Granite Chief Wilderness Area

                                                English Mountain

• For GRANITE CHIEF el 9000, take 89 north from tahoe city for about 5 miles to Squaw Valley Road at a light. Turn in here and go to the Olympic Valley Inn. The TH is to the right at N39 12041, W120 14299. Hike the trail to a fork for Shirley Canyon at 12170, 14684. Keep right and go to the crest where you meet the PCT at 12638, 16584. Go left on the PCT to the south side of the peak and get on a hiker trail at 11763, 16930 that goes 500 ft to the top at 11897, 17226. 6 hrs, about 3000 gain. The cable car can be used too. In 2010 it was $24 to go up and $10 if just coming down. A hikers route reportedly goes down Shirley Cyn that can provide an alternate route back. I went back to look for it. I came down the north side of Squaw Creek but there's no trail. I crossed over the creek and hit a trail at 12318, 15985 about a third mile below Shirley Lake. So the plan is to come down from the peak and find the best way to the lake. A road goes down to it from the cable car. Look for the trail at the lake and go on down to the upper falls at 12388, 15727. Then proceed to a gully with light brush at 12408, 15623 and go down to the creek. Go upstream a little to cross on big rocks and hit a good trail on the other side. Then walk along the bottom of the valley to get back on numerous trails. A good short hike is to go up the trail to where you can see the upper falls. Then go up the trail higher than the falls and find a route over and come back down the valley. Or take the cable car up and come down.
• For TWIN PEAKS, go south from Tahoe City on 89 to the paved Barker Pass Road next to the Kaspian campground. It's near Tahoe mp 68. Take it to the pass where it becomes dirt. Less than another mile is the PCT TH. Hike the trail north to the TRT. Go right on the TRT to the east ridge at 06668, 13717 then go up. Use a hiker trail for the last bit to the top. 5 hrs, 2300 gain. The trail loses 500 ft along the way. I filled a bottle at a spring on the trail at 05604, 14592. Jeeps can save a half hr and over 300 ft by taking the Barker Pass Road on past the TH and go right at the next jct. Now it's 4wd. Keep left at the first fork then right thereafter to get to the trail on the crest.
• For ELLIS PEAK, the TH is at the end of the pavement near Barker Pass. The trail joins a jeep road near the top. 3 hrs, 1600 gain. The trail loses 300 ft.
• For TINKER KNOB, take 89 north from tahoe city for about 7 miles to mp 16. Turn left on FR 08. Go just over 3 miles on this good rd to a 4wd road to Upper Pole Creek. This road is closed till Aug 1. Follow this narrow jeep road for 5 miles,keeping right at the one fork. The TH is at 14980, 16745 el 8200. Hike up to the PCT then go right to the peak 14677, 17108 el 8900+. 1 hr, 800 gain. A BETTER 4WD ROAD goes thru a boring logging area and gets nearly as close. Turn off 89 at mp 19 onto the paved Cabin Creek Rd. Go a mile then left on dirt. Go left again at the first fork.In another half mile go right. Go up steeply for over a mile and a half to a fork at N39 16569, W120 14522. Stay right here and keep going uphill to a fork at 16018, 14834. Go right to another fork at 15810, 15395 then left here. In half a mile is another fork so keep left again. Now drive till the trail shrinks too small. It's a short hike along the ridgetop to get to the TH. This road also opens Aug 1 but the gate is at nearly 8000 so it's still easy before Aug. Only OHVs can connect the 2 roads.
• MOUNT LOLA el 9150 is the highest Sierra peak north of I-80. Take 89 north from I-80 for nearly 15 miles to paved FR 07. Go about a mile and a half on 07 then go left on bumpy dirt. Cross a bridge and go another half mile to a 4 way. Go right for 3 miles to a 4wd road on the left at N39 29337, W120 20109. If you go straight another quarter mile you come to the 2wd TH. I went up the 4wd road for 2 miles to a T. Then right for just over a mile to a broken down bridge. Some may want to park here and cross the bridge and use the foot trail on the other side. I rode across then kept left at every fork and parked at 26986, 20907 el 7700 where the road crosses the trail for the last time. It's a 2 hour hike with 1400 gain. Really lazy hikers can start at 8600. There is a fork about a quarter mile before the spot I parked at. Go right at this fork for just over a mile and take a left fork heading toward the peak. A large parking area is at the end and the peak is 1.15 miles away at 25982, 21904. There's no trail but paragliders made it OK with 60 pound packs. A good loop would be to go up the trail then come down the north ridge and aim for the high parking area at 26960, 21629 el 8600 then walk the road back to the trail. The 4 miles of 4wd road going in isn't difficult but it's bumpy and you can expect to get some Nevada pinstriping. Some paragliders took their 3/4 ton Ford Pickup over the broken bridge in 2011. The trail from the 2wd TH is 5 miles long with 2500 gain.
• ENGLISH MOUNTAIN can be climbed from any direction. The SE ridge is easy but complicated. Use the directions for Mt Lola but keep going on FR 07 to Jackson Meadows Reservoir. Go across the dam to the end of the pavement then on to a camp store and rangers quarters. Go a little over half a mile past the store and take a left fork to Catfish and Meadow Lakes.  After 4 miles on this 4wd road you enter a meadow where the road to French Lake comes in on the right at N39 26131, W120 31460. Take this road to a gate in a quarter mile and park el 7050. Hike up the ridge weaving around brush patches. The right side of the ridge has less brush. At 26395, 32186 start walking the right side below the rocky ridgetop. Keep going gently up the right side on easy ground then pass thru a saddle at 26451, 32470 to get on the left side of the ridge.Walk thru the trees till you hit talus and crags. Go left around the edge of the rocks at 26422, 32715 then just walk thru the trees on a broad shelf with the crags and talus on your right. The shelf goes up and down a little then starts to fade. At this point get on talus at 26598, 33075 and go up it then thru a bit of light brush then angle left to 26649, 33079 and keep angling up to a class 2 chute at 26738, 33087. Go up the chute then left to the summit at 26792, 33074 el 8370. 4 hours, 1500 gain. Brush is not a major factor with long pants. You can figure this out without a GPS like I did but it will be harder work than entering all the WPs.