View Southeast
down the
Unified
Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails

We're looking down the last bit of trail as we approach our Southbound exit from the Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap. We're crossing Meiss Meadow with a length of the South Upper Truckee River at our feet. This high stream runs up the gully to the Carson Gap with our trail.

We're looking Southeast at the Southernmost point of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Red Lake Peak rises in the Left, out of the frame of this view, but we can see its' subordinate Southwestern peak rising above the East side of the Carson Gap, the gap through which we will exit the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The final layers of Spring snow have finally melted into the meadow. The uncovered meadow first reveals the matted dead brown grasses of last year, crushed flat and turned brown under the heavy weight of the cold Winter snow.

The water and heat of the Spring Thaw first reveals the meadow, then begins surging subtle waves of muffled green hues through these vast fields of compressed dead grasses and barren brush.
The meadows and brush first respond to their freedom from snow with what appears as subtle green hues surging through the recently thawed landscape pictured above, to be shortly followed by a massive bursting forth of the power of life driven by the heat and moisture of the Spring Thaw. See the previous page for more images of the Power of Spring.

Comments-Questions

South
out of the
Lake Tahoe Basin

Which Way?
Passing South through the Carson Gap we Southbound hikers must decide between hiking The Pacific Crest Trail or the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route on our way South to Tuolumne Meadows.

We can hike a Tahoe to Yosemite backpacking trip along the Pacific Crest or the Tahoe to Yosemite Trails down to Tuolumne Meadows, depending on our preferences and capabilities. But the TYT route stands alone as a unique hiking experience.

Just a few feet South through the Carson Gap we encounter the first and Northernmost of three possible routes to the Southwest up to Round Top Lake to get onto the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route.

We find three trails up to Round Top Lake, but there's only one way down the South side of Round Top along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail into Summit City Canyon.

We discuss the differences between the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest trail routes below, and in the Trail Guide Index.

Northbound Backpackers
Coming through the Carson Gap Northbound Hikers once again find themselves hiking on a reunified Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route.
The PCT and TYT last split-up for Northbound backpackers at the top of Jack Main Canyon in Yosemite. There the TYT exited Yosemite to the Northwest through Bond Pass into Emigrant Wilderness, while the PCT route continued North into the Toiyabe National Forest through Dorothy Lake Pass.

Southbound Like Us
Southbound hikers on the currently dividing PCT and TYT trail routes will again see these two trails rejoin at the top of Jack Main Canyon in Yosemite.

But, for roughly the next 75 miles the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails will take very different routes South down opposite sides of the Sierra Nevada until they do again rejoin entering the North Yosemite Backcountry at the top of Jack Main Canyon.

Hooray for the Difference
The basic difference between the TYT and PCT from the Carson Gap to Jack Main Canyon is that the PCT remains along the Sierra Crest and its East flank while the Southbound TYT makes two great sweeps down the Western flank of the Sierra, then back up to the Sierra Crest.

It gets even better.

TYT Challenges
The Tahoe to Yosemite route runs us through miles of challenging unmaintained trail route across difficult terrain across sections of both the Mokelumne and Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
We'll find ourselves following faint trailbed, then searching for ducks and blazes indicating the presence of the route, and finally encounter segments of the route with no sign of trail or blaze where we must rely on our basic route finding skills.
That's a darn cool trail, if we are ready for it.

PCT
The Pacific Crest Trail on the other hand, or more precisely, on the other side of the mountain, the PCT composes what can only be called The Superhighway of Trails, so well maintained, can we daresay heavily used, that it is observable by satellites orbiting the Earth from space, and glows bright enough in the dark during nighttime that flashlights only serve to dim our view of this magical Shining Path through and over these grand mountains.

The Other Route
These two routes have very different characters, each worthy of exploring on its own merits. The first time you hike from Carson Gap to the top of Jack Main Canyon take the route that interests or suits you the most, PCT or TYT. The second time you hike it, take the other route.

TYT+PCT=
Endless Backpacking Adventure
After hiking both routes we can start stitching together our favorite pieces of both trails, and exploring every side trail we can. At least across the Carson Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness, where a web of trails interconnect the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trail routes, unlike the upcoming Mokelumne Wilderness, where the TYT and PCT represent two distinctly separate routes.

Local and Long Distance
Once we've hiked either route through the three wilderness areas that lay between our position in the Carson Gap and our entrance into the Northwestern corner of Yosemite, we have gotten a pretty good view of half of each of these wilderness areas.

