Snowplant, below Round Lake, Meiss Roadless Country Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Your Backpacking Guide to the High Sierras Sprouting Paper Plant
Winnemucca Lake partially frozen.
View East of Winnemucca Lake after hiking past it West towards Round Top Lake on the Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

 

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Backpacking
Winnemucca Lake Trail Junction
to

Round Top Lake

Hiking the
Pacific Crest Trail from Carson Pass to the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail via Winnemucca Lake

 

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Trail Guide This Segment NORTH
PCT
Carson Pass
to
Forestdale Divide
SOUTH
TYT
Round Top Lake
7.5 min Map
Carson Pass Region
30 min Map
Mokelumne Wilderness
TYT
MILES AND ELEVATIONS
ALL GUIDE PAGES ALL SEGMENT MAPS Carson Pass Management
Area
all maps index

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Winnemucca Lake trail junction
below
Elephant Back

Turning South on the upcoming Winnemucca Lake Junction we will traverse along the base of the Northern flank of Elephant Back, pictured below, from Right to Left.

Winnemucca Lake sits beyond the Southwest flank of Elephant Back, the Right side in the image below.

Elephant Back from East on Pacific Crest Trail South of Carson Pass

Golden colors of Fall on September 9, 2009.
The tree cover is thinning as we climb higher up the last bit of our hike down the Southbound PCT to the Winnemucca Lake trail junction South of the Carson Pass Trailhead.
We will be without tree cover before reaching Elephant Back's North side. We will not enjoy any extensive or thick tree cover again until we hike into the forest filling the floor of Summit City Canyon.

We will get bits of shade, but we'd have to stop to enjoy them.

Miles
&

Trail Guide Pages

Carson Pass
to

Winnemucca Lake
2.3 miles

Round Top Lake
3.18 miles

Fourth of July Lake
5.48 miles

Winnemucca Lake
PCT TRAIL JUNCTION
to

Carson Pass
1.04 miles

Winnemucca Lake
1.26 miles

Round Top Lake
2.14 miles

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Winnemucca Lake Trail Junction

Winnamucca Lake trail junction on Northwest side of Elephant Back.

Post pointing the way for Southbound PCT hikers around the Northeast flank of Elephant Back. We can see our trail South towards Winnemucca Lake on the lower Right corner of the image.

Comments

The Eastern
of
Three Routes
to
Round Top Lake

Southbound backpackers on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail had a choice between three different routes up to Round Top Lake passing South out of the Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap.

Now we have one. We've passed by the two trails breaking off the PCT leading South to Woods Lake, around which two of our potential routes up to Round Top Lake pass, being the Central footbridge and the Western Lost Cabin Mine routes. Those two trails broke off from the main PCT-TYT route just a tiny bit South of the Carson Gap. We've left those Western and Central route options behind.
Continuing South on the Pacific Crest Trail first brings us across the 1.39 miles from the Carson Gap to Carson Pass, and then another 1.04 miles South of Carson Pass to our third and Easternmost route up to Round Top Lake via the Winnemucca Lake trail junction pictured above and below.

Winnemucca Lake Junction one miles South of Carson Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail leads to the Tahoe Yosemite Trail
This is the Southbound Backpacker's
last chance to turn West to hike up to
Round Top Lake and hit the
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route to Lake Alpine.

The page below covers the trail and terrain turning South through the Winnemucca Lake trail junction off the PCT to Round Top Lake via Winnemucca Lake. This is our Easternmost and the Southbound Backpacker's last chance to cross over onto the Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

1.26 miles South from this Winnemucca Lake trail junction we will find our next trail junction when we arrive at the West shore of Winnemucca Lake.
Here's where we will find the Center route from the Carson Gap coming South up a valley from the Footbridge over Woods Creek below Woods Lake. This center route climbs around and above the East shore of Woods Lake to get into and follow the valley up to the trail junction at Winnemucca Lake.

The next and last stage of our hike up to Round Top Lake is the .88 of a mile West length of trail from Winnemucca Lake up the mountain flank to Round Top Lake.

This last bit puts the total distance from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake at 4.57 miles, and also measures the distance the trail guide page below covers.

Climbing West up to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake we find the Western route, the Lost Cabin Mine trail route, coming South up to the Round Top Lake trail junction via its route climbing around and above the West shore of Woods Lake.

