#summer hiking

Late mornings at the edge of the Eldorado National Forest are perfect for a relaxing hike among the trees. The trails at Fleming Meadows are quiet and not heavily trafficked which makes them an ideal spot to explore and relax. Just a little ways past Sly Park and Jenkins Lake this trail really showcases the beauty of Pollock Pines and is becoming another favorite spot in El Dorado County to hike.

Frog Lake and Lake Winnemucca Lake are located off of Highway 88 in Alpine County. And for alpine lakes these are both fantastic. Clear cool water surrounded by pine trees and granite peaks with bits of snow still left covering them. We hiked out to these lakes last July when the wildflowers were blooming and the trails were packed with fellow adventurers. The bright blue sky gave us the perfect setting for the endless views of the beautiful land. I really have loved that we decided to start hiking more off of Highway 88 when we go to the sierra nevada’s as there is so much beauty there and new things to explore.

Summer has arrived at Folsom Lake in Gold Country. The grass is turning gold and the lake is bright blue and nice and low due to the drought. Last weekend we took a hike around Brown’s Ravine which takes you along where Folsom Lake meets the South Fork of the American River. I hadn’t been to this trail for a few years and I loved being so close to the river and the lake. It was a less busy trail than many of the others in the state park and is definitely on my list to visit more often.

I’ve drive along Latrobe Road through El Dorado and Amador Counties and have always imagined how beautiful it would be to hike back away from the road. And this past summer I finally learned that it was truly possible. The El Dorado Trail is about 30 miles long and runs from the county line all the way up to Placerville. Truly a gold country blessing. While it can be a little hard to find, once on the trail it is a journey of walking along the hills under oak trees and among grass. We only hiked seven miles round trip but there was so much to explore from seeing lots of cows to walking along the rail road tracks, visiting this part of gold country was a real treat.

The difference from July to October of Hope Valley and Red Lake. Now Red Lake has been a favorite spot of mine for a few years for fall photography. There’s a beautiful grove of aspens near it and I’ve gotten some amazing shots of the lake before. But not until this summer did I know that there is actually an amazing spot to over look the lake. And that’s at the far side of Frog Lake in Mokelumne Wilderness Area right off of Highway 88. I loved the view so much I went back in October for the short hike and the amazing view. It definitely wasn’t as green anymore and the aspens in the area were ranging from almost peak to peak. But I’m pretty sure that whatever season you go, it would be breathtaking. 

I think I may have found my new favorite trail. It’s not too long, only five miles round trip, but it’s filled with so much variety. There’s forests, meadows, granite boulders, creeks, ponds, and more. The first time we hiked it we even got to experience an afternoon thunderstorm and a beautiful light rain. I’ve found this trail to be such a wonderful step out of the busy world and into the world of chipmunks, leaves, and rocks. It’s so simple and beautiful. A perfect step away from the stress and loudness of our world. I know that we’ll have lots of photos from this trail over the next few years, and I’m excited to explore it throughout the seasons. 

After years of never hiking off Highway 80 in the northern part of Lake Tahoe, I finally made the trip. A few weeks ago we hiked Mount Judah on the Pacific Crest Trail. And while you are technically hiking the mountain of a ski resort, the views and the trees were gorgeous. We arrived just in time for alpine spring in July when all the wildflowers are in bloom. There were so many colors and types of wildflowers I had never seen before. And while our summer hiking has now come to an end, I look forward to a few autumn and winter hikes in the area.

Located 25 miles back on Ice House Road in the Sierra Nevadas is Loon Lake. Its a larger high alpine lake than most that I’ve been hiking too but it is one of the prettiest. A few weeks ago we did a 12 mile hike around the lake which was the longest hike we had done so far this summer. The lake has the most gorgeous blue water and pine trees and granite all around. Since it is just a few miles outside of Desolation Wilderness, the landscapes look very similar. It was so peaceful and quite out among the trees. We found so many perfect tea drinking spots to take in the beauty of the lake and rest in the shade throughout the hike. 

A quiet afternoon hike at the edge of the El Dorado National Forest in the sierra nevadas means being around lots of tall trees. And the Fleming Meadows trail right outside of Sly Park is the perfect moderate hike to enjoy the trees. And while there is never a final destination to stop and look at the view, I still fell in love with this trail. The best part would also come when you stopped and looked up and saw the tops of the trees overhead. 

Clear skies and golden grass is what summer looks like in the great valley & the delta. We got up early a few weeks ago to go on a nature walk in Vacaville on the Pena Adobe Trail. It’s a beautiful (mostly uphill as the trail started down by the lake) trail scattered with oak trees and a view of the valley. Up at the top we could see the fog rolling over the hills in the distance. For years we had drive by the sign for this trail but we never stopped until this year. 

Gold country in the summer is not always the most picturesque with its golden grass and lack of greenery. But there’s still something special about it. Another hike we recently did was at Folsom Lake on the Darrington Trail. While it is typically a mountain bike trail, if you go in the middle of the week in the evening it is extremely peaceful. The lake is gorgeous at sunset and dusk and we even saw a small heard of cows grazing along the trail. And while we still have many months of summer left here before the rains come and bring back the greenery, we simply get more time for evening hikes. 

Up off Highway 88 just at the edge of Amador and Alpine County lies Lake Margaret. It’s a fair sized like, 2.5 miles in on a gorgeous trail. Surrounded by granite rocks and pine trees this lake is so still and quiet. I find high alpine lakes to be so surreal, especially the ones you have to hike to. We hiked back to the lake during the middle of an afternoon mountain thunderstorm with light rain most of the way. This rain made the lake even more beautiful as you could see all the rain drops falling into the water and hear the quietness of the rain. 

Summer is here in Northern California and it’s a beautiful time to go hiking. We’ve made a big hiking list for the summer to see more of the stunning land that surrounds us. My first hike was in gold country on the Olmstead Loop Trail in Cool. And while we might have gone on a day that was way too hot to hike, the views were still mesmerizing. The trails were lined with oak trees and pine trees, vast open prairies, and the beautiful North Fork of the American River. It feels so nice to be back out in nature taking new photos and exploring new places.