Day & Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California

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About Day & Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Northern

Product Description Discover the best PCT sections for a day hike or weekend jaunt The 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail traverses the “high road” from Mexico to Canada through three states. In this Northern California guide, local Wendy Lautner describes 31 day hikes and overnight trips on the PCT in northern Yosemite National Park, through Sonora, Ebbetts, and Carson passes, the Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe area, and farther north into Lassen Volcanic National Park and Russian and Marble Mountain wildernesses. Enjoy sparkling alpine lakes, windswept views, outstanding wildflowers, spectacular fall colors, great swimming, and much more on hikes ranging from a mile-long waterfall stroll to a scenic 22-mile trek. This handy guide includes: trail maps and elevation profiles ratings for scenery, trail condition, difficulty, solitude, and accessibility for children driving directions to, and GPS waypoints for, trailheads permit and fee instructions for overnighters details about what to expect on the trail About the Author At around the turn of the century, Wendy Lautner was a recovering pre-med major at Humboldt State University in Northern California. Having just recently returned from a study-abroad program in Central America, the idea of sitting in one place for too long seemed hard to fathom. Discussing this dilemma with her father via email he suggested she try journalism because, "then you can travel and do all kinds of fun things and get paid well for it." While she still hasn't quite mastered the "getting paid well" part, Wendy took her dad's advice and signed up for the school newspaper. Since then she has worked at "Paddler Magazine," wrote sports coverage in the adrenaline hub of Lake Tahoe area for the "North Lake Tahoe Bonanza," had a stint as the newspaper editor at the "Lincoln News Messenger" serving Sacramento's up-and-coming bedroom community to the north, and has written for heaps of other publications, Web sites and the like on topics ranging from recreation and travel to environmental issues. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Echo Summit to Meiss Meadows Overlook Scenery: *** Trail Condition: **** Children: **** Difficulty: * Solitude: * (depending on season) Distance: 4.3 miles round-trip Hiking Time: 2 hours Map: Lake Tahoe Basin Trail Map by Adventure Maps Outstanding Features: Wildlife, fall colors, alpine meadows This short trip gets the heart pumping with a nice climb to a beautiful overlook, but for an extremely mellow, short hike go no farther than Benwood Meadow. The trail starts at the west end of the Pacific Crest Trailhead parking lot at the top of Echo Summit. Most foot traffic takes a right at the trailhead and crosses US 50 toward stunning Echo Lakes. Heading left at the trailhead instead takes you toward beautiful mountain meadows. Both hikes are outstanding, but for slightly less traffic and a shorter hike, head left toward the meadows. Approximately 100 yards from the start, make a hairpin right turn to continue on the PCT and Tahoe Rim Trail. The trail parallels the Echo Summit Cross Country Ski Center parking lot and weaves in and out of cross-country ski trails. The trail turns into a doublewide track for a short while before a small singletrack trail marked with the PCT emblem veers off to the right. Go right. The trail ascends through a rocky Christmas-tree forest popular with mountain bikers, so beware. The trail intersects with another doubletrack and continues uphill before making a left onto a small singletrack trail marked with the PCT emblem. It might seem confusing, but it’s actually pretty intuitive when you’re there. The trail continues to ramble (though less aimlessly) through large granite boulders and tight trees before reaching Benwood Meadow after 1 mile of hiking. A little spur trail connects to the meadows, visible from the PCT. A nice spot to sit quietly and watch for wildlife, it makes a good destination for hikers intereste