That about covers the three routes up to Round Top Lake from the Carson Gap.

Our present course on the Eastern route up to Round Top Lake via Carson Pass by Winnemucca Lake has swung us on a big circle route from the Carson Gap East to Carson Pass before we turn West for the final bit of hiking up to Round Top Lake. The Western and Central routes each take a much more direct route.

The Carson Pass Region hiking map and the Carson Gap to Lake Alpine Miles and Elevations pages below lay out the various routes and the mileages of these three routes up to Round Top Lake from the Carson Gap, while the miles page measuring the distance between Carson Pass and Ebbetts Pass along the PCT lays out the miles to the Winnemucca Lake trail junction along its way South down to Ebbetts Pass.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map
Carson Gap to Lake Alpine
TYT Miles and Elevations

Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass
PCT Miles and Elevations

Miles of the Three Routes
up to
Round Top Lake

Miles measured from our Carson Gap exit point out of the Lake Tahoe Basin

The total distance of the Eastern Route from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake via Carson Pass and Winnemucca Lake is 4.57 miles, while the Center Route up from the footbridge is 3.90 miles.

The total distance of the Western Route from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake via the Lost Cabin Trail is 3.40 miles.

At the Round Top Lake trail junction all our possible routes up to there merge into a single Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route South down past Fourth of July Lake and into Summit City Canyon.

In Summit City Canyon we begin the 9.52 mile unmaintained section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail down to Camp Irene.

Backpacker's Forum Comments

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Video
Three Ways

to
Round Top Lake
from the
Carson Gap

Three ways from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake.

Duration: 13:27

In the video above we hike the PCT route from the Carson Gap through Carson Pass. Turning Right, to the Southwest on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route at the Winnemucca Lake trail junction opens up views across the Carson Pass Management Area revealing the terrain our two other potential routes between Carson Gap and Round Top Lake cross. When we arrive at Winnemucca Lake we pass the trail junction where the "middle" route, the trail coming up from Woods Lake arrives at Winnemucca Lake.

Arriving at Round Top Lake we take note of the third route up to Round Top Lake, the Lost Cabin Mine trail coming up from the campground near Woods Lake. This is the most Western of the three routes.

This video covers the Eastern route from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake through Carson Pass and Winnemucca Lake. This is the most lengthy route between these two points. The Woods Lake trail guide page covers the other two routes, of which the Lost Cabin Mine Trail is the most direct and steepest route, while the "middle" route over the footbridge near Woods Lake up to Winnemucca Lake splits the difference in difficulty and distance between the "Eastern" and "Western" routes.

Our next move is from Round Top Lake to Fourth of July Lake on our way down to enter the unmaintained section of Tahoe to Yosemite Trail along Summit City Creek.

INDEX
On this page

Carson Gap
and
Red Lake Peak

 

Red Lake Peak

 

Towards Winnemucca Lake

 

Round Top and the Sisters

 

Carson Gap and Red Lake Peak

 

West Shore of Winnemucca Lake

 

Winnemucca Lake
Trail Junction

 

Carson Pass

 

Two Routes South to Winnemucca Lake

 

Snow Route up to
Round Top Lake

 

Soft and Hard Frozen
Winnemucca Lake

 

Top of the Climb to
Round Top Lake

 

Flat section to Round Top Lake

 

Round Top Lake
Trail Junction

 

Carson Pass Weather Information

Point Forecast

NWS
Echo Summit
Point Forecast

NWS
Carson Pass
Point Forecast

Regional Forecasts

NWS Regional Forecast; Greater Lake Tahoe

NWS Regional Forecast: West Slope Sierra Tahoe to Yosemite

Carson Pass
Regional Weather Information

South Lake Tahoe
Regional Weather Information

All High Sierra Weather Resources

Real Time
Ground Reporting Stations

Lake Tahoe
Ground Stations

Carson Pass
Ground Stations

Carson Pass reporting station

Caples Lake Reporting Station

Schneiders
reporting station

Forestdale Creek reporting station

Silver Lake
Reporting Station

All Ground Reporting Stations

MesoWest N Calif Stations

Calif Snotel

Road Conditions

Caltrans Hwy 88

All Lake Tahoe Basin Highway Conditions

Big View
Radar

North California
Radar

Big View
Space

Western US-East Pacific
Satellite

All Weather
and
Fire Information

All High Sierra Weather Resources

Comprehensive High Sierra Fire and Smoke Information

> Forum <

All backpackers can post text comments about the following segment of trail through the comments links on all the trail guide pages.