We can use the route we've explored across each of these subsequent wilderness as the basis of "grand tour" loops around each wilderness area.
If you hiked the TYT South across the Carson Iceberg Wilderness, its time to tie that Southbound TYT route up with the PCT route North across the Carson Iceberg, back to our starting trailhead, to create a massive backpacking loop around the Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
Check out the map. See what I'm saying about the many trails connecting the PCT and TYT routes?

Once we hike the long trails across the Sierra Nevada this is going to have shown us enough to get us back in for more.

Backpacking is addictive, if you approach it carefully.

Our long hike down the Sierra Nevada will reveal further routes to explore in each wilderness area, and bring us to so many places that are so beautiful we will be drawn back in for years of additional in-depth explorations.

Directions

Miles and Elevations North & South: TYT and PCT

Video
Through the Carson Gap

Carson Gap Encounters

Trail Culture: Pepperoni and Harmony

Video
Bear & Idiot day Hiker

Carson Gap Iris

Carson Gap Pond

Video
Three ways to Round Top Lake

Butterflies

TYT Junctions

Upper Tahoe Yosemite Trail Junction

Lower Tahoe Yosemite Trail Junction

Carson Pass Weather Information

All Weather
and
Fire Information

All High Sierra Weather Resources

Comprehensive High Sierra Fire and Smoke Information

Route South Options & Information

PCT vs TYT

TYT unmaintained trail section

Thoughts on the upcoming Trails

Backpacking is Dangerous

Next Resupply
Lake Alpine Lodge

South of Highway 4 Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

Sierra Nevada Administration and Permits

Short Trips: Carson Pass and Meiss Roadless Area

POST UP!

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

Paper Plant in full bloom heading up the North side of the Carson Gap.

Looking at Stevens Peak to the Northeast behind the stand of forest.

This video gives us a look at the Carson Gap, where the Southbound backpacker on the Tahoe to Yosemite trail departs the Pacific Crest Trail to hike to Lake Alpine on Highway 4 along the Western flank of the Sierras.
The PCT tracks along the Eastern flank of the Sierras and intersects with Highway 4 at Ebbetts Pass.

The videos, maps, miles and elevations, and all the trail guide information linked to these assets below give us a real good look at the aspects and character of both of these routes down to Highway 4.

Video Playlists
South

Comments-Questions

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Trail Culture

Equestrian Pacific Crest Trailer

Janice "Pepperoni" Raddatz
and
Harmony

Pepperoni and Harmony

I encountered Pepperoni and Harmony on the North Side of the Carson Gap on July 16, 2009. They were heading North, and I South.

This horse carried Pepperoni Northbound across the Sierras during the early Spring when they were full of snow. This was a real accomplishment for both horse and rider. I find that the Sierras are very challenging in Spring Conditions for backpackers, and can only imagine these challenges on horseback. But, horses are amazing mountain climbers.
I have seen cowgirls riding up steep mountain trails that the misinformed would believe impossible for a horse. Not so. I've also seen a bear climb a granite rock face, but that's a different story, for later. But don't underestimate the climbing ability of horses or bears in the mountains.

The horse was wearing a few scrapes from hitting submerged objects in the snow, but was looking sharp and lively. A very well tuned creature, by my accounting. Some Young horses' skittishness is perfectly tuned to the environment.
Harmony was such a horse, apparently closely observing everything in the surrounding terrain. I was happy to share the trail with both, and was fortunate to meet this team before I cut off of the Pacific Crest Trail at the Carson Gap to follow the Tahoe to Yosemite South. That junction would mark the end of encounters with Pacific Crest Trailers until rejoining the PCT in the Northern Yosemite backcountry below Bond Pass.

I departed the trail through the Whitney Portal on August 28, finally returning home in early September. I looked up Pepperoni and found her to be Janice Raddatz, and checked her website. On her site I found a notice that she had a wreck up North, going over the edge of a trail with Harmony, pictured above, and another mount, and losing both. Hard luck. Harmony was a fine mount with a great character, by my momentary accounting.

Though the notice of the accident is no longer on Janice Raddatz's site, the site is up. Nope, that site is off-line as of Sept 2010, but the eques-trek site was still up at that time, and as of May 2014.

I don't support or condone organized religion...

Trail Comments-Questions

Horse Forum

Horse Comments

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Bear running North
through
The Carson Gap

I was approaching the Carson Gap on my way from Meeks Bay to Yosemite on September 20, 2009, when I noticed something big and black coming fast down the drainage from the Gap. Must be a bear, I though.

Then I thought how glad I was that bear was using the drainage, rather than the trail, to race down from the gap. Bears use the trails too, but this bear was not on a leisurely walk, he was moving fast to get away from something. As bear was more concerned with fleeing something behind him than observing, bear did not see me in its haste.

