Lyons Lake, Desolation Wilderness, CA

Upon arriving at Lyons Lake, I discovered completely idyllic, serene views, and wilderness solitude.  (Visited only by a photogenic marmot, that is!)  Lyons Lake offers the classic wilderness experience Desolation strives to provide.

*  For a newer article visit Lyons and Sylvia Lakes 2015  I suggest scrolling through the photos here though!

If you click on a photo you can scroll through the photos, enlarged for easier viewing.  At the bottom of this article I have posted Wikiloc's link for GPS tracks, a topo map of the trail, and an elevation profile.

Sunset at Lyons Lake in June 2012.

 

Difficulty:  Strenuous. Climbing rocky terrain, several creek crossings.  Take extra socks or waterproof boots.

Length:  10+ miles RT per my GPS.

Elevation:  range from 6707 to 8401 feet.

Directions:  Take Wrights Lake Road north off of Highway 50, out of Kyburz, CA.  Follow the signs to Lyons Creek Trailhead.  The Wrights Lake Road will be between tract 36 and tract 39 along Highway 50.

Other advisories: There is free parking; no restroom.  At the trailhead there are day passes available that you will need to cross into the Desolation Wilderness.  If you are planning to backpack in, obtain a permit from  Recreation.gov  , a Tahoe Basin Ranger Station or from Pacific Ranger Station off of Highway 50 at Fresh Pond..  There are minimal fees.  No campfires allowed inside the wilderness boundaries.  Fishing is popular and you need your fishing license. Check for Desolation's current regulations.

Wildflowers abound while the area is still moist with runoff from snow melt.  They line the trail and there is no need to bushwhack around to have the pleasure of the colors.

Alongside Lyons Creek Trail this creek flows invitingly, and offers picturesque, idyllic wading and resting areas, not to mention more photo opportunities!

As you approach Desolation, it is getting drier and rockier, but as you climb in elevation (gradually until the fork up to Lyons Lake) you'll wind your way through some more shady areas, but the threat is the mosquitoes are there waiting for you!!! They seem to love Deet.

 This trail is not only inviting to us, but those flying biting ravenous bugs.  The trail gains elevation slowly at first and is as the photo depicts, pleasant and easy.  But it's deceptive!

 It gradually gets steeper and definitively rockier!

Then the junction for Lyons or Sylvia Lakes is clearly marked with a forestry post, and both are wonderful destinations. It's only .1 mile farther to Lyons though quite a bit steeper climb.

 On a warm day you tend to look for some shady rest as the trail has wandered away from the creek. A hat is nice protection and sunscreen is worth the trouble.

The next thing you know you'll cross Lyons Creek, preferably by going from rock to rock, but plan on getting wet.

    

The trail up to Lyons Lake winds upward through the rocks and boulders, and is pretty easy to follow. 

This creek flowing from Lyons is slightly off trail, actually easy to get to for a rest.

You have arrived!  There is an outlet from Lyons that has a small dam on its north side that you can cross to get to this small clearing beside the lake that is shaded.

This little marmot will probably visit you. He was happy to let me wander around taking photos but he didn't get into my things, as some will do without apology. There are several campsites around the lake.  I chose the flat granite east of the outlet.

This photo is of the west side of Lyons Lake later in the day.

 Fewer wildflowers are to be found up here, but these were bright accents to the drier scenery.

The evening sky from southeast of the Lyons Lake outlet.



 As I descended the next day, this was my view from Lyons Lake.

Wikiloc GPS tracks:  Lyons Lake in Desolation Wilderness 

Related Posts

Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous

Happy Trails!  Thanks for dropping by!

Updated links and facts 06-2016

Happy Trails!

updated 8-2012
Updated with a link to a new post about this hike and a new link for reservations.

Trinity Alps

Trinity Alps Backpacking June 2010

We chose this trip to upgrade our skills and fitness levels. I've seen photographs, read blogs and trail reviews about the Trinity Alps which planted visions of sugarplums in my head about what it would be like. The weather turned on us a bit and the Forestry informed us most of the lakes are inaccessible from snow and trail damages, and they are as much as 90% iced over! It is mid-June!!!

