge store keeping it real.

* * *

If this granite flat is not a planned campsite on your hike through this section, you should note its location as a good place to take a break.

It is also a good place to shoot for if your hiking plans do not work out as you thought they would. I highly recommend that you bring an extra day's food with you through this section.

Remember: Shit Happens!

If you lose the trail route for awhile and wander around until you find it, you may end up spending an extra night in this section.

In any case this nice flat makes an excellent spot to camp, or kickback, for a shaded water and food break.

comments-questions?

Generations of trees will work this crack, as their brethren work in cracks along the creek. I figure that the combined forces of the trees working in harmony with the creek will undercut and lever out big chunks of this massive granite slab. This place will look a lot different In a few thousand years.

The Sierras have experienced radical changes in the temperatures, weather patterns, and timing of the seasons over the last few decades. If this pattern continues, these changing conditions will control exactly how this terrain design process plays out.

This crack is being actively levered towards the creek, though the dead tree may present a deceptively defeated appearance. The dead tree's organic matter is rotting into the bottom of the crack it lived in, providing a wedge at the bottom of the split, and more soil for the improving health of the next generation of trees, which will continue to successfully lever this creek side granite slab.

Note how wide this crack is, compared to the one-inch crack the Juniper is working, above. Within the next couple of hundred years trees capable of finishing the job of levering this slab, as seen in the pictures above, will be hefting this slab over, and eventually topple it into the creek.

There is going to be a nice granite platform along this creek side pool, sometime in the future....sweet.

Trees work as "brethren," feeding and supporting each other over both time and space.

Backpacking Trail Guide

North

Summit City Creek

Backpacking Trail Guide

South

Lower Summit City Creek Ford