Читать книгу Top Trails: Lake Tahoe - Mike White - Страница 20
ОглавлениеTRAIL 4 NORTH TAHOE
Castle Peak
TRAIL USE
Hike, Dogs Allowed
LENGTH
9.6 miles, 3 hours
VERTICAL FEET
±2,205
DIFFICULTY
– 1 2 3 4 5 +
TRAIL TYPE
Out-and-back
SURFACE TYPE
Dirt
FEATURES
Canyon
Mountain
Summit
Wildflowers
Great Views
Photo Opportunity
FACILITIES
Restrooms
Picnic Tables
Water
A climb to one of north Tahoe’s highest summits provides summiteers with an expansive view of the northern Sierra, which on clear days includes distant Lassen Peak in the north and the coastal hills to the west.
Best Time
Mid-July–early September is the prime time for an ascent. Though this is a favorite winter ascent of backcountry skiers and snowshoers, most of the lingering snowbanks across the trail have disappeared by mid-July.
Finding the Trail
West of Donner Summit, take the Castle Peak/Boreal Ridge Road exit from I-80. Drive to the frontage road on the south side of the freeway and proceed east 0.3 mile to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) parking area. The large parking lot has trailer parking, pit toilets, and running water in season.
Logistics
Two alternatives will shorten the trip. The first option is to park near the start of the Castle Valley Road, just north of the I-80 ramps, and walk the road to Castle Pass. With a high-clearance vehicle, the second option is to drive the Castle Valley Road to a parking area near the Hole in the Ground Trailhead. From there a shorter hike along the road leads to Castle Pass.
Trail Description
1 From the parking lot follow a well-signed gravel path to a stone bridge over a seasonal stream and continue on dirt track through lodgepole pines, western white pines, and white firs. Soon encounter a junction with the Glacier Meadow Loop, 2 where you veer right and continue eastbound toward the Pacific Crest Trail. After a short distance you come to a second junction with the Glacier Meadow Loop, 3 where you veer to the right again. Pass by a shallow pond, where mountain hemlocks join the mixed forest, and then make a short descent to the Pacific Crest Trail junction, near the edge of a grass- and willow-filled meadow, 0.5 mile from the trailhead. 4
Head north on the PCT around the fringe of the meadow and pass through a pair of large culverts, underneath the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-80. Beyond the culverts you make a moderate climb to the crossing of a seasonal creek and then come to a well-signed, four-way junction, 1 mile from the trailhead. 5
Remaining on the Pacific Crest Trail, you proceed straight ahead at the four-way junction, following signed directions to Castle Pass. The PCT rises and then drops to the north shore of a small pond, where you should veer right at an unmarked Y-junction with a path bound for the Donner Summit Rest Area.
OPTIONS
Cross-Country Routes
Ambitious peak baggers can double summit by following a boot-beaten path from Castle Peak along the north ridge to the top of 9,017-foot Basin Peak. On the way back, dropping west from the ridge about halfway between Castle and Basin Peaks to head cross-country to a connection with the Pacific Crest Trail in Round Valley provides an easier alternative to a return over Castle Peak.
Beyond the unmarked junction, you follow mildly graded trail through mixed forest, toward Castle Valley. Eventually the trail brings you alongside the creek for a brief time and then travels just east of the verdant meadows of Castle Valley. Use trails branch away from the PCT at various points, headed toward the creek and meadows. At 2.3 miles from the trailhead you cross a well-traveled dirt road, and then continue upstream through Castle Valley, hopping over lushly lined tributaries along the way. Nearing the head of the valley, the PCT bends to the west on an ascending traverse to a signed three-way junction with a trail from the Castle Valley Road. 6 From there, a short but stiff climb brings you to Castle Pass and a junction with a trio of paths, 3.3 miles from the trailhead. 7
Summit
At Castle Pass take the use trail to the right, which ascends the west ridge of Castle Peak. As you climb the rocky ridge the conifers diminish, allowing you increasingly good views of Castle Peak ahead and other peaks and landmarks scattered around the Donner Pass region. A steep, zigzagging ascent heads around to the north side of the mountain, where switchbacks then lead you toward the summit. After a rocky stretch of climbing, a splendid view greets you at the top of the 9,103-foot peak. 8 Clear days offer a 360-degree view, all the way to Lassen Peak in the north, Mount Diablo and the coastal hills to the west, the peaks of Desolation Wilderness to the south, and the Carson Range to the east. Don’t forget to pack along a map of the area to help you identify the numerous landmarks visible from the summit.
Castle Peak
MILESTONES
1 0.0
Start at Pacific Crest Trail Trailhead
2 0.2
Veer right at Glacier Meadow Loop junction
3 0.3
Veer right again at Glacier Meadow Loop junction
4 0.5
Turn left (north) at PCT junction
5 1.0
Proceed straight ahead (west) at Summit Lake Trail junction
6 3.2
Veer right at Castle Valley Road junction
7 3.3
Castle Pass, leave PCT and turn right on use trail
8 4.8
Summit of Castle Peak
