El Dorado National Forest Backpacking in Sept 2015

Lyons Creek Trail

Our drive up was a bit smokey, we wondered if our plans were a good idea.
As we climbed elevation on our way to the trailhead, our view was smokey but we pressed on to check it out.

We reached the trailhead and decided to give our first trip together a go.  Few cars were in the parking area this time which usually is fairly full by this time of day. It could be that school is on and there are just fewer visitors.

The aspens are troubling, dropping many leaves before the annual show of bright yellows.  Instead they are just dropping or turning black as if burned.

We sat to take a rest and a cool refreshing breeze came in, but unfortunately brought with it more smoke from the California fires burning tens of thousands of acres.

We detoured a bit to check out Lyons Creek.  It showed more normal signs of fall colors through the mist of smoke.

No more water is running much below the creek crossing just before the Lyons Lake junction.  The small pools have fish trapped, but surviving.

Our plans were to see Pyramid Peak, Lyons Lake and its surrounding views from the top of its bowl, and Sylvia Lake.  We did a cleanup-people's-trash tour around Sylvia and decided to hang out at our camp that somehow didn't have as much smoke lingering in it and headed back the next day.

Pack enough water to get you to your destination.  At the Lyon's Creek crossing there was a trickle of running water is all. 

The lakes look fine, and Lyons Lake didn't have the heavy smoke but Sylvia did.  

On a normal day you can see mountains ahead from this point!  They were completely obscured by smoke.

Our throats were scratchy.  The views were dim.  The air quality is poor up there, where we thought we might escape the blanket of smoke at home in the valley.  While you may become accustomed to it, as we did, it is really unhealthy.

I suggest contacting the Pacific Ranger Station before going until the air clears up some.  

Lyons and Sylvia Lakes in Desolation Wilderness July 2015

WILDFLOWERS ARE BLOOMING 

EVERYWHERE, IN EVERY COLOR, ALL AT ONCE

along the Lyons Creek Trail!  

Alpine Lilies

Leichtlin's Mariposa Lily

Fireweed

Assorted Indian Paintbrush, lupine, and other wildflowers.

Single-stemmed Groundsel

More Alpine Lilies

This is the creek just before the Lyons Lake Junction sign looking SW into the woods.

Difficulty:  At 10 miles I would rate any hike "Strenuous", and there are a couple of shallow creek crossings this year.  A plus is the elevation gain is accomplished going in, and coming out is downhill.  Not for strollers, but babypacks work!
Distance:  10+ miles round trip, upward, some loose rocky sections.

Elevation gain:   + 1875 feet up and -1875 back down.
Driving Directions:

• Take Wrights Lake Road north off of Highway 50 near Kyburz. 
• Follow the signs to Lyons Creek Trailhead. There is parking, but no restrooms are available. If you reach the Bloodsucker Lake parking, you have gone too far.  

Notes: Day passes are available at the trail head, seasonally. In the winter season, stop by Pacific Ranger Station at Fresh Pond, CA and pick one up.
You could stop at Fresh Pond for gas, restroom use, drinks and snacks before you get off of Highway 50. For backpacking, see the notes near the end of this page.  For even a small cooking stove, have your fire permit with you.  Also bring your fishing license with if you bring your pole.

A great website is Desolation Wilderness Volunteers.  It includes a photo gallery and a wealth of information if you plan on visiting the area.
I just returned from hiking to both lakes on the Lyons Creek Trail and the weather was, as expected, random!  Sunny and hot on my first day and then on my way out after my over-nighter and day hiking, a thunderstorm blew in. In Desolation these weather changes are not uncommon, so be prepared.  

Walk along a barely used roadway for forestry related activities.  In a short distance though it becomes trail, first leading you through an large open meadow.

Take one of the "use paths" to your left when you hear the water, and

at some of those locations you can refill your water in Lyons Creek

or maybe splash to cool off.

The following photos will take you through to Sylvia Lake.

Enter the woods on a hard packed soil trail.

I get excited when I reach this point, feeling closer to my destination.
Some hiker's goal is Pyramid Peak.  Sylvia Lake is in the bowl beneath the peak though, so you won't have to climb it unless you are prepared to do so.  Lyons Lake is a steep climb north marked with a forestry post at the trail junction.