After bear passed down into Meiss Meadow, I resumed my hike up to the Carson Gap. Since the only things that make bears run are humans or other bears, I was now looking out for the day hiker, backpacker, or bear that most likely spooked the bear I saw, causing it to run away down to Meiss Meadow.

Full Observation Powers ON!
Something's coming!

Comments-Questions

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The rest was shot at the Carson Gap Pond.

The Point
Be Cool. Be Nice.

Video Playlist
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
from
Carson Gap to Lake Alpine

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The Iris in the Gap is always a welcome sight in Spring.

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The Carson Gap's Meadow was in full bloom.

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Three ways from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake.

Duration: 13:27

In the video above we hike from the Carson Gap through Carson Pass. Turning Southwest at the Winnemucca Lake trail junction towards Round Top Lake we observe the trail up from Woods Lake to Winnemucca Lake via the footbridge over Woods Creek, which I call the Center route.

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

Arriving at Round Top Lake we take note of the Lost Cabin Mine trail coming up from the campground near Woods Lake. This is the Western, and shortest route up to Round Top Lake.
The total distance from Carson Gap to Round Top Lake via the Lost Cabin Trail is 3.40 miles.

That completes our hike up the Eastern route to Round Top Lake from Carson Pass, except for checking out the wind on the lake.

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

Video Playlist
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail from Carson Gap to Lake Alpine

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Butterflies are a regular, sometimes constant joy along our trail South to Mount Whitney.

We see them in meadows and forests, as well as high up on barren rocky mountainsides. Every now and again we run into great concentrations of butterfly beauty, sometimes by specific species, and sometimes in great congregations of every type, size and color.

I enjoy them all.

So I sat down with the view of Round Top before me, and the fluttering butterflies below.

Between the breeze and their fluttering, they were a hard shot. Especially as this was my break!

About the image above

Butterflies in the Sierras are beyond my ability to identify. I sought out the expertise of Professor Arthur Shapiro, who is quoted and credited for identifying the species on this page.

Professor Shapiro Says

"All easy, but you may be slightly discombobulated by the information about the little blue guys--identifying them is a skill that takes lots of practice.""The one in the smaller upper-left picture is undeterminable at this angle."

"In the smaller upper-right picture:

The 3 at the top are Euphilotes battoides.

The one at 3 o'clock is Lycaeides idas anna.

The one at 5 o'clock is almost certainly plebejus icarioides."

Professor Shapiro

Distinguished Professor at UC Davis

Professor Shapiro is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the California Academy of Sciences, the Royal Entomological Society of London, and the Explorers Club and has received the Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award and the Outstanding Adviser Award at Davis and has been a Fellow of the Davis Humanities Institute.

Professor Shapiro identifies the above group as a mixed-species "puddling" group, with interesting facts that have expanded my knowledge about the behavior of Butterflies.

Professor Shapiro Says:

"In the big puddling picture:

At 9 o'clock, two Plebejus lupini.

At 1 o'clock: E. battoides. 

At 5 o'clock: 2 L.i.anna."

"These are all males and all common. Many Blues look very much alike and their males -- only males -- puddle together, but forming single-species clusters when numerous! There are others in the mix too--just not in your pictures; I've seen six different Blues on one puddle."

For more on Butterflies, See the Butterfly Section of the Backpacker's Forum

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A small ice apron still sits around the perimeter of the pond, as well.

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Trail to Woods Lake
The Tahoe Yosemite Trail passes across the right side of the Round Top massif, pictured above, on its way down to Summit City Creek.

The two lesser peaks to the Right of Round Top are The Sisters. Our TYT route passes around the Right side of the third peak to the Right of Round Top.

Following The Pacific Crest Trail South from here keeps us on the main trail (Left) that leads us down to the Carson Pass.

South of Carson Pass the PCT route tracks East of Elephant Back dropping down to Forestdale Creek for the climb up to the Forestdale Divide. From the Forestdale Divide we get a glimpse down Summit City Creek and at the South flank of Round Top and The Sisters, to our West, before turning Southeast towards Ebbetts Pass.

Short Trips
around
Carson Pass
&
The Administrative Units

Many fine short and medium length trips can be crafted between the Carson Pass on Highway 88 North to either Echo Summit on Highway 50, or South to either Lake Alpine or Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4.

Backpacking trips can be kept close to Carson Pass, or extended as far North or South as desire, capacity, and time allow.

For those backpackers maintaining serious long term responsibilities (kids, career, education) consider backpacking from Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney over a number of years as a "Section Hiker:"
Start with the backpacking trip from Meeks Bay to Echo Summit as your first section. The next Summer hike from Echo Summit to Carson Pass and on down to Lake Alpine. And so on...
Work your way South from Meeks Bay to Mount Whitney one section at a time as the nature of your life permits.

