Trinity Alps Backpacking Trip
Day 1
The day came, Wednesday July 20th, the day we planned on leaving for our backpacking trip. We threw the last minute things in our packs, ate a quick breakfast, jumped in the truck and hit the road for the three hour drove to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. We had to stop by the ranger station in the nearby town of Weaverville to get our permit before heading to the trailhead. The free permits are outside of the building in a box. After filling it out with our information and itinerary we dropped one half in the locked box and put the other half in my pack.
After completing this task we had about a half hour drive to the trailhead. We drove through beautiful green forests eventually turned off on a smaller road. The Stuart Fork Trailhead where we stated our hike from is at the end of the Trinity Alps Resort Road. We drove through the resort and passed by cabins, campsites, kids riding bikes and people enjoying the creek. Once past the resort the road turns to gravel and continues another couple of miles before ending at the trailhead and a campground called Bridge Creek. We parked the truck and Steve and I grabbed our packs out and threw them on the tailgate then proceeded to put our boots on. Once we were all suited up and ready to go we snapped a few photos and hit the trail. Our plan was to hike to Emerald Lake and then Sapphire Lake, a 28 mile round trip hike.
The hike begun on a wide road meandering through the forest with the creek down below to our left. After a couple of miles the trail got narrow and gained more inclines and declines. The Stuart Fork Creek was running to our left and the sound of the running water was very nice. The trail is shaded almost completely which we were so thankful for since we got such a late start and were hiking in the hottest part of the day. The temperature was in the 90’s and with a heavy backpack on and going uphill made it feel even hotter. We took breaks when needed but tried to push ourselves to go as far as we could. The trail became very steep through most of the section we were in leaving no camping places so we had to hike on until we found a campsite.
Around 5 miles in we came across a flat area next to the trail where there was easy creek access and established campsites complete with a fire ring. We decided to rest here for awhile as we were pretty tired, overheated and getting hungry. We dropped our packs on a log and I immediately took my boots, socks, shirt and shorts off and went straight to the creek. I waded in up to my knees right next to a perfect little pool in the creek and then I dove in. I went under the water and when I came up I was gasping for breath. The water was so cold it took my breath away but wow did it feel good. It was the most refreshing, satisfying feeling after the trek we had just made. I came out of the water just as fast as I went in and shivered for a few minutes until I started to dry in the sun and then I felt great. We filtered water from the creek and filled up our water bottles, had a snack and then decided we liked this spot so much we should stay here for the night.
So we set about pitching out tent, getting our sleeping quarters set up and getting our dinner ready. We brought dehydrated meals for dinner and we each picked the flavor we felt like which for me was Pasta Primavera and for Steve was Chili Mac. We prepared our meals with boiled water and then sat on rocks next to the creek and ate our dinner while listening to the water flow over the rocks. It was such a peaceful setting.
After dinner we cleaned up our supplies and put everything scented in our bear can. For this trip we had a BV500 bear canister which we used to store all of our breakfast, lunch and snacks. We put our dehydrated dinners in a stuff-sack and hung it from a tree. We placed our bear can away from our tent under a fallen log. As the sun was setting we went into our tent, pulled out our books and read for awhile. I brought John Muir’s First Summer in the Sierra and Steve was reading Hunting Big Mule Deer. We laid on our sleeping pads for a couple of hours just reading in silence and watching the light dissipate from the sky. While we were reading a single deer walked into our camp and came within feet of our tent. She started at us and then kept nibbling on plants and she moved towards the creek. She then walked into the creek up to her knees, got a drink of water and splashed around a bit then went back to feeding around our campsite. She hung out for a few hours, never very far from sight. We finally put our books down and went to sleep around 9pm.
Day 2
We awoke to the sunshine coming into our tent through the limbs of the trees above us. We knew we had to do a lot more miles today to get to the lake or at least as close to the lake as we could, so we immediately packed up our sleeping bags, pads, pillows and emptied our tent. We had breakfast which consisted of pop tarts and oatmeal and then started breaking down the tent and packing everything else away. We left camp and hit the trail around 9am. The trail was much the same as the day before, walking through forest with the creek down below. Sometimes the trail meandered away from the creek and we would no longer be able to hear it and then up ahead we would get closer to it again, hearing the water before we saw it. The miles were hard as the entire trail is constant uphill all the way to the lake.
