Poison Flat Tree
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Shadow of a growing Tahoe Sunset and us crossing the ridge South of Echo Lake.
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Flowers, Sonora Pass
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Introduction Our "Tahoe to Whitney" trip can be customized to begin from your favorite Tahoe Basin Trailhead. Refer to the maps above to find your own alternative Lake Tahoe Trailhead to begin your local or long distance backpacking trips. This guide contains information for backpacking through Desolation Wilderness and the Meiss Country Roadless Area.
Local Trip Options More rookie backpackers attempting the PCT (there are many every year) would succeed if they started with a few shorter trips before jumping onto the long trails.
The Beauty and Utility of the Lake Tahoe Basin This guide is tailored to provide information for experienced long distance backpackers to plan long distance backpacking trips along the Sierra Crestline. It is also designed to provide the layers of information necessary to help rookie short distance backpackers evolve as painlessly as possible into experienced long distance backpackers.
All Steps lead to the Sierra Crest Don't just jump off into the deep end of the pool. Staying between the lines of our own limits will allow us to safely expand our limits until we are safely and comfortably capable of long distance High Sierra backpacking.
The Long Trails
The Classic Tahoe to Yosemite Trail route
The Tahoe Rim Trail Too..
Three Lake Tahoe Trailheads
Me? I say go big.
Classic
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Lake Tahoe Resupply Point #1 Note that Echo Chalet sits between the Desolation Wilderness to the North and the Meiss Roadless Area to the South. |
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Echo Lake Backpacker Resupply Though the short distance between Meeks Bay and Lake Alpine reduces Echo Chalet's utility for Southbound backpackers out of Meeks Bay, Echo Chalet is a vital resupply point for Northbound Pacific Crest Trail backpackers. Many PCTers choose to Rest and Resupply at South Lake Tahoe. Read this discussion of the resupply role of the Echo Lake Chalet for long distance backpackers. The Echo Summit and the South Upper Truckee trailheads are South of Echo Chalet, making Echo Chalet irrelevant for Southbound hikers out of those trailheads. |
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Lake Tahoe Basin Trailhead #2 |
The Echo Summit Trailhead
North End
of the
Meiss Country Roadless Area
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Lake Tahoe |
The South Upper Truckee Trailhead
Meiss Country Roadless Area
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Which Way South?
The Carson Gap is the gap on the South end of the Tahoe Rim where all Southbound Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trail backpackers exit the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Carson Gap is located 1.39 miles North of the Carson Pass and 10.61 miles South of the Echo Summit Trailhead along the PCT route, and 7.03 miles from the South Upper Truckee Trailhead.
The Carson Gap is our decision point.
TYT
to
Woods Lake
On the South side of the Carson Gap Southbound backpackers following the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to Lake Alpine immediately encounter an unmarked trail junction veering right off the PCT route. This is the Northernmost of three junctions where the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail splits off to the Southwest from the Pacific Crest Trail.
The first two junctions below the Carson Gap are unmarked and join together at the creek to lead us down an unmaintained route to Highway 88. We cross Highway 88 to follow the dirt utility road towards Woods Lake.
Below we study the route differences on the maps and discuss them as well.
Carson Pass Area Backpacking Map Mokelumne Wilderness Backpacking Map Discussion
Differences between the TYT and PCT routes
Three Routes South
along the
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
On the South side of the Carson Gap where the PCT levels out there is another, second unmarked trail junction leading Right towards Highway 88 and up to the TYT at Round Top Lake via Woods Lake. Both of these first two trails merge together above Highway 88, cross it, and follow the dirt utility road towards Woods Lake.
Our third, final, and Southernmost option for turning off the PCT onto the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail is the Winnemucca Lake Junction, which sits a mile South of Carson Pass along the Pacific Crest Trail.
From Woods Lake we have two routes up to the TYT at Round Top Lake. The "center" route brings us past Winnemucca Lake on our way up to Round Top Lake while the Lost Cabin Mine trail brings us the most Westernmost route up to the TYT at Round Top Lake.
This image is marked with
The two routes to Round Top Lake from Woods Lake.
See this short video that takes a look at the routes of these three routes to the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail on the South side of the Carson Gap.
One Route South
along the
Pacific Crest Trail
Hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail will ignore these 3 junctions bracketing Carson Pass while hiking the PCT South to and through Carson Pass on our way to Ebbetts Pass.
The Carson Pass topo hiking map below shows us 2 of these 3 trail junctions, while the map of the Mokelumne Wilderness gives us a broader context of the differences between the PCT and TYT routes on their respective Eastern and Western flank routes down to Highway 4.
Compare the Classic routes of the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails across the Carson Pass Management Area and the Mokelumne Wilderness to determine which route best suites your skill and fitness levels.
The TYT route has unmaintained segments that can present physical and navigation challenges.
Looking South through the Carson Gap
View South of Round Top and The Sisters through Carson Gap |
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View of Round Top and The Sisters through Carson Gap later in Spring Time with the Carson Gap Pond in the foreground. | Above: looking Southeast at Elephant Back through the Carson Gap. The Winnemucca Lake junction on the PCT to the TYT at Round Top Lake sits below Elephant Back on the Pacific Crest Trail. |
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Click on the Black Dotted trail routes for detailed trail maps, click RED DOTS for location information.