Permits

The El Dorado, Toiyabe, and Stanislaus National Forests administer the regions South to Yosemite National Park.  The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit sits to the North of Carson Pass.
Which National Forest we will need to get our permit from is determined by where we begin our trip.

Generally, if we begin backpacking from anyplace to the East of the Sierra Crest we will get our permit from the Toiyabe National Forest. The Toiyabe manages everything on the East flank of the Sierra Crest from the Carson Range wrapping around the East shore of Lake Tahoe down to the Hoover Wilderness wrapping around the Northeast Yosemite Backcountry around to the Tioga Road, including the terrain to the North of Tioga Road up the East flank of the Sierra.

It's worth noting that all of the mountain pass trailheads located at the tops of the trans-Sierra highways, including Carson Pass, Ebbetts Pass, and Sonora Pass are administered by the Forests administering the Western flank of the Sierra.
I believe this is because the huge size of the Toiyabe National Forest induces surrounding national forests to administer all of their shared trailheads. They are "taking the load off" of the huge Toiyabe National Forest.

All of the trailheads along the Sierra Crest are shared between Forests. This is because the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains defines the boundary dividing the National Forests on the West flank from the Toiyabe's administration of the whole East flank of the North Sierra.

Practically, this means we will draw our permits for trips beginning at the mountain passes from the forest administering the Western Flank. This means we will draw most of our permits from the LTBMU, the El Dorado, and the Stanislaus Forests.

If we are traveling up to mountain pass trailheads from the East, the relevant Ranger District of the Toiyabe National Forest will gladly issue us our permit.

If we are entering the Sierra through Carson Pass we will need to contact the Amador Ranger District of the El Dorado NF for information.
If the Carson Pass is our trailhead, we will have to get a permit from the Carson Pass Cabin for all travel starting from or staying near the Carson Pass from the Carson Pass Management Area.

Since the Carson Pass Cabin is seasonal, check with the Amador Ranger District of the El Dorado National Forest for information on its status.

If our trip starts from anywhere East of Carson Pass, the Carson Ranger District of the Toiyabe National Forest is the administering authority. Each National Forest is divided into a number of Ranger Districts. Remember, we must order your permit from the Ranger district that administers the trailhead where we are starting our trip.

Below are the contacts to find the proper Ranger District in the pertinent National Forest to obtain the permits we need for backpacking trips beginning in the North Sierra Nevada from Lake Tahoe down to Yosemite National Park. Also see the permits page.

Once we get the North Sierra finished we will begin the South. Soon!

Southbound trips beginning in, but departing the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit through the Carson Gap for points further South, (Such as Echo Summit to Carson Pass, 12 miles, or Meeks Bay to Carson Pass, 42.71 miles) must be obtained from the Lake Tahoe Basin Administrative Unit.

Permits and Permits
Many backpacking trips in the LTBMU do not require backpacking permits, such as backpacking trips starting and remaining within the Meiss Roadless Area. Other areas in the LTBMU, such as Desolation Wilderness, don't just require permits, they severely limit the number of permits they issue to limit overuse and overcrowding. I always suggest calling ahead to find out if we need a permit for our particular trip, then ordering our permit over the phone, and having them send it to us well before the start of our long-distance backpacking trip.

The Rangers like us to pick up the permit at their station on our way to the trailhead, but that can be difficult when I'm taking public transportation and/or hitch hiking to the trailhead. The Rangers will generally send me the permit when I explain my situation to them.

If you are driving it's generally easy to pick up the permit at the Ranger Station.

If we are planning to begin our backpacking trip in one Administrative Unit or National Forest and are subsequently hiking into or through a series of different National Forest and Wilderness Areas beyond the one issuing our permit, we must make sure we get a permit, even if a permit is not required for our starting trailhead. A permit will be required for all the subsequent National Forests and Wilderness we travel through.
Permits must be drawn through the Administrative Unit of the trailhead we begin our trip.

We must make sure we name all of our campsite locations in the subsequent National Forests and administrative units on our permit.
This accuracy in planning can save us a lot of problems when our hike brings us through a large number of National Forests, Wilderness, and especially when we cross through special administrative or management units that experience heavy backpacker traffic.
We're going to cross Desolation Wilderness, Carson Pass Management Area, Yosemite, and the Mount Whitney Zone, all highly impacted locations that actively exercise enforcement.

If we listed campsites in special zones on our permit, the special zones are obliged to honor our permit.