This open area has corn lilies blooming at shoulder height right now,
along with Lupine, Paintbrush, Pennyroyal, Larkspur, Asters,
Mountain Bluebells, and many other wildflowers.

Corn Lilies and Mountain Bluebells

The creek crossings are quite shallow.  Step across the rocks and head into the woods again.

The view to the south side.  

As you get closer to the lake, the trail is composed of loose rocks.  If you are prone to twisting an ankle, mid boots will help prevent injury.

We have arrived!  Bring your fishing pole if you have one.  There were fishermen along the WNW shore of Sylvia Lake and also at Lyons Lake. 

 Please note that Sylvia Lake is a sensitive area with recent restoration work done. Please respect the restoration effort.  These signs will show you the areas to avoid:

Larkspur

Please, please, please respect fire restrictions in place.  More than ever before, Desolation Wilderness could be lost in fire due to the extreme drought, and even lasting effects from dead and dying trees that resulted from the drought.  Fires mar the surfaces and change the resources, but at the end of the day, fire hazards are very high regardless of how careful you feel you are.  Build fires in campgrounds designed with safe fire rings rather than in the wilderness. 

•  Day use fees: none; permits available at some trail heads after Memorial Day weekend, specifically at Lyons Creek, Rockbound, and Twin Lakes Trailheads.   

To obtain passes or for assistance in trip planning:

• You can make online reservations for Desolation Wilderness Permits for a small reservation fee at Recreation.gov, 
• or visit Pacific Ranger Station Fresh Pond, 7887 Highway 50, Pollock Pines, CA or call (530) 647-5415 .  
• If you are from the Tahoe side, check with Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit at (530) 543-2600. 

Other regulations and restrictions can be found on the website, too.

 I highly recommend you bring water and some snacks or lunch. No campfires are permitted in the wilderness. Have your Wilderness Permit to use your stoves and lanterns. 

 Please Leave No Trace and enjoy your trip!

Happy Trails!

Related Posts

Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous

See the Full Table of Contents.

Added links and updated permit information  06-2016

McConnell Lake Loop ~ Primitive Trail ~ in Desolation Wilderness

Unmaintained, "PRIMITIVE",
marked only with cairns*,

the McConnell Lake Trail helps you find

 numerous lakes hidden in the 

depths of Desolation Wilderness.  

We walked 15 miles hiking to (and searching for) the
rugged McConnell Lake Trail and visited 9 lakes.

This link has an interactive topo map of the lakes you will travel by on this reportedly 8 1/2 mile loop. The trail it shows appears to be hand drawn and is not an exact representation of the trail. We hiked about 15 miles following cairns* across granite, across streams, through woods, and hiking through vegetation with a barely visible, or invisible, trail. If you go now, I do not recommend you follow ANY cairns! According to information taken from my Tom Harrison topo map the trail is closer to 10.5 miles. This is a snapshot of the online interactive map, but please use the link to use the interactive version of this map.

Location:  Desolation Wilderness near Wrights Lake Recreation Area, CA, USA.
Distance:  It can be done in less than 30 miles round trip including the hike from the TH and back.  It is recommended backpackers first hike in to Lois or Schmidell Lake, via Rockbound Trail, then get a fresh start the next day. Schmidell Lake is 8.5 miles, depending on your rest stops and side trips along the way.  From there it will be no less than 8.5 miles to do the loop, conservatively since every hiker we met reported having trouble keeping on the trail and spent extra time and miles finding it.  Cross country side trips are available over to Zitella and Highland Lakes (which we didn't opt for).  We recommend allowing at least two or three days, and to backpack the loop rather than day hiking it unless you are traveling with someone who is familiar with the trail.
Difficulty:  Strenuous and difficult.  It requires fitness, skills in using maps, confidence in back country hiking, having exceptional trail finding skills, being comfortable doing cross country hiking, and being prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions common to this area. The terrain varies from loose rocks, giant slabs of steep granite, thick vegetation, creek crossings, (one easy log crossing) through forest, through mountain meadows, and steep "rock stairs" down into Leland Lakes (or up if you do the loop counter clockwise).  It is also recommended you be prepared for a workout at elevation where the air is thinner, and more tiring.
Driving directions will be posted at the bottom of this post.

View of Schmidell Lake from the trail to Leland lakes.

Leaving the Schmidell Lake basin to Lois Lake.

View of inclement weather that set in when we were at Doris Lakes.

