MILES
NORTH

TYT-PCT

Echo
Summit
to
Carson
Pass

MILES
SOUTH

PCT

Carson
Pass
to
Ebbetts
Pass

MILES
SOUTH

TYT

Carson
Gap
to
Lake
Alpine

MILES
NORTHEAST

TRT
ALT-ROUTE

Meyers
to
Meiss
Cabin

ALL
MAPS

INDEX

ALL
GUIDE

INDEX

Miles & Elevations
Meiss Country Roadless Area

An Alternative Route
ACCESS
the
TYT-PCT

Backpacking Miles
Meiss Roadless Ares

This trail South from the South Upper Truckee Road Trailhead to Round Lake is a short but fierce climb. Heavy bicycle traffic put a tremendous strain on the route which was magnified by a recent fire.
This has caused the LTBMU to reroute and significantly extend the length of the trail up to Round Top Lake. I figure it's around four miles from the Meyers Trailhead to Round Lake now.
The miles below were originally measured when the trail followed the road past the Forest Service Summer Housing, before the trailhead was moved to the South Upper Truckee Road, and the trail rerouted to accommodate bicycle traffic.

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

NORTHERNMOST of 3 Routes to the TYT
PCT/TY trail junction just South of the
Carson Gap looking Southwest at Round Top and The Sisters.

Just South of the Carson Gap we find the 1st Southbound Trail Junction breaking Southwest off the Pacific Crest Trail to the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

For Southbound backpackers the Pacific Crest Trail continues to our left, Southeast, along the main trail down to the Carson Pass.

The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail turns right pointing almost directly down the mountain to Highway 88.

See the map for clarification.

Carson Pass Region Map

South out of the Lake Tahoe Basin
The following figures represent the two route options we have South from the Carson Gap Pond, either South and down to Carson Pass along the PCT or straight down to Highway 88 pursuing the TYT.

We have three distinct routes connecting the PCT and TYT as we hike across Highway 88. All three meet at Round Top Lake.

Two of our options approach Round Top Lake from the North. They are accessed from the Carson Gap via Woods Lake. Our third route to the TYT continues South on the PCT a mile past Carson Pass, where we find the Eastern approach to Round Top Lake through the Winnemucca Lake trail junction.

All the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail mileage measurements to Lake Alpine begin from the Carson Gap. Which route you choose determines the miles for this section of the TYT.

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.

EXITING THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN
  Location                          elevation                    miles

Carson Gap                              8800                     7.03

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Carson Gap  8800                     7.03

                   -400 feet              .6 miles

Hwy 88         8400                  7.63

This figure represents the mileage through first two of three Tahoe to Yosemite trail junctions
South of Carson Gap.

Pacific Crest Trail

Carson Gap    8800            7.03

                  -200 feet          1.39 miles

Carson Pass  8600            8.42

From Carson Pass we can pursue the TYT via Winnemucca Lake, or continue South on the PCT.

This page
Meyers to Carson Pass

top of page

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. Our miles are generally done either going up to the top of the mountain, or we are coming down from the mountaintop into the valley that separates us from the next mountain. This means that the relationship of the mileages and elevations to the peaks and the valleys is going to be very important in determining how many miles we can reasonably expect to cover that day.

This relationship will be instrumental in planning where we are going to camp every night, and ultimately this information will determine how many days it takes us to cover a given distance. This in turn establishes our proper food load.

Between The South Upper Truckee Road Trailhead and The Carson Gap we are basically climbing the whole way. The steepest section is from the trailhead to Round Lake, where we gain 1560 feet in roughly 4 miles, depending on what distance you measure the new trail routing.

Round Lake sits at 8000 feet of elevation. This route is a short but sharp intermediate 1 difficulty trail, a real reminder of the rigors of High Sierra Backpacking, if we've forgotten.
Out of Round Lake the trail continues to climb for a mile at intermediate difficulty 2, then levels out into a short series of low rises up to Meiss Meadow.

At Meiss Meadow we intersect with the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails as they pass North and South through the meadow. From this trail junction we have 400 feet of elevation over a mile and a half of distance between us and our exit from the Tahoe Basin through the Carson Gap to our South.

Local hikers have the option of hiking 9.09 miles North on the combined TYT-PCT from Meiss Meadow to the Echo Summit Trailhead via the beauties of Showers Lake.

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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Section:
ECHO SUMMIT TO CARSON PASS
Miles and Elevations