Registered Members can post up stand alone post about the trail with text, images, maps and videos in the Trails Forum that supplements this section of the Trail Guide.

Check out All the Tahoe to Whitney .org
Backpacking Trails and Topics forums.

comments

South to Winnemucca Lake

Location of Winnemucca Lake below Round Top from PCT junction.

I'm pointing towards the location of Winnemucca Lake below Round Top from PCT junction.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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View North
Jacks and Dicks Peaks framed in the Carson Gap

Carson Gap from Northwest base of Elephant Back.

Lining up two distant gaps.

I'm pointing through our Carson Gap exit from the Tahoe Basin at Dicks Pass far to the North.

I'm convinced we're looking at 17.39 miles to the Northwest at the point along our Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route where we crossed between Jacks and Dicks Peaks through Dicks Pass while hiking South across the Center of Desolation Wilderness.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

The Carson Gap

Looking through the Carson Gap and Jack and Dicks Peaks far North in the Tahoe Basin.

Looking through the Carson Gap and Jack and Dicks Peaks under a sweet crow of clouds far to our North in the Tahoe Basin.

Comments

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Carson Gap and Red Lake Peak

Red Lake Peak rises to the North of Carson Pass.

Red Lake Peak rises to the North of Carson Pass, above the East side of our exit from the Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap.

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Elephant Back

Looking at Elephant Back hiking South past its West Flank.

Looking back at Elephant Back to the Northeast while hiking South past its Western Flank.

This view gives us a good ground-level perspective of the trail's route between its PCT junction and the West shore of Winnemucca Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

South Down the Trail to Winnemucca Lake

Round Top and its Eastern Ridge beyond Winnemucca Lake.

Round Top and its Eastern Ridge beyond, wrapping around the South shore of Winnemucca Lake.

The face of the ridge running East from Round Top above Winnemucca Lake is majestic, a fine piece of rock.

The Round Top Massif is striking.

Comments

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Beautiful Fall Colors

Approaching Winnemucca Lake from Carson Pass.

Winnemucca Lake is behind the descending ride our trail is paralleling down to its North and West shores.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

Round Top and The Sisters
to our
Southwest

Terrain the trail from Winnemucca Lake follows up to Round Top Lake.

Terrain the trail from Winnemucca Lake follows West up to Round Top Lake.

Note the golden-brown barren patch rising beyond the stand of whitebark pines in the terrain directly below the Westernmost Sister, the one with the split crest.

Golden-brown colors are growing through the Fall day on September 23rd, 2013, when I last backpacked through, on my way to inspect the conditions along the unmaintained route of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail through Summit City Canyon to Lake Alpine.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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Pointing Out our Trail Location
up to
Round Top Lake

Pointing out the route to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

Pointing out the route to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

To the Right of my finger the terrain rises into a lip bounding the flat flank I am pointing at where the trail up from Winnemucca Lake to Round Top Lake passes.

The trail up from Winnemucca Lake crossed the barren patch before reaching the position I am pointing at.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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To the West Shore
of
Winnemucca Lake

Backpacking closer to end of ridge protecting Winnemucca Lake.

Trail gaps trees turning towards Winnemucca Lake.

Backpacking closer to cross over the low ridge protecting Winnemucca Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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View North

View North hiking South to Winnemucca Lake from Carson Pass.

View North hiking South to Winnemucca Lake from Carson Pass.

Carson Gap and Red Lake Peak

Behind us as we hike South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail towards Winnemucca Lake, we see to the North the route our trail followed out of the Lake Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap, laying below the West flank of Red Lake peak in this new day's dark morning light, on a mildly stormy late Fall backpacking trip.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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Winnemucca Lake
Campsite Two

Campsite 2 marks a trail branching Southeast to Winnemucca Lake.

Trail Post designating campsite two branches off to the Southeast towards Winnemucca Lake.

This is site two of three at Winnemucca Lake. There are six sites at Round Top Lake.

The Carson Pass Management Area is a small, beautiful place. Thus the designated campsites, a la the heavily used area in Yosemite. This heavy use is a great reason to try to time our transit across the CPMA with weekdays.