About 2 miles in Steve stopped up ahead of me to take a quick breather and I stopped about 15 feet down trail from him and chugged some water and tried to catch my breath. Just as soon as we stopped we heard something crunch a branch and we both looked to our left and Steve says “There’s a bear!” just as I see a black furry butt running through the woods away from us. He was just behind a big tree about 50 yards from the trail and he must have heard us and got scared. We both looked at each other with huge smiles and Steve asked “Are you happy now?” because on our way to the trailhead I had told him “We better see a bear!” I hadn’t seen a bear in years, even in all of my outdoor adventures. This made me feel fulfilled and I hiked on with a little more excitement.
We managed to make it to Morris Meadows which was about 4 miles from where we camped. Here we took a lunch break and busted out our snacks and I ate one after another as my body was so hungry. We were getting low on water and were hoping to get close to the creek again to filter some more. We looked at our map and it looked like there were some seasonal creeks crossing the trail up ahead but another 2 miles until we meet up with the main creek. After resting in the meadow for about 20 minutes we carried onward, hoping to cross some water soon. The seasonal creeks were dry so we continued on about 2 miles past the meadow to where the trail met up with the creek again and we were able to filter all the water we needed. We filled both of our bladders, both our water bottles, had another snack and then carried on.
Past the meadow the trail got really overgrown to the point where sometimes I questioned weather I was even on the trail. It was so thick all around I knew there was no other options so we pushed forward scraping by the thick manzanita. The trail then turned from forest floor to granite rock. The rocks were loose and harder to walk on and the trail was exposed to the sun which made our pace slower. The bushes were so thick on each side of the trail my legs and arms were getting scraped and I was ready to be done with this overgrown section. The last two miles up to the lake were the roughest on me. At this point we had already hiked 7 miles of constant incline and my legs were burnt out. My pace had slowed, I was overheating and I was starting to get agitated. I had a moment where I stopped to take a break and I cussed and said things like “I’m so over this hike. This is never ending. I’m done. I don’t think I can make it.” and even “Fuck this lake.” I knew in my heart I wouldn’t quit but in the moment I just needed to let out my frustration. Steve was so supportive and really pushed me the last couple of miles to make it to Emerald lake. He kept telling me “Come on, your killing it, you can do it.” and also things like “Don’t be a wuss, we’re almost there.” He kind of takes the tough love approach.
Once we took those last few steps over large granite boulders and peered out at the lake I felt so accomplished. There were people swimming off the shore, floating in the lake and enjoying the beautiful scenery. We continued around the edge of the lake looking for a campsite so we could drop our packs and jump in. About a quarter mile further on the trail we found a spot that had epic views of the granite mountain peaks all around and beautiful views of the lake. We dropped our packs and I once again immediately took off my boots and socks, threw on my water sandals and headed down to the water. Our campsite was on a sloping hill and it was a steep trek down to the shoreline but it was doable.
We got down to the rocky shore and I striped my clothes off and waded in the lake up to my knees. The water was so cold but it felt amazing on my sore feet and toes. After a few minutes of acclimating to the water temperature I dove in. Again the water took my breath away but it was such a wonderful, rejuvenating feeling. I took my braid out that had now become a huge matted, tangled, sweaty mess and dipped my hair in the cold lake water. When I got out of the water I sat on a warm rock by the waters edge and took in the scenery for a bit. After cooling off at the water we came back up to our camp and started unpacking and setting everything up.
We pitched the tent, got our sleeping stuff set up, pulled out our dinner for the night along with our stoves and filtered more water. For dinner I made a chicken and rice meal and Steve had chicken and dumplings. We enjoyed every bite of our meals after the grueling day we had. I had a few Oreo’s and then we laid in the tent and read until the sun went down. We hung our food bag and stashed the bear can and then curled up in our sleeping bags. We watched the sun set behind the granite peaks behind us and gazed at the alpine glow on the peaks across the lake as the sun faded. The campsite had a little patch of trees in front of it but where our tent was pitched the sky was open above us and we had a magnificent view of the stars. We waited for the sky to darken and watched as they started to appear like little sparkles spread all over the dark sky. As it got darker they grew brighter and I feel asleep gazing at them.
