Miles & Elevations: Meiss Country Roadless Area

South Upper Truckee Trailhead to Carson Gap: 7 miles

Backpacking Miles: Meiss Roadless Ares

Also see Echo Summit to Carson Pass miles and elevations.

This trail South from the South Upper Truckee Road Trailhead to Round Lake is a short but fierce climb. After Round Lake, the trail flattens considerably and you continue a moderate climb up to Meiss Meadow, where the trail intersects with the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails.

Location                         Elevation           Mileage

Start: Meyers Trailhead           6520                    0

                                           +143                           .91

Entering Meiss Roadless         6680                  .3

                                           +520                           .83

Into the Burnt Area               7200                1.13

                                           +600                          1.45

Dardanelles Lake Junction   7800                 2.58

                                           +120                            .23

Big Meadow Junction             7920                 2.81

                                           +160                            .58

Round Lake                             8080                3.39

                                               -                   .07

Round Lake Rock                    8080                3.46

                                            +120                           .39

Up the Down meadow            8200                3.85

                                            +200                         1.66

Round Lake/PCT Junction     8400                5.51

                                            +400                         1.52

Carson Gap Pond                    8800                7.03

The Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails Part Company at the Carson Gap

PCT/TY trail junction just South of the Carson Gap looking South towards Round Top

Just South of the Carson Gap is the 1st Southbound Trail Junction between the Pacific Crest Trail and Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

For Southbound backpackers the Pacific Crest Trail continues to your left, or Southeast, along the main trail down to the Carson Pass. The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail turns right to head almost straight down the mountain to Highway 88.

See the map for clarification:

Carson Pass Region Map

The following figures represent the two trail options you have South from the Carson Gap Pond.

The Tahoe to Yosemite route mileage and elevations are measured to Highway 88 directly below the Carson Gap, while the Pacific Crest Trail route mileage and elevations are measured to the Carson Pass.

Carson Gap                  8800            7.03

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

These mileage are measured from the Meyers Trailhead to...

                   -400 feet              .6 miles

to Hwy 88         8400            7.63

This figure represents the mileage through first Tahoe to Yosemite trail junction just South of Carson Gap.

            -200 feet           1.39miles

Carson Pass  8600            8.42

Mileages

Meeks Bay to Echo Summit Miles and Elevations

Echo Summit to Carson Pass Miles and Elevations

This page: Meyers to Carson Pass

Next page, PCT Route: Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass Miles and Elevations

Next page, Tahoe to Yosemite Route: Carson Gap to Lake Alpine Miles and Elevations

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Note: The Ups and Downs of the Meiss Roadless Area, and every other High Sierra Trail

This trail guide, like the High Sierras, divides itself into ups and downs. Your miles are generally done either going up to the top of the mountain, or you are coming down from the mountaintop into the valley that separates you from the next mountain. This means that the mileages and elevations between the peaks and the valleys is going to be important in determining how many miles you can reasonably expect to cover that day. This will be instrumental in planning where you are going to camp every night, and ultimately this information will determine how many days it will take you to cover a given distance. This in turn establishes your proper food load.

Between The South Upper Truckee Road Trailhead and The Carson Gap you are basically climbing the whole way. The steepest section is from the trailhead to Round Lake, where you gain 1560 feet in roughly 4 miles, depending on how you measure the new trail. Round Lake sits at 8000 feet of elevation. This route is an intermediate 1 difficulty trail. Out of Round Lake the trail continues to climb for a mile at intermediate difficulty 2, then levels out into a short series of rises to Meiss Meadow.

At Meiss Meadow you intersect with the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails as they pass North and South through Meiss Meadow. From this trail junction you have 400 feet of elevation over a mile and a half between you and the Carson Gap to your South.

Remember this important rule: Every descent route generally holds many mini-ascents, and every ascent generally has many mini-descents within its route. Your mileage will very rarely just go up, or just go down. You are going endlessly up and down.

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