Tomorrow we’ll head down to the Trinity Alps in Northern California for a 2 night backpack. I really love this wilderness area, which is spectacular, sublime, and always uncrowded. This will be our third trip to the Canyon Creek Lakes part of the Trinity Alps and we’ll camp about 4 miles in, hopefully at the spot above the little waterfall.
Another 4 miles in the next day without heavy packs will take us up into the heart of the region, three lakes in a valley surrounded by granite peaks of up to 9000 feet. The last trip here was 3 years ago and we’d just spent a week in Yosemite but I kept thinking how great the Trinities are as a place to really immerse yourself in the splendor of California mountains and woods.
Although the Trinity Alps are not as spectacular as Yosemite (I’m not sure any place on earth can compete with the many unique vistas in Yosemite Valley), they offer a lot more solitude, similar beautiful scenery, and the kind of insight into the workings of the world you just can’t get unless you surround yourself in a cathedral of granite, mountains, and forest that has remained largely unchanged for thousands and thousands of years.
Joe Duck 
Oh, my word. The Trinity Alps. I remember the walk we took to Morris Meadows and up to the lakes 20 years ago like it was yesterday. That place catches your spirit and holds it out for a good soaking of Trinity “great”-ness.
It sounds really, really wonderful. I’ve been wanting to go to the Trinity Alps for a while now. We’ll be heading out for a vacation the last half of September and I can’t decide whether to go to the Mt. Rainier area, Idaho, or the Trinity Alps.
We’re day hikers not backpackers, so maybe the Trinity Alps wouldn’t be the best choice for us.
Have a glorious time. I hope you post a recap (w. pix!) on your blog.
Tom. I read “20 years ago” and thought you were delusional but it’s … true. I won’t ever forget when you stopped to catch your breath on the trail and I looked down to see a coiled up rattlesnake within about one foot of YOUR foot!
Hi Rozanne – as Tom can attest from our 18 mile “day hike” from dawn to dusk up the Caribou lakes I think you should save a Trinity Alps trip for a longer backpack adventure. However there are some motels in Weaverville or around Trinity Lake from which you could do some nice day hikes.
Hmm… why is that manzanita bush looking at me? OH…
The “great” trip was a couple of years before, up to Morris Meadows and on up to the lake on a day hike.
T. Harwood kilt a b’ar here