Summertime in the Trinity Alps

Matt and I had a busy summer. Trail running took priority in the early season, with trips to Bend and Lassen. We went back to the Midwest in July. While all that excitement was wonderful, it meant we neglected the mountain range nearest our home: the Trinity Alps. We had two full mountain days in August to make up for it.

Deer Lake

In the summertime, avoiding the Trinities is just as well. Temperatures soar into the nineties even at 6,000 ft. and backpacking in the heat is like hiking in a parka. Late summer is always perfect as temperatures have cooled down, but the risk of wildfire smoke is higher. Although there were fires around, the wind direction on both of our trips was in our favor and only the occasional whiff of smoke was detected.

Siligo Peak Summit, 8,162 ft.

Granite Peak
10 miles, 5:13:36, 4,506 ft. gain.

Our first real trip into the T-Alps wasn't until after Rachel and I returned from our trip to Alaska. Going through some serious mountain withdrawal, it took little arm-twisting when Matt and his coworker Ricky asked us to climb Granite Peak with them. Sunshine and mountains? Sign us up.

Granite Peak from the road.

Rachel and I powered up the mountain like pros while the boys hung back behind us somewhere. The five miles to the top is always brutal. With few switchbacks, the thousand feet of gain each mile made our muscles groan from the very first step. We stopped for a snack together at three miles and then ascended the remaining two with the boys in front so we wouldn't leave them behind. Unlike our trip in March a couple of years ago, we weren't turned around by snow so we got to stand on the tippy top this time!

Wildflowers led the way as we traveled through the forest, back and forth across a seasonal stream, and then finally into the open alpine. With all the different zones and moisture levels, we encountered almost every type of wildflower that grows in northern California.

Columbine

A little bit of everything.

As the day turned warmer, the heat followed us up the mountain. Seventy-five degrees at over 8,000 feet.

With my mountain wife.

With the legal spouse.

Group shot at 8,091 feet.

We did some quick scribbles in the summit log, adding to someone's ridiculous story, and then headed back down.

We made our descent back into the furnace, a few degrees warmer with each passing step, visions of watermelon danced in our heads.

The pace accelerated as we rushed down the mountain. Watermelon in the mountains has been a recurring reward for me all summer.

Four Lakes Loop
19.12 miles, 7:33:05, 6,179 ft. gain.

Labor Day Weekend held perhaps my favorite adventure of the entire summer. Lanore and I decided to tackle the trek up Long Canyon, up and around Siligo Peak, and back in a single day. Due to the terrain, the nineteen mile trek is usually done as at least a two or three day backpacking trip.

We pulled up to the trailhead and had to park a significant distance downhill from it because the lot was completely full. We counted no less than fifty cars in the morning and many more were there when we returned that evening. The weekend was gorgeous and even though I like the trails all to myself, everyone out was friendly so the company enriched our experience rather than detracted from it.

Lake 1: Deer Lake

Lake 2: Summit Lake

Lake 3: Diamond Lake

Lake 4: Luella Lake

Everyone we passed on the trail schlepped around a large backpack, so we had several offers to trade packs with people. It would have been interesting to spend the night with so many others around.

Icing tired legs on a snowfield aside Luella Lake

We had a gorgeous mountain adventure, enjoyed our summit sandwiches, and crammed as much girl time as we could physically handle into one very busy day. Being out during golden hour was incredible, too. Every hue popped and I think the trip back down to the car took longer because I took so many photos.

 

By the time we returned home, I didn't even shower the dust off, I fell right into bed instead. As soon as I return home from trips like these, I can't wait to get out there again. If luck is on my side, I might get one more visit before winter sets in.