In any case, I suggest calling the National Forest that your trip begins in to avoid confusion about permitting policies, trailhead permit boxes, and permits that cross multiple administrative units, all to make sure you can get the permit you need for your trip without hassle or undue delays at the trail head the day you want to depart.

If you are planning on getting trailhead permits during the mid-Summer high backpacking season at any of the places mentioned above you will be standing in a line.

Desolation Wilderness, Yosemite, and the Whitney Zone all have automated web-based, FAX, and mail reservation systems. For example, here's Desolation and Yosemite's systems:

Desolation          Yosemite

Here's the full information for both areas:

Desolation          Yosemite

Oh, and although the Meiss Country Roadless Area does not require backpacking permits they do require Fire Permits, even for camp stoves.

The change in the character of the seasons is quickly driving the National Forests towards a policy of banning all fires.

Beginning our backpacking trips from Desolation Wilderness or Yosemite National Park entails some planning and preparation for permits, while beginning out of Echo Summit or the South Upper Truckee Trailheads involves much less permit hassles.

That's a great reason to always hike into Desolation Wilderness or Yosemite National Park, rather than begin trips from either.

We can easily get permits to hike through areas where permits to begin backpacking trips are unavailable.

***

Exiting the Tahoe Basin South through the Carson Gap puts us into the Carson Pass Management Area of the El Dorado National Forest on both the Tahoe to Yosemite and the Pacific Crest Trail routes. The Mokelumne Wilderness also begins here, but many cut-outs make the Eastern edge of this wilderness boundary along the PCT route very complicated.
Starting Southbound trips into, or out of the Carson Pass Management Area requires we get our permit at the Carson Pass Cabin.

Tahoe to Yosemite South of Carson Pass

On the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail we exit the Carson Pass Management Area just past Fourth of July Lake on our Southbound hike down to Summit City Creek. From Fourth of July Lake we remain in the El Dorado National Forest administered section of the Mokelumne Wilderness until we cross the North Mokelumne River at Camp Irene. Crossing the North Mokelumne River at Camp Irene marks our passage into the sliver of the Mokelumne Wilderness administered by the Stanislaus National Forest.

Thus short-distance backpacking trips Southbound out of the Carson Pass to Lake Alpine or Ebbetts Pass will require permits from the El Dorado National Forest at the Carson Pass Cabin.
Northbound hikers out of Lake Alpine or Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4 will pick up their permits from the Calavaras Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest.

Pacific Crest Trail

South of Carson Pass we are in the El Dorado National Forest for a short distance, then the remainder of the trail to and through Ebbetts Pass down to Sonora Pass and South to Yosemite remains in the Toiyabe National Forest, though the Southbound trailhead from Sonora Pass is administered by the Stanislaus National Forest.

All Sierra Pass trailheads are administered by the Western National Forest.

Overall

Heading South from trailheads in the Tahoe Basin to and through Carson Pass on our way down either the Pacific Crest or Tahoe to Yosemite Trails requires that we obtain our permit from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

If we start our Southbound trip from Carson Pass we obtain our permit at the Carson Pass Cabin or from the Amador Ranger District of the El Dorado National Forest if the Carson Pass Cabin is closed.

Comments-Questions

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The Administrative Units

The Toiyabe National Forest extends down the Eastern flank of the Sierras from North of Lake Tahoe South down to where it wraps around the Northeastern boundary of the Yosemite National Park. The Toiyabe manages the East flank of the Carson Range around the East shore of Lake Tahoe, then the East flank of the Sierra from Carson Pass down to Highway 120.
The Toiyabe National Forest manages both the Mokelumne and Carson-Iceberg's Eastern sections between the Carson and Sonora Passes, as well the Hoover Wilderness wrapping around the Northeast boundary of Yosemite National Park.

The Toiyabe National Forest is huge.

The Western Flank of the Sierra between Tahoe to Yosemite is administered by a series of National Forests. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit administers the whole Lake Tahoe Basin. South of the Tahoe Basin from Carson Pass to Camp Irene the El Dorado National Forest administers the Western Flank of the Mokelumne Wilderness, while the Eastern side of the Mokelumne Wilderness sits within the Toiyabe NF.

The Carson-Iceberg Wilderness spans both flanks of the Sierra Crest South of Highway 4 down to Highway 108. Again, the Eastern Flank is administered by the Toiyabe NF, while its Western Flank is part of the Stanislaus NF.

South of Highway 108 both the PCT and TY trails enter the Stanislaus NF Administered sections of the Emigrant Wilderness. The Southbound hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail will enter the Toiyabe NF for the short section from Kennedy Canyon to where they enter Yosemite through Dorothy Lake Pass.

