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Momentous Adventures-Heart of the Trinities Loop (part 1)

Posted by eriksoltan on Jul 10, 2014 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Emerald Lake

Red, white and green are the colors of the Trinity Alps in Northern California, and they’re represented in every corner of this 71 mile loop. Red is the metamorphic rock of the Stoney Ridge and the Four Lakes area as the columbine and paintbrush sway in the breeze. White is the granite of the Stuart Fork watershed and the three stunning lakes at the head of the valley-Emerald, Sapphire and Mirror. Green is the lush Morris and Siligo meadows that carpet the foot of the peaks along the western Trinities, ending in craggy ridges in the Pacific Ocean.

With very little information about the Trinities and my buddy Colin along for the ride, I was ready for a new experience. Start out at the Stoney Ridge trailhead and walk down the road a mile to the Elk Gulch trailhead located by a sharp 180 degree turn in the road. Follow the faint trail downhill that parallels the creek on the left. Pink flagging marking the trail will lead you along a ridge and over old roads. Stay calm as the tread disappears along your way and feel confident that this way trail is only a mile and a half long and will slowly arc down to the road. Before long, you will see the houses that tell you that the road is below. Arriving at the road, be glad you came down this “trail” and not up it, trying to navigate the curvy mess of roads that lead to the one true road leading back to your car, so I recommend doing this loop in a clockwise direction.

Walk down to the Stuart Fork trailhead and follow the old roadbed/trail as it steadily climbs through a mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods. Follow the Green River as it steadily climbs to lush Morris Meadows. Don’t miss the views up the mostly granite U-shaped valley and into the basin of Alpine Lake. Climbing higher, the sights include Emerald and Sapphire Lakes, the grass growing higher in the meadow, and old growth trees give way to scenic and shady camps on the sides of the meadow.

The trail will come alongside the river again, and you’ll pass Portuguese Camp next to Stuart Creek and the route over the Sawtooth Ridge will lead you to Caribou Basin. From this vantage point you can see now that the next few miles are curving left into the head of the Stuart Fork valley as the trail grows steeper . The view of Sawtooth Mountain with its wall of mountains spreads out behind you. Emerald Lake has a small breached dam at its outlet along with nice camps on its east and south shores with random rusting mining equipment of a bygone era. Don’t stop here though, as the trail continues along Emerald’s west shore traversing higher to Sapphire Lake. This lake is really a sight to see with the high walls of impenetrable, steep granite all around you enclosing this lovely blue fjord-like gem. Great camps are located along the outlet and on the slabs to the west of Sapphire Lake. Mirror Lake seems more daunting of a goal however, as it rests on a high shelf a mile above the lake in an alpine cirque in the right corner of the valley.

Rolling on back down to the Sawtooth Ridge intersection, begin your climb to the top. The trail will be brushy at first, but as the switchbacks grow higher it becomes more rocky as you leave the valley floor behind. This one mile trail is tough, it’s true, but the views of the gorgeous white Trinities are worth every step as you gaze across the valley to the alpine expanses below and back to Sapphire Lake. When you crest the ridge you’ll notice that the red Trinities are intermingled with the white now, and Caribou Basin is just half a mile below. Walking through the high meadows of the basin you will see sub-alpine tarns stretching all around you as upper Caribou Lake’s blue waters gleam. With so many camping options, it is hard to pick the winner, so I suggest dropping your pack and taking a bit of time to ramble and explore your options before deciding. After your glorious night’s home is found, follow the rock slabs higher to discover higher ponds and Caribou’s outlet with its views of Lower Caribou and Snowslide Lake.