Furthermore, most of the trails are unmaintained due to a huge shortfall of funding so climbing over fallen trees and crossing swollen creeks that were unpredictable from one hour to the next. Many trails have become impassable due to lack of travel and maintenance. With the worst and best cases presented to us, we took our maps and GPS and made a run for it.

The trail head we chose was an hour drive up a dirt road, with a conveniently located campground very nearby. As the day grew short, we decided to do an over-nighter there then start out refreshed and organized in the morning.















The camp was secluded, a mile down a narrow dirt road; we were there on a weeknight anyway, with recent stormy weather, and with rain forecast for the next couple of days. Not all brochure ads for drawing crowds! So we did have the area almost entirely to ourselves.




















A runoff creek tumbled over mossy rocks alongside our chosen campsite giving us easy access and a nice stereo effect from that and the river. A small trail wandered uphill beside it and made a pleasant evening walk. We also walked up the dirt road to the trail head to take a peek.




























Along the way was an old wood building, looked like it could house a couple of pack animals, and a nearby old "outhouse" of sorts. There was a great sawed out bench seat and a fire pit.

We meandered further up the road, checking out the scenery and vegetation, and stretching
our legs from the drive. So far, the weather was holding out for us.

We set up camp, finally deciding to use the rain fly just in case, and kept most of our gear in our
vehicle. They say "Early to Bed", and so we were! Yes, the rain came through and our insurance of having the rain fly paid off! In the morning, the ground was only damp, and the air was warmer thanks to the clouds. Breakfast was oatmeal, as usual, for an energy boost! And of course we indulged in our personal luxury, COFFEE! Not powder, brewed! Ah, cowboys knew how to do it!
We did spend some time reading the trail head signs and checking out our options at the map there, counted creek and river crossings and tried to minimize those due to advice from the forestry. We made a plan and after the obligatory first photos, we stepped off into the woodlands, lazy, excited, anxious, and determined. Prepared for almost anything! From there it becomes self hypnotic for me, one foot in front of the other, listen, look around for photo opportunities, and keep pressing on at a steady pace.

Our first creek crossing was small, but an exciting gateway into the alps, and into our fantasies of what we would be able to see.
The trail of course diverged and left us wondering where to go...up, up, up? To the right but only 5 or 6 miles? or to the unknown left that we thought might be the trail to the lake we hoped to get to. We turned left and hiked through a thickly forested area, fire bitten in the last few years, but recovering well.

This is me returning on a trail that is supposedly in good condition, but we hiked a section without our gear to see how it looked...where are my trekking poles and a rope?!?!?! No wait! A parachute!



Wildflowers dotted wet areas, and even bamboo grew around one of the creek areas. It seemed to me the creeks were growing and I found us looking for logs to cross or bigger, less slippery rocks, doing a little bushwhacking (or we were on untraveled and unmaintained old trails) searching for better, safer routes. We found a great log crossing and several of our efforts to reroute ourselves proved unfruitful so we backtracked.

Finally, the great challenge we were forewarned about...the river. We could COULD cross there, but there was one fairly deep area with a swift current. Now that was okay, but what about a sunny day (it was raining just then) or how the rain would effect the melt and runoff had to be considered too. At that point we weren't even sure that to get to our destination, this was the best or only route. Deliberation lasted about 45 minutes, and we tried the high road of unused but visible trail on our side of the river but up higher along the canyon walls. LOTS of tree falls made it difficult, but also allowed great backpack rests here and there. We took a break and contemplated our options again, and studied maps again. Meanwhile, we ate and got some electrolytes in us to prepare for whatever challenge we took. We finally decided to return to the Up up up trail we left behind and give it a try, thinking it may get us closer to the lake. We backtracked. There it loomed. Up. So we climbed. The further we went it seemed like this may have been where we should have gone all along.
We were able to log many more miles back this way with less dangerous creek crossings and found a camp at a trail junction called Rattlesnake Camp. Quietly nearby were some other backpackers, well hidden, and two more passed us later in the day after we had settled in. The next day was enjoyable, and our bear canister and food bag we had hung were both untouched. Our ritual of cowboy coffee got us off to a great start and after a nutritious dehydrated meal, we made it back onto the trail.