The Carson Pass Management Area is a Fee Area for everything. Day use, day hikers, and local backpackers all pay the price. Us long distance backpackers crossing the Carson Pass Management Area on the PCT and TYT are good to go if we named a location in the CPMA on our permit.
See the following links for more information about the permitting policies in the Carson Pass Management Area, the Amador Ranger District that administers it, and the broader authority of the El Dorado National Forest over the Western section of our Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route.

Comments

Stay on the Trail

Please stay on trail sign.

Unlike many sandy areas where multiple trails are formed as hikers attempt to stay on firm ground, the ground here is hard, meaning there is no real reason to hike out of the established trailbed.

Comments

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Whitebarks along the West Shore
of
Winnemucca Lake

Over to Winnemucca Lake.

Ahead a useless parallel trail branches to our right around a stand of Whitebark Pines.

To the Right to the stand of Whitebarks we can see the flank we've got to climb to get up to Round Top Lake.

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Route Up to Round Top Lake

View West of the terrain the trail up to Round Top Lake crosses.

Our view West, looking at the terrain we are going to cross during our upcoming hike from Winnemucca Lake to Round Top Lake.

On the far distant Right side of the image we can see a low rising mound of granite that begins descending on its furthest Right. That flank descends Northward to wrap around the South shore of Woods Lake. We can see the top of that mound of granite as the high point on the Right side of the ridge.

The Left side of the ridge is back-dropped by The Sisters and her red-headed stepchild. Round Top is out of the frame to the Left of the Sisters. The ridgeline running down from Left to Right descends from Round Top.

Our trail passes through the point in that ridgeline to the Left of the high point on the low granite mound on the furthers Right side of the ridgeline. Our trail crosses the point in that ridgeline where its descent from Left to Right off Round Top climb to the top of the low rise on the Right side of the image.

Also notice that there's a valley between our position approaching the West shore of Winnemucca Lake and the climb up to Round Top Lake. The trail up from the footbridge over Woods Creek comes up that valley to intersect with our trail at the trail junction on the West shore of Winnemucca Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

Winnemucca Lake
Round Top and The Sisters

Down to the West shore of Winnemucca Lake, where its trail junction lay.

West end of Winnemucca Lake under Round Top as trail nears Winnemucca Lake.

We're hiking down to the West shore of Winnemucca Lake, where its trail junction lay.

Reintegration of the useless parallel trail on Right, trail to campsite on Left.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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Campsite 3

As our trail South approaches Winnemucca Lake we encounter the second trail branching off to the lake to the third of three campsites here.

I can't explain why we hit campsite two before three, but we do.

  Campsite 3 at Winnemucca Lake.   Campsite 3 at Winnemucca Lake.  

I did not find campsite one, but I am always passing by Winnemucca Lake on the way to more distant points, if not just up to Round Top Lake.

I always assumed that campsite one was down by the trail junction and check dam, but I could be wrong. I recollect only one time camping here, and that was during a Winter trip in the late '90s that was not working out as expected.

I've never intentionally set Winnemucca Lake as the destination of a backpacking trip. But, I do understand why they only have three campsites here: It's way too close to a busy trailhead in a busy Management Area. So, the CPMA has used camping restrictions to flip Winnemucca Lake from an over-used easy one-night "getaway" spot for locals into a quiet camping area.

Restricting camp sites was the only way this transition was going to happen.

I'm not sure when assigned-restricted camping began in the CPMA. I think is was the early 2000s. It was something like 2002 that I was camped at Round Top Lake, and another backpacker asked me what I was doing.

I didn't understand the question. Camping, obviously. Then the other backpacker told me I was camping illegally, and that the CPMA had established regular campsites. Well, I always camp "rough," in that I don't make a fire or fire ring, and never make furniture. I use established campsites when available, but I don't establish campsites.

Since that time backpacking through the Carson Pass Management Area on long-distance trips has been a bit more complex, but is not a problem with a bit of forethought.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

Carson Pass Management Area

Northwest Shore
of
Winnemucca Lake

Backpacking along the Northwest shore of Winnemucca Lake.
The remainder of our hike to the trail junction is along the shore of Winnemucca Lake.

Winnemucca Lake

Looking at Winnemucca Lake from its Northwest shoreline.

Winnemucca Lake.

Looking across Winnemucca Lake from its Northwest shoreline.

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Stormy September Morning

Light breaks through early morning Fall storm.
Early morning light works its way through the tail end activities of a late Fall Storm, 2012.

