American Canyon Trail (El Dorado County, California)

 

As my search for winter hikes continues, I came across an area called the Auburn State Recreation Area, which is northeast of Sacramento. From looking over the maps, there is a huge network of trails in this area, which meant picking just one was a bit difficult. Looking over several reviews and maps, I decided to start on the American Canyon Trail. The drive to the trail head is pleasant and passes nearby but below two very cool bridges over the north and middle forks of the American River. As I reach the small hamlet of Cool, two quick left turns and I'm looking around to see if this is, in fact, the trail head. As I try to maneuver for a parking spot, I once again find myself glad for having a jeep, as I end up atop a large buried boulder - drop it in 4-high and I'm free in a jiffy. I finally find a reasonable parking space just a hundred or so yards down the road. 

The start of the trail is nice, but not much to look at. It's well maintained, but the morning dew has left something of a muddy mess to walk through. About a mile in, I encounter three nice ladies hosting what I can only assume is a water stop for some trail-runner event. I ask about the trails and they suggest heading down a series of switchbacks to the water below (Western States Trail). Sounding as good as any other plan I may have had, I make my way across a couple of small streams. The lushness of this place is beautiful. Nearly all of the rocks and trees are covered with a thick carpet of vibrant green moss. Taking a couple of shots of the small little waterfalls here, I decide to move on. 

As I hear hoof steps approaching behind me, I step aside to let the riders and their mounts pass without spooking the fine beasts. The three female riders inform me that the last horse in the caravan is young and unused to the trails. I wish them well and let them pass, but a little further they are stopped due to riders coming the opposite direction. A little shuffling on the hillside and the horses are able to pass each other on the narrow trail. This is not my last encounter with these very friendly ladies though.

Just a bit further down the trail, I run into the riders again, this time dismounted and helping their four-legged friends navigate some very steep parts of the trail. The lady in the rear informs me of her recent hip replacements and while one of the other riders takes her horse, I try to offer my meager assistance as she navigates down the hill on foot. The trail is very steep and treacherous here and the last thing I would have wanted to see was her fall and require a med-vac out of this canyon. Eventually reaching a somewhat flat spot, the ladies ask one final courtesy of me and that is to help the same lady that had the hip replacements onto her mount. I give her what boost I can and they are safely away, offering words of gratitude as they continue on.

Beyond this area, I turn onto the Dead Truck Trail (curious name, lol) and make way to a very steep ravine. I bet this is the waterfall mentioned in the guides I had read. I take a break before descending. A large boulder makes an extremely comfortable and relaxing spot to stop, eat a snack, and rest for a few minutes. As I look around and admire the beauty of this canyon, I am reminded of how much I love being out here. Just me and the sun and mother nature . . . this might be heaven. After a short break, I navigate down a slippery wet set of rocks to the pool below what I suspect is an amazing waterfall. Unfortunately, I'm already perched precariously out onto the furthest surface I can manage without falling in the water. The falls looks as though it would be truly amazing cutting through the limestone boulders for 20 or so yards above me. Alas, I'm not geared and the weather is probably still a little cool for a dip here. 

Making my way back to the jeep, the trail is pretty steep on the return trip, but it provides a decent workout. All in all, I put in just shy of 8 miles today, but with the vast number of trails in this area, I expect I will be back.

Rock Lake in Winter (Washoe County, Nevada)

 

A couple of years ago, I hiked a great 15 mile hike up the Ophir Creek Trail from Davis Creek Park to Tahoe Meadows and back. At the time, I wasn't aware of a side trail to a rather unique little alpine lake called Rock Lake. As it's the season of conditioning, I figured today would be a great day to head up to explore this little gem.

The trail head at Davis Creek Park is only 10 or so miles south of Reno and so, I didn't start until about 9:30, figuring it would warm up a bit by then. When I arrived there were only a couple of other cars in the park's parking lots. I slung on my day pack and started up the trail. Just a short ways in, I was cursing myself for forgetting how steep this part of the trail was. While there are some flat spots, there are also some very steep ascents, and those are in the majority. 

Making my way to the crossing of Ophir creek, I am forced to navigate a series of wet granite stones to cross the creek's two branches. Not terribly difficult, but I imagine that snow-melt supplied water is frigid, and I'd rather not take a dip today.

Continuing on, it's more uphill, but the scenery is outstanding as I wander through this pine forest. The trail, while well-maintained, obviously hasn't seen much traffic so far this year, as indicated by the number of brown pine-needled carpeting the trail, and the forest floor in every direction. The trail is fairly easy to navigate, but continues putting some brutal climbs in front of me. I'm forced to stop to catch my breath more often than I would have liked, but then again, that's what this is all about - getting back in shape.

Finally reaching the side trail fork to Rock Lake, I head down into a shady valley that sill has a small amount of snow here and there. After a short distance, the lake comes into my field of vision. And finally, I see another hiker on the trail, a backpacker putting away his gear. We wave and I continue on toward the lake. 

Unlike most alpine lakes, this one is littered with golden colored boulders of varying sizes, making almost a rock stew. And while I'm so accustomed to seeing the white granite so prevalent in this side of the country, the rocks here have a unique golden hue. Not just a few of them, but everything in sight is this color. The water itself still consists of a slushy ice mixture down in-between the stones. I had read that this lake can boast a number of lily pads in spring, but I scan the surface for them, and come up short. I think I will need to come back to this site in a couple of months to check again.

The return trip is uneventful, though I do pass a number of other friendly hikers making their way up the mountain to whatever destination they have chosen for the day. After just about an hour and a half, I am back at the jeep. I little tired, but not too bad overall. All in all, it was a great hike on a beautiful day. Looking at the GPS, I logged just shy of 8 miles - not bad.