The Tahoe to Yosemite Backpacker will be in the Emigrant Wilderness administered by the Stanislaus National Forest from Kennedy Meadows until they enter Yosemite through Bond Pass.

Climate and Terrain

The Eastern slope is noticeably drier than the Western flank of the Sierra Neavada Mountains. This is because most of the moisture of the wet Pacific Ocean air currents passing over the Western Slope is drawn out as it climbs up to and over the high altitude Crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This ride up and over the mountains drains the air of its moisture, leaving little for the Eastern Sierras, and virtually none for the mountains beyond.

Local Thunderstorms
This same process turns super-heated moisture-laden air blown West from the San Joaquin Valley on hot Summer Days into massive expanding thunderheads as they climb the Western flank of the Sierra Crest.
Be careful, and keep an eye out for afternoon thunderstorms forming along the Sierra Crest above all the trails during Summertime. These storms can be quite violent. Lightening presents a very serious danger to High Sierra backpackers during these storms, so be careful and watchful.

Don't get caught out on a high altitude exposed mountainside when one of these storms forms up. I have postponed crossing open meadows and exposed mountainsides during thunderstorm activity.

The volcanic terrain along the Sierra's Eastern Flank compliments its dryness. The PCT route along the Eastern Slope is dominated by starkly beautiful volcanic features, until we approach the East Fork of the Carson River, (South of Ebbetts Pass past Wolf Creek Pass, and 5 miles North of Sonora Pass.) which presents a beautiful interface zone between local pink-hued granites and the surrounding volcanic overlays bracketing the granite.

We will trace this interface from the East Fork of the Carson through Emigrant Wilderness, until we begin climbing to the Boundary of Yosemite National Park at Dorothy Pass. From there it's all granite, all the way to Tuolumne Meadows.

The volcanic/granite terrain interfaces that surround Yosemite, to both the North and South, fall away as we enter Yosemite.

Yosemite stands as a great granite island in the vast sea of mixed volcanic and granite terrain that surrounds it.

We've got lots of cool things to see, both about and around us.

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Trips North
from
Highway 4 to Highway 88

If we are hiking North from Lake Alpine on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to the Carson Pass, we will need to obtain our permit from the Calavaras Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest. If we depart from Ebbetts Pass for the Carson Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail, we will have to contact the Carson Ranger district of the Toiyabe National Forest for our permit.
Well, not really. I've always been able to obtain permits for any of the trans-Sierra mountain pass trailheads from the Ranger District on my way up. If I'm driving in from the East, from the Toiyabe. If I'm driving in from the West, from the appropriate national forest.

It's really never been a problem when driving to the crest up either flank. The national forests seem to have a reciprocity agreement about issuing permits for the Sierra Crest Trailheads.

The Pacific Crest Trail South from Carson Pass

Southbound on the PCT we will hit Ebbetts Pass after two nights heading South from the Carson Gap, and Sonora Pass after roughly six nights on the trail, including a day off at Lake Alpine. Of course your specific timing depends on your plans, carrying capacity, and daily mileage. You must make your hiking plans to reasonably suit your particular needs, goals, and capacities.

Following the Pacific Crest Trail South out of the Carson Gap shortly brings us a couple of miles Southeastward down to Carson Pass. From here the Pacific Crest Trail continues South along the Eastern slope of the Sierra Crest to Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4.

Shortly after departing Carson Pass we will be entering the Toiyabe National Forest, within which we remain as we backpack across the Eastern Sections of the Mokelumne Wilderness to Ebbetts Pass, and further South on down to the Sonora Pass.

The Southbound Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite trails both depart the Mokelumne Wilderness at Highway 4, and both shortly enter the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness down to Highway 108.
South of Highway 108 hikers on both routes enter the Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest on their ways to their respective entry points into Yosemite.

The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker will enter Yosemite through Dorothy Lake Pass, while the backpacker on the Tahoe to Yosemite enters through Bond Pass, each close to where they join the other for the remainder of our hike down to Tuolumne Meadows.

One short variant between the routes remains: The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail tracks around Tilden Lake, while the Pacific Crest Trail swings lower down Jack Main Canyon to swing around Wilmer Lake.

They meet in the canyon containing Tilden Creek just beyond Bailey Ridge, before the final climb up and over into Stubblefield Canyon.

South of Highway 4
to
Yosemite
Yet More Route Options!

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
The 34.64 miles Southbound on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail that separates Lake Alpine from Saint Marys Pass also stays on the Western flank of the Sierra.
Saint Marys Pass is located a mile West of where the Pacific Crest Trail passes through Sonora Pass on Highway 108. Though the PCT and TYT take divergent routes through the Sierras North and South of Highway 4, they draw close together where their respective Southbound trails almost meet Highway 108.

