Trails in Northern California

Trails in Northern California

Leave No Trace!

Visit desovw.org for more information about Desolation Wilderness. Visit Recreation.gov or call 1- 877-444-6777 to make park reservations. Visit Campfire Permits to get a permit online. More about Leave No Trace principles.

July 09, 2012

Old Rubicon Trail Part A near Georgetown area

*  You can click on a photo and scroll through all of the photos enlarged for viewing in better detail.


The most memorable thing about this hike for me, aside from the heat, was the swarm of ladybugs near the turn around point of our hike.  We stood near a cliff to take photos of a chute where the river fought its way through.  The swarm was so thick we could see wee ladybugs over the river in our photos!  I was being bitten all over and had to leave the area.  When we got home I did some research and found out that this variety was imported for farming as a natural pesticide.  It is characteristic of them to try to get the salt off of you, and some sources claim that they don't bite...I beg to differ!  And it hurt!  And left those annoying red bumps just like mosquitoes.  Is there ladybug repellant???

Miles:  We hiked 1.9 miles each way but you can go all the way up to Hell Hole Reservoir or downriver as well.  Another option is to cross the river and go upriver on the other side.  Hunter Trail is reported to be a 10 mile hike.

Difficulty:   Easy to moderate.
Elevation:   3509-3777 
Driving Directions:  Take Wentworth Springs Road 15 miles from Georgetown and turn west on Eleven Pines Road.The road turns north.  In 5 miles we parked at the small camping area on the right at the Rubicon River Bridge.  The trail parallels the river, starting at the backside of the informal camping area.




Most of my experiences hiking in the Georgetown area have provided cooler temperatures than in the Sacramento Valley.  The day we explored this hike, it seemed like all we did was sweat and swat mosquitoes and ladybugs.  You read that right!
From the car we hiked through the little informal campground and caught the trail upriver.  It meanders up and down and through the trees, and with glimpses of the river but we were up the canyon wall and nowhere near water we could touch.  Just before we expected to cross a creek to continue toward Hell Hole Reservoir the trail disappeared. We were ready to head back anyway.  If you live close enough, this hike has potential for being fun with good weather, bug spray, lots of water and sunscreen.  Wikiloc has numerous trails loaded for your GPS in this area with many options for side trips or longer hikes.

Peachy Hiker's Table of Contents

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for your visit to Peachy Hiker's place and for taking the time to share your thoughts!