Northwest Shore
of
Winnemucca Lake

Round Top at the South end of Northwest Shore of Winnemucca Lake.

Looking down the Northwest shore of Winnemucca at where the trail junction lays with Round Top towering above West end of Winnemucca Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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Approaching Winnemucca Lake Trail Junction

Approaching the Winnemucca Lake trail junction.

Approaching the Winnemucca Lake trail junction.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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TRAIL JUNCTION
We encounter a trail junction at the West shore of Winnemucca Lake.

West: Southbound on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to Round Top Lake.

North: To Footbridge on Woods Creek below Woods Lake.

Northeast: Back the way we came from Carson Pass.

PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Footbridge Route to Winnemucca Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake
Trail junction at Winnemucca Lake to Round Top Lake.

Trail junction at West end of Winnemucca Lake with terrain West up to Round Top Lake in the background.

Notice that we can still see the low point in the ridgeline off of Round Top where the terrain ascends on the far Right side of the image.
This is where our trail passes South to Round Top Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Footbridge Route to Winnemucca Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake

We notice the trail North down the Valley past the East Shore of Woods Lake

Trail from Winnemucca Lake down to the footbridge over Woods Creek.

The trail North down to the Footbridge over Woods Creek Below Woods Lake

View North down the trail to the footbridge over Woods Creek just North of Woods Lake. Red Lake Peak and the Carson Gap giving us some background context on our routes across the terrain.

The Eastern Route to Round Top Lake crosses over to the Right side of the image above after passing through the Carson Gap, to bend a wide arc across the terrain to get to our position here at Winnemucca Lake.

The central route proceeds a bit to the Left of the center of the Carson Gap on its way to split into two routes up to Round Top Lake. The central route crosses a footbridge a short distance North down Woods Creek from Woods Lake to climb up the valley pictured below to our position at Winnemucca Lake.

The other route is the Western route, which climbs a ridge West of Woods Lake to take the most direct and steepest route up to the trail junction at Round Top Lake, where these three divergent routes converge.

Woods Lake is located below us and the the Left, the West, while Carson Pass is located in the distant Right of the image, at the head of the forest running up the mountain from Left to Right that we can see below the Carson Gap.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Footbridge Route to Winnemucca Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake

West Shore of Winnemucca Lake
The Check Dam

Winnemucca Lake Check Dam
  Winnemucca Lake check dam.   Winnemucca Lake check dam.  

Winnemucca Lake is another High Sierra Lake created by a historic check dam. It appears the check dam has over time been significantly backfilled.

High Sierra Check Dam
Forum

Check Dam Comments

Trail Comments

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Woods Creek

Log across Woods Creek at Winnemucca Lake.

Log across Woods Creek at Winnemucca Lake.

Comments

Woods Creek from Winnemucca Lake

Woods Creek emerging from Winnemucca Lake.

Woods Creek begins its flow.

Comments

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Let's hike a bit West of Winnemucca Lake's trail junction, a bit up in elevation towards Round Top Lake, to get longer and unimpeded views of the terrain around Winnemucca Lake

Trail to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

Trail towards Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

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Winnemucca Lake

View from West shore Winnemucca Lake during Fall 2014.

Looking East-Southeast across Winnemucca from just a bit above its West shore.

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Pointing to Carson Pass

Carson Pass and Red Lake Peak from Winnemucca Lake.

Looking North across the valley the trail up from Woods Lake follows up to Winnemucca Lake while pointing to the location of Carson Pass.

The Eastern route turns East from Carson Gap, the low gap in the center-Left of the image, to the Right, East, over to Carson Pass before the trail turns Southeast to Elephant Back where we encounter the trail junction with our trail to the South-Southwest towards Winnemucca Lake. From Winnemucca Lake we turn almost directly West for the hike up to Round Top Lake.

Note the route two TYT routes breaking off from the PCT at Carson Gap proceed almost straight South down from the Carson Gap. These Western and Central routes line up almost directly with the valley in front of us. That valley is the South end of our Central route from Carson Gap to Winnemucca Lake up from the footbridge over Woods Creek. The image above shows why the central route is much more direct and fails to bring us up unnecessary climbs, as does the Eastern route.

These miles are not unnecessary if we started our trip out of the Carson Pass Trailhead, though they are unnecessary, if we've exited the Tahoe Basin along the TYT route. Well, no miles are unnecessary if they are miles on the trail we want to hike.