Though the Southbound PCT trailhead is located across Highway 108 from the Northbound PCT trailhead at Sonora Pass, the North and Southbound TYT trailheads along Highway 108 are offset by about nine miles.

Though the Northbound TYT Saint Marys Pass Trailhead is located near Sonora Pass, the Southbound TYT trailhead is located nine miles West down Highway 108 on the South edge of the Kennedy Meadows Pack Station.

Check out this Big Map which highlights the differences between the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trail routes approaching and departing their Highway 108 trailheads.

Click the black-dotted routes for detailed maps.

The Pacific Crest Trail

South of Ebbetts Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail the mountains seem to thicken. Rather than a quick drop off the Eastern flank of the Sierras with long views East, as was typical for much of the distance between Carson Pass and Ebbetts Pass, our 26.78 mile hike from Ebbetts Pass to Sonora Pass has more and larger ridges separating the Sierra Crest from the Eastern escarpment of the Sierra.
The long view East we enjoyed North of Ebbetts Pass are now regularly obscured by big mountain ridges and their intervening drainages. The nature of the terrain the Pacific Crest trail passes through South of Highway 4 also changes.

The raw harshness of the volcanic terrain that we experienced North of Ebbetts Pass coming across Raymond and around Reynolds Peaks on the Pacific Crest Trail continues to be moderated by thickening sections of forest.

As we hike South past Noble Lake and over the shoulder of Tyron Peak we are still crossing volcanic terrain. As we head South of Asa Lake the volcanic terrain is now occasionally being broken up by sections of fine metamorphic and granite rock formations. These formations rear up out of the Sierra crest line like great mountainous shark fins.

Upon closer inspection, some of these formations are reminiscent of the hexagonal columns of of slow cooling metamorphic rock similar to that which produced Devils Postpile.

Continuing South from the junction with Murray Canyon, we begin crossing an interface zone between the fine granites lining the East Carson River, the metamorphic rock zone approaching Murray Creek and the volcanic crestline continuing South to and through Sonora Pass, represented by the great volcanic masses of Sonora, Stanislaus, and Disaster Peaks making up the Eastern flank of the Sierra Crest, rising up from the West shore of the East Carson River.
We can see that these great granite mountains were once buried by volcanic debris, and are now slowly emerging, being eroded out their volcanic encasements, rising from the East and West banks of the East Carson.

It sure looks like the long inextricable process of erosion has worked, and is working to expose these beautiful buried granite mountain flanks, while still capped and surrounded by massive ancient volcanic flows. This volcanic material is still flowing, albeit a lot slower than when it was running hot over the Sierra Nevada, but the long time span the flow of erosion travels across ultimately transfers more material.

The upper reaches of the East Carson River is quite a remarkable place.

At this point in time I have only completed the guide from the Tahoe Basin down to Tuolumne Meadows, and I really enjoyed adding the information about this amazing section of the trail. Check out the Carson Iceberg Wilderness section of the trail guide.

The Hybrid Routes

Because I want to pass through the various terrains that are situated along the Sierra Nevada Crest I prefer to mix up my route to cover the best, or stretch out to find bits of new trail and terrain between Highway 4 and Highway 108, by finding interesting ways to tie together lengths of trail of both the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails.

Though I prefer to follow the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route South from the Carson Gap departing the Lake Tahoe Basin through Lake Alpine, I almost always switch over to the Pacific Crest Trail halfway somewhere between Highway 4 and Highway 108.

I follow the Tahoe to Yosemite Route South out of the Eastern side of Lake Alpine as normal for a Tahoe to Yosemite hiker, but my destination is not Saint Marys Pass Trailhead, where the Tahoe to Yosemite trailhead is located on Highway 108, but the Sonora Pass trailhead of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is located a mile East of Saint Marys Pass.

On the East Side of Spicer Reservoir I depart the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to follow Highland Creek up to the Sierra Crest. After passing by Highland Lakes and crossing Gardiner Meadow I turn South on the PCT at Wolf Creek Pass. This will bring me through the beauties of the East Carson River on my way to Sonora Pass.

Recently I've been taking the Boulder Lake shortcut over to the PCT, or hiking over Saint Marys Pass to Highway 108. It seems that my preferred routes shift gradually over the years.

I've preferred developing hybrid routes to simply following the Tahoe to Yosemite Route from Lake Alpine to Saint Marys Pass or the Pacific Crest Trail from Ebbetts Pass to Sonora Pass.

Each time I hike these routes I see more and different terrain, as well as getting to know the standard routes better.