Day 3
We woke up to the crisp morning air and laid in our sleeping bags for a little while chatting. I eventually got up and went and got the bear can and pulled out my instant Starbucks Vanilla Latte packet and got my stove set up. I boiled some water, mixed in the packet and in a matter of minutes I was sipping on a Starbucks latte staring at the most beautiful alpine view. I sipped my coffee while sitting on a log overlooking the best view from our camp while Steve read in the tent. We then decided since to make our largest breakfast meal of Biscuits and Gravy since we had such a long day of hiking the day before and our bodies were extra tired and hungry. We shared the 2 serving package and it was just the right amount for us and super yummy.
We then relaxed the rest of the morning and read while taking in the peace and quiet. We were contemplating what our day was going to look like and debated hiking the additional mile of overgrown trail over to Sapphire Lake or walking back around to the side of the lake where we had come from and checking out the old dam and spend the day there swimming off the rocks. We chose the second option since we were still tired from hiking the day before and didn’t want to fight through the manzanita anymore than we had to.
We packed our day pack with water, snacks and sunscreen and headed back around the lake 1/4 of a mile to the smooth granite boulders next to the dam. We found shade in a lone tree and put our stuff underneath it before we walked down to the water.
We both put our feet in and quickly remembered how cold the water was. Steve went first and he slowly made his way in to his waist and then dove the rest of the way in. He was shocked by the cold temperature of the water at first but after the first swim he jumped in again. I went next and got in the water up to my knees before jumping off out into the deep blue water. We then laid out on the warm granite rocks next to the water and took in the view. The contrast of the super cold water with the very warm rocks was so relaxing.
We dried out on the rocks pretty quickly so we decided to take one more dip before venturing over to the dam and old mining remnants. The dam was made up of rocks perfectly stacked to a height of about 50 feet tall and was constructed by miners to dam the river making it easier for them to mine gold. The dam let out a small amount of water which formed the Stuart Fork creek. It flowed down the mountain, such a spectacular view with the high mountain peaks in the background.
We then headed back to our campsite for some lunch and a break from the sun. Once back at camp we sat in the shade and read our books. We moved our supplies to the shade every hour or so when the sun shifted out from behind the trees. Our tent only had trees on once side so we were in the full sun in the late afternoon. We sat quietly and listened to the birds chirp and some hummingbirds buzz by while we read and breathed in the mountain air. We made a couple more trips down to the lake to fill up our water supply and dip our toes in the water. A little while later we decided it was time for dinner so we boiled some water and prepared our dehydrated meals. After dinner we cleaned up our camp and then slipped into the tent where we both read until we fell asleep.
Day 4
We woke up this morning and arose from our tent quicker than the day before as we knew we were headed back down the mountain and a lot of miles to do. Our goal was to get around the halfway mark which would be 7 miles. We boiled some water for our oatmeal and ate while we packed. Once everything was stuffed and crammed into every corner of our packs we left our beautiful campsite and headed down the trail. We hiked back through the overgrown section so thick with manzanita on each side, that there is hardly even an opening between them. We had to push ourselves through the thick overgrown trail back around the lake to the dam and then from there started our decent down the rocky granite terrain. The trail switched from rocky and exposed to thick and overgrown for the first couple of miles. Some of the trail even turned into a running creek with waterfalls cascading from the side of the mountain.
Once we trekked through that section we got back into forest scenery for awhile and then we arrived back in the meadow. Going through the meadow section provided stunning views of the tall granite peaks on the ridgeline above us. Once past the meadow we were back into the forest scenery and saw a couple more snakes slithering just to the side of the trail. The miles today were a little easier as we were going downhill the majority of the time and we were making good time. A couple of days earlier on our way up we passed a great campsite that was right next to the creek and next to a spot with a large waterfall and deep pool perfect for swimming. It also was just about exactly at the halfway point of the trail. We both agreed that if it was vacant we would stay there for the night. I was thinking about how glorious this spot would be and couldn’t wait until we got there and could relax.
