Desolation Wilderness Hikes

• For TELLS PEAK el 8800,  take the paved Icehouse Road north from 50 for 21 miles or so to the paved Cheese Camp Road. Follow this one lane rd for nearly 6 miles to a gate. The hike starts here. Permits are on a spur road to the right. Hike past the gate for half a mile to a 3 way. Take the middle rd to the Highland Trail at N38 56636, W120 18388. Follow this to Forni Lake. Pick up the now spotty trail on the right of the lake at 57267, 15686 and go up to a meadow. Go left across the meadow to the trail at 57283, 15518. Go up to 57318, 15316 then on to the summit ridge 57381, 15159. Now just go left to the top at 57598, 15276. 6 hrs, 2200 gain.
• For RALSTON PEAK el 9200, go east on 50 from Strawberry for about 3 miles to Sacramento Camp. Turn in here to the north and go a short way up a dirt road to the TH. The trail starts easy then steepens. At 8400 an obvious right fork goes straight up the ridge to the top at N38 49966, W120 06101. But it's easier to stay on the main trail and go up to a jct at 8800 then go right up the west ridge. 4 hrs, 2700 gain.
• The RALSTON/HORSETAIL FALLS LOOP is the best way to see the whole falls area. Go to the jct at 8800 on the Ralston Peak hike. Stay left on the main trail to N38 50731, W120 06522. Start down here thru the trees aiming for a lower trail 50680, 07124 at Lake of the Woods. Then go left to Ropi Lake. The trail crosses open rock where cairns are everywhere. The correct trail is at 50412, 07386. At the lake, the cascades are at the inlet to the right. Go left along the lake and cross the twin dams at 50340, 07762. The dams have gaps. The first had a fat log in 2011 and the second could be jumped by adults. Walk downstream for half a mile along the right side of the creek to the head of Horsetail Falls. A crude hiker trail down is just up on the right. Go down but not too much. Aim for the trail at 49772, 07529 near a fat tree. Move far right on some class 3 slabs at the bottom of the falls then come back left at the bottom of the slabs. The trail enters trees and has many forks that all go. If in doubt, take the fork closest to the creek. It took us 6 hours and 2200 gain to go from TH to TH. Then I rode a bike for a mile and a quarter up 50 to get the car. Start early in case you can't find a good crossing at the creek and want to come back.
• For PRYAMID PEAK/HORSETAIL FALLS HIKE, leave a car at Pyramid Creek TH about 2 miles east of Strawberry on 50. Then go back west nearly 6 miles to the paved Wrights Lake Road. Take that for 4 miles to Lyons Creek TH. Hike 5 miles to Sylvia Lake. Walk right around the lake to an obvious talus gully. Go up that to a saddle then walk the ridge to the peak N38 50696, W120 09475 el 9983. Go down the south ridge to 50034, 08545. I went down here to some class 2 rock at 50109, 08242 just before the bottom. At bottom, go right around a hill of granite then swing left to the rim overlooking the falls at 49845, 07640 el 7700. Go straight down the slope thru light manzanita to the crude falls trail at 49772, 07529 near a fat tree. Move far right on some class 3 slabs at the bottom of the falls then come back left at the bottom of the slabs. The trail enters trees and has many forks that all go. If in doubt, take the fork closest to the creek. It's a chore to find the best trail out because every idiot that comes down the pike has to set up his own route. 7 hrs, 3300 gain. The last 300 ft to the summit is big talus. The ROCKY CANYON TRAIL is just east of Strawberry and is the shortest route the peak. It starts at 48513, 08158 el 5900 on 50 and goes parabolic right out of the gate. There is a tiny parking area 400 feet to the west at an overhanging sign. The trail starts out fuzzy but soon you're on a better trail than many of the maintained ones. No shuttle is required but you might need an ambulance because you have to walk 3/4 mile down 50 to get back from Horsetail Falls. Walk behind the south guardrail. What about a bike shuttle? Forget it. There's no shoulder. They'll mow you down and laugh all the way home. If you're just using the Rocky Canyon trail to come down, pick it up at 49999, 09336 el 8550. This is the hardest hike on this page. Don't try this at home.
• For MOUNT PRICE, start at Wrights Lake. Go east from Kyburz on 50 and turn at the sign for Wrights Road. It's paved to the Twin Lakes TH near the lake. Follow the signs for the Twin Lakes trail. At about an air mile from the start is a sign for Grouse Lake. Turn there and hike to the lake then along the left side and on to Hemlock Lake. Better not drink from this one. The trail goes on and ends at Smith Lake el 8700. The idea is to climb bedrock at the east end of the lake and gain the ridgetop to the right of a peak. Hike along the left side of the lake gradually gaining a couple hundred feet and stay below tree line. Then aim for the bedrock at N38 51529, W120 11129. Go up from there to a wide chute at 51557, 11061 then on to the ridgetop on talus. Now you can see the summit area to the east. I contoured along below the ridge then up easy slopes south of the peak. I couldn't tell if the west ridgetop would work. The peak is at 51841, 10478 el 9975. 6 hours, 3000+ gain. This might be the shortest route to the peak. Coming down via Twin Lakes would make a good loop if the snow ever melts.
• For DICKS PEAK, drive on 89 to Emerald Bay and look for the Bayview CG. The trail is at the back at N38 56606, W120 06051. Follow this past Granite Lake and keep left at every trail jct to arrive at the main saddle 54255, 08346 el 9200. Leave the main trail here and use a hikers trail to go up the ridge. When it steepens,keep to the center. When it gets scary, move left to an easy chute then you're home free to the summit at 54028, 09060 el 9970. 8 hrs, about 4000 gain as the trails loses 4 or 5 hundred feet on the way up.
• For RUBICON PEAK, take 89 north of Emerald Bay to Scenic Drive at Tahoe mp 58.2. Beware that Scenic comes back to 89 again a little to the north. Take Scenic to county 2538 then left to Woodland then left to Manzanita then right to Lakeview then left to Crest then right to Forest View then left to Highview then left to Highland. The TH is at the end of Highland at N39 00627, W120 07386. Hike the old road a few hundred feet then it becomes a trail that soon goes parabolic. At the top,go to the right side of the peak to some easy class 3 rock at N38 59315, W120 08008. 4 hrs, 2200 gain.
• MOUNT TALLAC has a trail to the top. Take 89 and turn just north of Fallen Leaf Lake at the sign for Mt Tallac TH. Follow the trail past Cathedral Lake then it steepens till you're on the main ridge. The peak is at N38 54354, W120 05929. 6 hours, 3400 gain.

  

  Desolation Wilderness as seen from Freel Peak