Читать книгу Top Trails: Lake Tahoe - Mike White - Страница 17

TRAIL 1 NORTH TAHOE

Mount Lola and White Rock Lake

TRAIL USE

Hike, Run, Bike, Horses, Dogs Allowed

LENGTH

14.4 miles, 8 hours

VERTICAL FEET

±2,550

DIFFICULTY

– 1 2 3 4 5 +

TRAIL TYPE

Out-and-back

SURFACE TYPE

Dirt

FEATURES

Canyon

Mountain

Summit

Stream

Shore

Wildflowers

Great Views

Photo Opportunity

Camping

Secluded

FACILITIES

None

A nearly forgotten trail north of Lake Tahoe takes hikers to a far-ranging view of the northern Sierra. Those with extra time and energy have the option of adding a 2-mile extension to picturesque White Rock Lake.

Best Time

The trail up the mountain is usually snow-free by mid-July, when wildflowers along Cold Stream are entering their peak.

Finding the Trail

Near the west end of Truckee, follow CA 89 north of I-80 for 14.5 miles to a left-hand turn onto Forest Route 07. Proceed on paved road for 1.5 miles, to a left-hand turn onto FR 07-10. Follow this gravel road to a bridge over the Little Truckee River and continue to an unsigned junction with Henness Pass Road, 0.6 mile from FR 07. Turn right and drive on Henness Pass Road for 3.1 miles to a spur road on the left, signed MT LOLA TRAIL. The trailhead parking area is a short distance up this road.

Logistics

Though the Mount Lola Trail is closed to all motor vehicles, a four-wheel-drive road closely parallels the trail through Cold Stream Valley. In addition, White Rock Lake is accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles via a road on the west side of the lake.

At 9,143 feet, Mount Lola is the highest summit between the Tahoe Basin and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Trail Description

1 Singletrack trail leads away from the trailhead on a moderate climb through mixed forest of western white pines, lodgepole pines, and white firs. At 0.6 mile, hop across a small seasonal stream lined with a tangle of alders and young aspens and continue the climb toward the mouth of Cold Stream Canyon. Where the singletrack trail merges with an old roadbed, you head upstream high above the level of the creek. Gaps in the mixed forest allow enough sunlight for an understory of tobacco brush, pinemat manzanita, and currant. Farther up the canyon the trail eventually draws closer to Cold Stream before intersecting a well-traveled road, 2.2 miles from the trailhead.

Walk along the road to a substantial wood bridge that spans the stream, and soon encounter a fork in the road. Take the left-hand fork and head upstream a short way to the resumption of singletrack trail on the left, which is unsigned but marked by a series of metal diamonds. Within a stone’s throw of the road to the right and the creek to the left, you continue upstream on mildly graded trail beneath mixed forest until breaking out into the open at Cold Stream Meadows. Dotted with clumps of willow and carpeted with a variety of grasses and wildflowers, the meadow lends a pastoral feel to the surroundings. A spur road near the far end of the meadow leads to a campsite in a copse of trees that’s sure to lure overnighters.

Camping

Just beyond the spur to the campsite, the route follows the main road briefly until singletrack trail resumes where the road bends sharply toward a crossing of Cold Stream. You proceed upstream for a while on mildly graded trail, hopping over a pair of tiny rivulets along the way. As the canyon narrows, the grade of the ascent increases and the trail draws nearer to the diminishing stream, crossing to the east bank at 3.8 miles from the trailhead.

Stream

You climb more steeply up the canyon after the creek crossing, reaching a faint use trail after 0.25 mile that soon leads to a view of a short waterfall, where the braided stream courses through moss-covered channels and tumbles picturesquely down a slanted rock face. Beyond the fall, the trail angles away from Cold Creek and ascends into the realm of mountain hemlocks. After a prominent switchback, the trees part enough to allow a glimpse of the upper slopes of Mount Lola and, as you follow the winding trail up the northeast ridge of the peak, other landmarks spring into view, including Independence Lake to the east and Castle Peak to the south. Reaching the summit, the incredible 360-degree view is ample reward for the toil of the ascent. 2 Scores of peaks are visible from Mount Lola, including Lassen Peak, Sierra Buttes, Mount Rose, and Freel Peak. You’ll also see verdant plains such as Sierra Valley and Martis Valley, and many bodies of water, such as Stampede, Boca, and Prosser Reservoirs. An old wooden sign reading MT. LOLA, ELEV. 9143 FT. marks the top, along with some low brick pillars, a few rock enclosures, and a metal army box holding the summit register. A short walk to the southern lip of the summit area reveals the shimmering surface of White Rock Lake, a mere 1.25 miles southwest of Mount Lola.

White Rock Lake from Mount Lola

Lake

To reach White Rock Lake, weave your way down the trail on the southwest ridge of the volcanic mountain amid low-growing shrubs, scattered wildflowers, and a few stunted pines farther down the ridge. After a couple of switchbacks, you make a descending traverse across the head of a canyon, through scattered western white pines, mountain hemlocks, and firs. Briefly descend the cleft of a seasonal drainage until the trail merges with a steep, rocky old road that leads you down to a junction east of the lake. The left-hand branch leads across the seasonal inlet to pleasant campsites along the stream bank. Veer to the right and follow the road past a large meadow to the east shore of White Rock Lake, 3 where shady conifers line the shoreline and dramatic rock cliffs provide a rugged backdrop. Several decent campsites are spread around the lakeshore.

MILESTONES

1 0.0

Start at trailhead

2 5.2

Summit of Mount Lola

3 7.2

White Rock Lake