This way, on my Tahoe to Yosemite-Pacific Crest hybrid routes, I start on the TYT at Lake Alpine, then hike up to the Sierra Crestline to catch the PCT South to Sonora Pass, rather than continue along the Western Flank of the Sierra on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to Saint Marys Pass.
Though the great valleys along the Western flank of the Sierras to Saint Marys Pass are excellent backpacking terrain, I prefer my hybrid route over hiking straight through on one or the other routes between Highway 4 and Highway 108.

Variety is the Spice of Life!

At least until I start to miss the epic route over Saint Marys Pass. Then I maintain the TYT route rather than switching over to the PCT until I get my fill of that special place.

The Carson Iceberg Wilderness offers an amazing lattice work of trails from end to end. Imagine the PCT and TYT as the two uprights of a ladder, with a series of trails connecting them together, just like the steps on a ladder.
The Emigrant Wilderness to its South is set up more like a web of trails covering its beauties, than the "ladder" of connected trails across the Carson Iceberg.

Independent of the geometry of its trails, Each Wilderness offers a wide range of alternative routes off the standard routes of the PCT and TYT. The interconnectivity of the TYT and PCT across the Carson Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness make each of them exceptional places to craft grand loops around these stunning wilderness areas.

We can easily plan 90 miles loops around either wilderness.

Review
Tahoe to Yosemite Route Options

The point of all of these words is to express that we have many route options between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. I stitch together my favorite pieces of both the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite trails hiking between Lake Tahoe and Tuolumne Meadows.

Your trail options begin in the Tahoe Basin, where you can pick your own starting trailhead to begin your own customized backpacking trip.

At the Carson Gap we will exit the Tahoe Basin, and have a choice between the Tahoe to Yosemite or Pacific Crest Trail route South to Highway 4.

It's pretty much PCT or TYT across the Mokelumne Wilderness.

Once we enter the Carson Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness we find a web of trails connecting the TYT and PCT that allow an almost infinite range of unique route options.

As you can now see, we have a huge variety of route options on our hike South between Highway 4 and Highway 108, and our options South of Highway 108 multiply.

Woo-Hoo!

You a broken puppy, a damaged war vet, or sick and twisted by our sick and twisted anti-social society of greed?

The beauty and power of nature lays out the ultimate context for all of our experiences.

It can recontext and readjust senses, memory, and experience.

Nature can reset mind, body, and spirit.

We lose it every now and again, but it's out there.

East Carson Drainage

South from Highway 108
Excellent Trail Options

When we arrive at Highway 108, at either Saint Marys Pass or Sonora Pass trailheads, we will hitchhike 9 miles down to the Kennedy Meadows Pack Station, also on Highway 108, where our second (or third) resupply will be waiting for us with Cheryl. Tell her hi from Alex!

At both Lake Alpine on Highway 4 and the Kennedy Meadows Pack Station on Highway 108 we can rest up a bit, eat some good food, have a beer, hang out with the fishermen, locals, car campers, staff, hunters, and cowboys, and pick up our resupply for the next section of our run South to Tuolumne Meadows.

At Kennedy Meadows Pack Station we decide if we will continue South on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail by hiking up Summit Creek out of Kennedy Meadows Pack Station to cross the Emigrant Wilderness into Yosemite, or to hitch-hike back up to Sonora Pass to continue South on the Pacific Crest Trail over Leavitt Peak, to follow the West Walker up to the Yosemite boundary.

Man, I like both routes a lot! Plus there are a couple of other ways to go that are really nice too! The TYT South from KM hikes up by Relief Reservoir past Granite Chief to cross the amazing Emigrant Basin to enter Yosemite through Bond Pass into the top of Jack Main Canyon. This is amazing terrain.

The Pacific Crest Trail, on the other hand, swings around the Emigrant Basin to follow the granite terrain of the West Walker River up past a series of stunning lakes to Dorothy Pass Lake, where we enter Yosemite at the top of Jack Main Canyon, just above where the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail enters the Canyon through Bond Pass.

The Pacific Crest Trail hiker can alter their route to pass through Emigrant Basin between Big Sam and Bond Pass, bypassing the West Walker River between Kennedy Canyon and Dorothy Pass Lake.

All of these routes from Highway 108 to Jack Main Canyon are awesome, and it has been interesting to hike each one many times. I learn and see new stuff every time through.

This is a basic description of our route options down to Yosemite. I'd do one main trail, then the other, then I'd repeat multiple times trying to fill in the information of the terrain between the trails.

Then we can start working on seeing it changing with the seasons.

Comments-Questions

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North

Pacific Crest & Tahoe to Yosemite Trails

Carson Gap

South

Pacific Crest Trail

Carson Pass

South

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Trail to Woods Lake