I had hiked through here for years along the long trails North and South down the TYT on the Western and Central routes before I swung around through Carson Pass and Winnemucca Lake along the Eastern route.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

View East-Northeast

View Northeast across Winnemucca Lake at Elephant Back.

View across Northwest shore of Winnemucca Lake at Elephant Back. We're taking a look back at the lake before we begin the short climb up to Round Top Lake.

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View North

Terrain between Winnemucca and Round Top Lakes.

The Winter Route from the End of the Valley to Round Top Lake

Looking North at the "lip" of granite rising on the North side of the flat up to Round Top Lake.

Climbing the trail up the flank of the mountain towards Round Top Lake we can see a brush covered gully-like section to our North, over our Right shoulder.

That brush-filled depression is the Winter route up to Round Top Lake.

On the other side of the brush is a low rounded rise of granite before the granite terrain drops down to backdrop the South shore of Woods Lake, and wrap like rocky arms around its Eastern and Western shores.

Note that the low gap in the far-distant Right is the Carson Gap.

Comments

Two Routes to Winnemucca Lake

The terrain the two routes to Winnemucca Lake cover.

Looking down and Northeast at two routes up to Winnemucca Lake.

The first route is the one we've hiked to Winnemucca Lake on this page, the Eastern route. This Eastern route hikes through Carson Pass South to the Northwest corner of Elephant Back, then bends Southwest following along the Northwestern base of Elephant Back to the Northwest shore of Winnemucca Lake. We can see almost the entirety of its route from Elephant Back to Winnemucca Lake above.

The second route is the Central route up to Winnemucca Lake from the footbridge over Woods Creek below Woods Lake. This trail comes up the canyon at our feet, up to the trail junction on the West shore of Winnemucca Lake. The Winter variant of this route up to Round Top Lake can cut up the channel at our feet.
The trail in the canyon below runs North down onto to a forested ridge arm wrapping around the East shore of Woods Lake, at the bottom of which this Central route trail Tees-out on the paved road to Woods Lake, after crossing the footbridge over Woods Creek a short ways North of Woods Lake.

Behind us is the last bit of the trail West climbing up to Round Top Lake. This would be a third route to Winnemucca Lake, via Round Top Lake by the Lost Cabin Mine trail up from Woods Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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Across the Barren Patch

Barren patch between Winnemucca Lake and Round Top Lake.

Barren patch between Winnemucca Lake and Round Top Lake.

We saw this barren patch on the ridgeline above and West of Winnemucca Lake when we were approaching Winnemucca Lake after turning off the PCT through the Winnemucca Lake trail junction.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

June 7 2010

Winnemucca Lake in June slushy conditions.

Winnemucca Lake in June slushy conditions.
June 7 2010

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Early Season
hiking
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail Section
to
Lake Alpine

Scott Turner, Rich, and Melika backpacking through Snow to Round Top lake.

Scott overlooking Winnemucca Lake on a pause while climbing to Round Top Lake.

Spring Backpacking
Scott, his pal Rich and Melika the trail dog were starting an early 2014 season section-hike.
They hiked the unmaintained section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail from Carson Pass to Lake Alpine.

Scott's 2014 TYT Trail Report

All TYT Trail Reports and Forum

Basic
Late-Spring Conditions Situation

We cross a high mountain to enter the Summit City and North Mokelumne River Valleys, and we cross another high mountain to exit.
During LATE Spring the mountains on either end are typically covered with snow, the valleys in-between are typically melted out.

Where the snow line is, and how much sits above it determines a lot about the nature of our trip. The temps are important too.

I say "typically" because over the past 40 years we have very clearly seen a gradual change in the characters of the seasons, their durations, and the timing of their transitions. The directions the winds blow from each season has slowly changed, and is today different from the Fall, Winter, and Spring Winds of yesteryear.

Timing Spring Out
Typically, the earlier in Spring we execute this trip, the deeper the snow on the mountains to our North and South, Round Top and Mount Reba, and the further down into the valleys this snow will extend.

During early Spring we will be on snow from end to end.

Potential Late Spring Threats
My Late Spring trips through this section tell me there are two things to seriously worry about:

1> Fording Conditions
&
2> The Snow lip on the NW face of Mount Reba.