Warning that the trail is difficult, and stock are not able to travel it.

McConnell Lake itself is small and grassy.

We paused here searching for the trail down to the junction with Blakely Trail to get back to Schmidell Lake.

Granite slopes between Horseshoe Lake and the 4-Q Lakes.  I wish you could see the
granite in 3-D for a better understanding of the steep hike down it.

Areas with vegetation are not maintained so they are overgrown and look like deer paths. 

Another view of the steep granite we had to negotiate to get down to 4 Q Lakes.

A 4-Q Lake

A 4 Q Lake, nice swimming hole, the first going clockwise around the loop.

Horseshoe Lake was grassy and we opted not to even filter water here.

In Nov. 2015 I came across this discussion: "... I'm one of the USFS Desolation Wilderness managers and recently hiked the McConnell Loop this summer and removed every cairn that I came across on the trail. Wilderness for most visitors is about discovering and exploring, not only the challenges and beauty our wild land has to offer, but about how we as visitors travel in it. Seeing sign of other people's passing is not enjoyable or acceptable. We as Wilderness rangers enforce the code of federal regulations and there is a CFR for removing or disturbing any natural feature in a federaly protected Wildernes area. Placing rock cairns along system trails is unnecessary and a blight on the land and against the CFR's .

Our trails are maintained to their designated standard as detailed in our Wilderness plan. The McDonnell loop is a remote trail that is in one of the more isolated areas of the Wilderness and is maintained accordingly to preserve it's Wilderness character.
Rock cairns are finding their way into camping and vista areas in the Wilderness and are becoming an increasing problem.
The stacking and placing of these rocks can become a safety issue when they are used to create shortcuts off of our trails.
Take the time when hiking and look ahead of you, there are subtle signs of where the trail is.
Enjoy your hike!

Jon Erickson
Desation Wilderness Manager
USFS"

With cairns this trail was a challenge and took us hours to follow.  Your map finding skills ARE ESSENTIAL!  This edit was made in November of 2015.  Happy Trails!

• Early in the season (May- June, please check out road conditions before you go.  In June 2016 there are snow drifts crossing the road before the intersection with Ice House Road.)

Driving directions:  Take Highway 50 to Wrights (Lake) Road north from the Kyburz area. The Wrights Lake Road will be between Tract 36  and Tract 39 along Highway 50.  Follow the signs to Wrights Lake Recreational area.  When you get to the Wrights Lake Welcome Cabin and parking lot on your left, go straight ahead following signs to Rockbound Trailhead.  There is ample parking and a restroom there.  (The trailhead is near the restroom.)

Notes: For backpacking you can get permits online or at a Tahoe or El Dorado National Forest Ranger Station, for a fee.  There are no campfires allowed inside the wilderness boundaries and if you fish, be sure to have your regular fishing license with you.  Fire permits are still required to use camp stoves.

Happy Trails!

Related Posts you might be interested in for nearby trails:

Desolation Wilderness
2015-07	Lyons & Sylvia Lakes	10+ miles	Strenuous
2014-08	McConnell Lake Loop	30 miles	Moderate to Strenuous/Difficult
2014-07	Rockbound to Doris, Lois & Maud Lakes	18 miles	Moderate-Difficult
2014-06	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	12+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2013-06	Lawrence Lake	13+ miles	Moderate to Strenuous
2012-09	Umpa Lake & Enchanted Pools	8+ miles	Cross country ~ Moderate
2012-08	Horsetail Falls via Pyramid Creek TH	Aprox.  10 miles to lakes at the top of the falls	"Difficult, and potentially dangerous" miles
2012-07	Rockbound Trail to Maude Lake	10 miles	Moderate
2012-07	Twin Lakes Trail to Island Lake	8 miles	Moderate-Strenuous
2012-06	Lyons Lake via Lyons Creek Trail	10+ miles	Strenuous
2012-08	Lyons Creek Trail to Lake Sylvia	9.2 miles	Moderate
2012-06	Grouse, Hemlock, and Smith Lakes	6+ miles	Strenuous
2011-07	Lyons Creek Trail with melting snow	9+ miles	Moderate
2011-02	Grouse Lake	3.8 miles	Moderate
2010-09 We hiked 12 days.	Tahoe Rim Trail	167 total	Moderate to Strenuous

See the Full Table of Contents.

Added updated links and Table of Contents 06-2016