Pacific Crest Trail
PCT
Carson Pass
to
Ebbetts Pass
Eastern
Mokelumne Wilderness
PCT
Carson Pass to Forestdale Divide
Forestdale Divide to Blue Lakes Road
Along the Mokelumne Wilderness Boundary
Raymond Lake Junction to Ebbetts Pass
PCT
Carson Pass Region Backpacking Map
Mokelumne Wilderness Topo Hiking Map
Map Index
Miles and Elevations
Videos
Permits
Trail Forums
One Route South We'll first enter the Northern Trailhead and parking lot, which sports toilets and garbage cans, 'though no water. Water is in short supply at the Carson Pass Trailheads and at the Carson Pass Cabin. The
The Carson Pass Cabin Hike Both Routes! The PCT vs. The TYT Both routes are worthy of our attention.
The PCT
The
TYT The TYT is an unmaintained route from Horse Canyon to Camp Irene. difficult segments of the route can be found beyond or before Camp Irene, depending on the damages of the Spring Thaw and the fertility of tree and plant growth. The TYT route is rougher, hiking through much more isolated terrain. Its difficult navigation and extra physical requirements demanded by the unmaintained section of the trail between Summit City Creek and Camp Irene make it a much more difficult route than the PCT from Carson to Ebbetts Pass.
NOTE The Tahoe to Yosemite Trails Forum has a section of backpacker submitted trail conditions updates for the past few hiking seasons along the the unmaintained segment of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail through both Summit City Creek and the untrailed segment through Saint Marys Pass. Refer to it for current information, update to it after you hike through. |
Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
TYT
Carson Gap
to
Lake Alpine
Western
Mokelumne Wilderness
TYT
TYT
Carson Pass Region Backpacking Map
Mokelumne Wilderness Topo Hiking Map
Map Index
Miles and Elevations
Videos
3 TYT Routes to Round Top Lake from the Carson Gap
Permits
Trail Forums
3 Routes South TYT Shortcuts The Center Route turns East (Left) across a footbridge just North of Woods Lake. This trail tracks South to pass by Winnemucca Lake, where it turns West for the short climb up to Round Top Lake. This would be the Center Route. The Western Route is the Lost Cabin Mine trail, which begins behind the Woods Lake car campground off to our West, our Right. This route is more direct but steeper, and approaches Round Top Lake from the North. This Western Route is the most direct route to the top of Round Top and the Sisters. If we passed the first two unmarked trail TYT junctions below the Carson Gap hiking to Carson Pass we can still follow the 3rd and final Tahoe to Yosemite Trail junction from the Winnemucca Lake Junction. All three of these routes intersect at the point pictured below, at the Round Top Lake trail junction. Our Southbound TYT proceeds South around the Western Shoulder of the Sisters from the Round Top Lake trail junction, the Right side of the image below, to find our descent into the unmaintained TYT route through Summit City Canyon. Passing around the Right side of the Lake and mountain flank in the image above we bend Southwest around the descending crest. The |
Lake Alpine
on
Highway 4
The Lake Alpine Lodge
Deck dining at The Lake Alpine Lodge
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Lake Alpine Lodge
Lake Alpine Lodge
A stunningly-beautiful man-made lake on Highway 4 sporting a rustic lodge with really friendly folks on its Southwest shore. Lake Alpine Lodge offers a free resupply service for long distance backpackers, a Bar, an expensive very high quality restaurant, a reasonable bar menu, a car-camper store, showers, laundry, and the nicest local folks working here. The only stipulation for Lake Alpine managing your resupply is that the package must be sent via UPS.
See the Lake Alpine Backpacker Resupply page for the specifics and contact information.
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Kicking Back Time at Lake Alpine Lodge
Lake Alpine Lodge overlooking West shore of Lake Alpine, deck seating for eating.
Resupply Information
and
Road Directions
Lake Alpine Lodge
Great Views |
Lake Alpine Lodge .75 of a mile West of Tahoe Yosemite Trail where the TYT crosses Highway 4 at the Bee Gulch Trailhead. It is a 15 mile hitch hike West from where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Highway 4 at Ebbetts Pass. Lake Alpine accepts and will hold your resupply packages sent through UPS for you for free. |
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Great Food-Services Above: A glimpse of the great food at Lake Alpine which tastes extra good after hiking up and over Mount Reba hiking the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail. |
Bear Valley
Great Neighbors Above: Distinctive Bear Valley Road sign. We can't miss it! |
Bear Valley Deli 3 miles West of Lake Alpine on Highway 4. The owner and staff are real nice folks, as are most of the local folks up here. |
Great Folks at BV Above: Distinctive Bear Valley Folks, as well as the terrain and signs... Denise Carter owns and operates the Bear Valley Deli and Grocery. |
Arnold
Suzie's Diner |
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Full Service
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FURTHER
South
on the
Trail Guide
Trails Index Trail Guide Index |
Trail Guide Home Page Trailhead |
Contact
Alex Wierbinski