Potential Solutions
1> If it's still cold enough to hold back the snow pack from melting too quickly, and beginning the dangerous phase of the Spring Thaw, we are good to go. If the rivers have begun to surge under the weight of a full Spring Thaw, we should wait until the waters recede.

2> Ah, the snow lip below the top of Mount Reba. Not big enough to require crampons, but a real obstacle when in full length and glory. Man, you just gotta take your time and carefully kick good steps into it.

High Sierra Trail Dogs
(four-legged)

Winnemucca Lake
Soft Frozen
during
JUNE 2009

View of Winnemucca Lake hiking West to Round Top Lake.

View of Winnemucca Lake from the trail to the West of Winnemucca Lake on our way up to Round Top Lake.

Comments

The Winter Route
up to
Round Top Lake

Carson Pass in the surrounding High Sierra terrain.

Pointing at Carson Pass.

In the foreground is the Winter route up to Round Top Lake from Woods Lake via the valley below that's visible on the Right (East) edge of the image above, or skiing up from Carson Pass.

I'm pointing towards Carson Pass in the distance, which is the low point in the Sierra Crestline under the South flank of Red Lake Peak and to the North of the terrain rising towards Elephant Back.

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Down to the Valley to Woods Lake

Snow route from Woods Creek to Round Top Lake.

Snow route up from the valley via the Woods Creek Footbridge Route up to Round Top Lake.

There's no need to swing by Winnemucca Lake when the best route swings West up the mountain towards Round Top Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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Summer Trail Crosses Winter Route

Snow route to Round Top Lake.

View East as we climb West and up higher towards Round Top Lake.

We're where our trail route West and the Winter route's more direct line up the mountain hook up.

Below the edge of the slope we can see the little valley turning North (Left) and down towards Woods Lake.

In the distance across that valley we can see the Northwest flank of Elephant Back.

In the middle-elevation far-Right of the image we can see Winnemucca Lake.

Comments

Climbing West above Winnemucca Lake

Valley, Winnemucca Lake, and South end of Elephant Back.

Valley, Winnemucca Lake, and South end of Elephant Back.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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View West up to the Top of the Ridge

Climbing West to the top of the ridge between Winnemucca Lake and Round Top Lake.

Looking West, up at the top of the ridge we are climbing towards Round Top lake.

Climbing West to the top of the ridge between Winnemucca Lake and Round Top Lake.

Elephant Back

Winter to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

We can see how high up we are relative to the trail to Winnemucca Lake from the Northwest corner of Elephant Back.

Northeast view of Elephant Back across the top of the valley down to Woods Creek footbridge.

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Soft Frozen East Shore
of
Winnemucca Lake

Winnemucca Lake June '09.

East shore of Winnemucca Lake.

Soft Frozen Winnemucca Lake

Ice melting off Winnemucca Lake in June.

June 8, 2009.

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Hard Frozen
Winnemucca Lake

Winnemucca Lake frozen in May 2002.

May 2002.

Comments

Late Fall

Winnemucca Lake.

November 9 2001.

Cold and Clear on the way to Lake Alpine from Lake Tahoe for a late Fall backpacking trip.

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Soft Frozen
Winnemucca Lake

Winnemucca Lake under June snow conditions.

The backlighting shows us the Forestdale Canyon through the low-V in the terrain to the East beyond Winnemucca Lake. June 8, 2009.

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Hiking West approaching the Top of the Ridge
between
Winnemucca Lake and Round Top Lake

Rocky terrain and islands of Whitebark Pines on our way up to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

Hiking West approaching top of climb from Winnemucca Lake to Round Top Lake.

Rocky terrain and islands of Whitebark Pines on our way up to Round Top Lake from Winnemucca Lake.

A Relaxing Peace
of
Mental Terrain

Granite lip rising out of Spring snow.

We're looking over to our North at the granite lip rising up out of the Spring snow on the North side of the flank we're climbing up to Round Top Lake.

I pointed out this granite rise, or lip bounding the North end of the flank up to Round Top Lake when we were hiking South under the shadow of Elephant Back.

A Relaxing Piece
of
Flat Terrain

Winnemucca Lake to East, Round Top Lake to the West.

Small flat between Winnemucca and Round Top Lakes.

Winnemucca Lake to East, Round Top Lake to the West.

We're looking East at the top of Elephant Back to the Left of the image, and the low V-gap on the Right is the gap behind the East shore of Winnemucca Lake.