Once we turned the bend and came upon it there was a big group of backpackers sitting in the spot having lunch. We talked about asking if they were staying for the night as we didn’t see any tents being pitched but we ultimately decided not to bother them and just trek on to the next available spot. We also knew that the spot we had stayed at on night one wasn’t too much further and we could stay there again if it was open. Once we got to the next available spot we checked it out and walked around accessing our options. The spot was in full sun and the water access wasn’t perfect. Just about 100 feet further was the spot was camped at before so we walked over there to check it out and saw a group of three backpackers that passed us up a couple miles back and they claimed the spot we were in previously. Fortunately this campsite had multiple spots to choose from, all with prime access to the creek so we chose one down form them in the corner and set up camp.
We unpacked our packs, pitched the tent and got our sleeping stuff set up. We then changed into our sandals, grabbed our snacks and went and sat on a rock next to the creek and put our tired feet in the cold water. It felt glorious on my sore toes and my feet felt rejuvenated. Steve was hungry and decided to make a meal for lunch so while he got the stove out and set up I then decided it was time for a swim. Those 9 miles we hiked drenched me in sweat and I was stinky and ready for a refresh. I walked over to the deep pool in the creek and jumped in with my clothes on. It was so cold but I instantly felt cleaner and renewed. I walked back to our site soaking wet and proceeded to hang my clothes out on a branch to dry while I changed into my camp clothes. We then filtered some more water and then laid in the tent and read for awhile. My stomach started growling and I knew it was time to get dinner going. I went to the bear can and pulled out my meal for the night, southwestern quinoa, and got my water boiling. When my meal was ready I sat on a mossy rock near the creeks edge and ate, watching the water flowing by. I followed my dinner up with some Oreo’s and then laid down in the tent and read more of my book while listening to the creek flow until I fell asleep.
Day 5
The morning of our last day we woke up fairly early and quickly got out of the tent and started breakfast. While my oatmeal cooked I deflated my sleeping pad and pillow and rolled them up before shoving them in their cases. We ate our breakfast while we started packing our backpacks and getting ready to head out. We hit the trail around 8:30am and begun our hike back to the truck. This section of the trail was very wide and went through forests surrounded by tall pines and there was abundant shade. We were moving pretty quickly as the air was cool, our packs were a tad bit lighter and the brewery in Weaverville was calling our names. Steve had spotted it when we were in town getting our backcountry permit before we hit the trail. We both talked about how good a meal that wasn’t dehydrated would be and Steve talked about a cold beer. The hike out was peaceful and enjoyable. As the sun rose higher in the sky it shined through the branches of the pine trees and cast beautiful beams of light through the forest.
After about 5 miles of hiking I rounded a bend and saw the trailhead parking lot. Steve was waiting for me as he was always ahead of me on account of me stopping to take photos and videos every 15 minutes. We put the tailgate down and plopped our packs down on it. I stretched my legs and my shoulders out while I sipped on what was left of my water. We hung out for about 15 minutes while we tried to let the sweat on our clothes dry before getting in the truck. The road took us along the creek and back through the Trinity Alps Resort and then we turned right on Highway 3 headed back to Weaverville. We made it to town about 30 minutes before the brewery opened so we went to a mini mart and got cold drinks and snacks and sat in the parking lot until they opened. We ordered sandwiches, fries and Steve got a cold local brew and we sat outside on a picnic table on the patio. It was a great ending to an awesome adventure.
We ended up hiking 29 miles over the span of 5 days and spent 4 nights in the Shasta Trinity National Forest. This hike was perfect- with just enough seclusion, plenty of water, abundant shade and spectacular views! Overall we saw 7 snakes, 1 bear, 3 deer and lots of butterflies. I would recommend this hike if you’re ok with lots of constant incline and a very overgrown trail. We had a wonderful time exploring the Trinity Alps and are already talking about our next backpacking adventure there.