At long last we "car-camped" in Hobo Gulch Campground, with a table, fire pit, the river just across the way, and deer wandering through to the river. We waded in the river, played with a little sunning snake, and took in a little sun ourselves. That evening we had fun watching the deer pass through and we played our camera games capturing Ken's knees, then feet, and close ups of the tent netting, my ridiculous expressions, ...arm pits, you know, good old fashioned fun! It gave us the day to relax and review the funny things, options we could have taken, food issues, future packing ideas, and get our things and selves organized before returning to city life!

Peachy Hiker's Table of Contents

Quarry Trail, Browns Bar, WST

My hiking companion and I had plans for a hike, our first in two weeks, but we were undecided about our trail for the day. Having gotten a late start, we headed up to the familiar foothills Confluence area. To avoid paying the $10 parking fee at the Quarry Trailhead, we parked along Highway 49 near the bridge and with our backpacks full (for conditioning value) we headed out on the Quarry Trail. The website below has historical information, a trail map (that does not show many of the trail offshoots), and exact driving directions. http://members.psyber.com/asra/tgquar.pdf

We had a hard time feeling motivated, between our lack of recent hiking, my friend's new backpack break-in period, and the weather looking potentially formidable. The first part of the hike is a very wide trail that leads parallel to the river on your left, and along the way are several tables and a couple of bathrooms. We passed those areas and stopped by the mine that is blocked with a very heavy locked iron gate, but you can see quite a ways into it.

 
Using your flash you can get an interesting photo. Unfortunately, the outer cement bridge remains are covered in vandalism spray paint, taking away from the historical feel of the old mining site.

Hiking on, we crossed two creeks and came to Brown's Bar Trail at the 3.5 miles point. This trail is only .8 miles long but provides difficult footing at times, and heads upward to connect to the Western States Trail. The elevation range is recorded as 1320'-680'. It was steep, rocky, deeply rutted from weather drainage, and muddy from recent weather. It ran alongside a creek (or sometimes the trail WAS a creek) and the area was green, shady and lush. Our mission was to follow the WST back to the PG&E trail that would lead us back down to the Quarry Trail and then back to the car.

 
Finally we peaked at the WST junction. It has been a goal of mine to see this section of the WST, and it was very pretty this time of year. The problem was that it is not very clearly marked as to which of the several intersecting trails we should take to get back to the Quarry Trail instead of going to Cool.We used our senses of direction and chose the path to our right which took us through neighborhoods, crossing the unmarked street. The trail did not go straight across though, so there was a mini-search for the connections. The only markers were metal poles with horseshoes welded to the tops and two horseshoes painted on the pavement. There were large, slippery muddy trail sections and numerous creeks to cross.

Poison Oak was plentiful and unavoidable!!!

We were getting tired, and the uncertainty along with our late start made it more stressful. In the worst case scenario we had everything we needed. We finally broke out to a view of the burned hills across the canyon that runs along the river, so we were sure we were still on the right track. The trail headed downhill with a more gentle slope back towards the canyon, which we gladly followed. It was pretty amusing to come across a family of four who asked us for directions and we were glad to be able to confirm they were going the right way back to their neighborhood. The "mom" looked every bit as stressed as we had been just minutes ago! They were all obviously relieved, just as we had been!

My hiking companion estimated we had hiked about 10 miles, but we had forgotten the GPS in the truck.

I would do the hike again, but enjoy it more with drier ground. My curiosity is roused about the trails that came off of WST, and I would like a map that shows those options. It would also be nicer to have the GPS along to provide distances and elevation changes of the whole hike. It took us about 5 hours without a lunch stop.

And of course, I always will welcome input from any of you who know more!

"Spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush." Doug Larson