Our View East is from a nice little flat above the climb West from Winnemucca Lake, and just a bit East of Round Top Lake.

We'll have a short walk over a couple of gentle rises and flats to Round Top Lake and the Round Top Lake trail junction.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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Long View North

Carson Gap and Red Lake Peak mark the Southern extent of the Tahoe Basin.

Little Round Top capping the Tahoe Rim Crestline to the North, Red Lake Peak on the South of the low point of the Carson Gap between them marking the Southern extent of the Tahoe Basin.

Comments

West to Round Top Lake

Approaching bowl Round Top Lake sits within.

Gentle climb to next low rise Westward to Round Top Lake.

Round Top Rises to Our Southeast

Round Top to the East of Round Top Lake.

Location of Round Top Peak to the East of Round Top Lake.

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Low Rise Westward
to
Round Top Lake

Low rise just a bit East of Round Top Lake.

Low rise.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

Flat/Downward
to
Round Top Lake

Downhill to gap overlooking Round Top Lake.

Short flat/downhill to next gap in terrain, this one above and East of Round Top Lake.

Down to the final gap overlooking Round Top Lake.

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Last Gap in Terrain
West to
Round Top Lake

West, down to Round Top Lake.

West, down to Round Top Lake.

Our Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail passes around the base of the descending mountain flank after passing West by the compass through the upcoming Round Top Lake trail junction.

Comments

PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Footbridge Route to Winnemucca Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake

First View
of
Round Top Lake

First look at Round Top Lake hiking West from Winnemucca Lake.

Our first glimpse of Round Top Lake.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

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Round Top Lake

Round Top Lake.

It's down there behind the trees.

We can just see a blue sliver of the lake through a break in the trees around it.

I say "down there" because Round Top Lake sits in a depression ringed by the Sisters, and their Westernmost half-sister, which is the Western shoulder of the Westernmost Sister.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

 

Round Top Lake nestled in under The Sisters.

Round Top Lake lays nestled in under The Sisters.

Comments

Campsites

West from Round Top Lake along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

Beyond the West shore of Round Top Lake our Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail bends around the base of the lowest and Northwestern end of the Round Top-Sisters Crestline.

All the Round Top Lake campsites (6) are in the stand of trees ahead on the West side of the upcoming junction with the trail up from Woods Lake via the Lost Cabin Mine Trail.

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Last Glimpse
of our trail
East to Winnemucca Lake

Trail East to Winnemucca Lake from Round Top Lake.
A look to the East at the trail coming up from Winnemucca Lake.

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Approaching the Round Top Lake trail junction.

We can see the Southbound Tahoe to Yosemite Trail rising from the gully where the trail South up from Woods Lake via the Lost Cabin Mine Trail meets with our route West up from Winnemucca Lake meet at the Round Top Lake trail junction.

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Round Top Lake
Trail Junction

PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Footbridge Route to Winnemucca Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake
The Round Top Lake trail junction.

Hiking West to the Round Top Lake trail junction.

Carson Pass Region
CPMA 15 min Backpacking Map

Comments

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Round Top Lake
Trail Junction
PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Lost Cabin Mine Trail to Woods Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake
Back the Way we Came
Winnemucca Lake to Carson Pass.
TYT
North
Woods Lake to Carson Gap.
TYT
South

Summit City Creek to Lake Alpine
Trail to Winnemucca Lake from Round Top Lake. Lost  Cabin Mine trail at Round Top Lake. Trail South to Fourth of July Lake.
Trail East to Winnemucca Lake. Trail North to Woods Lake. TYT North. TYT South.

 

Carson Pass

Carson Pass Management Area

Backpacking

Besides laying out the Eastern route from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake for hikers following the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail South across the Western Mokelumne Wilderness, this route also tracks across the South ends of the other two routes up to Round Top Lake, tying together the main trail routes across this tiny "special zone" of the Carson Pass Management Area.

7.5 Map
Carson Pass Region Map

30 min Map
Mokelumne Wilderness

Miles and Elevations

Comments

South
Round Top Lake

PCT
North & South

Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
TYT
North
Footbridge Route to Winnemucca Lake
TYT
South

Round Top Lake

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Section
Carson Gap to Lake Alpine
Segment
Eastern Route to Round Top Lake
Trailhead
Contact
Alex Wierbinski

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