Choosing a trail is often half the adventure in the scenic Trinity Alps Wilderness. The Trinity’s are somewhat like a wilderness island in northern California: to the east you’ll find Interstate 5 and the snow-capped volcanoes of Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen. To the west is the mighty Pacific Ocean and its rugged coastline. All the while to the north and south, wrapping the wilderness is an impenetrable green of mixed pines, woods, and streams isolating the Alps into its own serenity. Choosing a trail and which side you wish to attempt your trip is up to you. But the other half of the adventure is just getting there.

No matter the trail, it is always a drainage you follow up a creek or stream towards where it starts its life high in the snowcapped spires of the 9,000-foot peaks, flowing down to an alpine lake covered mostly in ice for seven months of the year. The streams then further cascade down towards the trailheads and eventually into the ocean. More often than not, there are spots in the Alps where on a clear day one can see Mount Shasta and the Pacific Ocean from one vantage point, making this alpine environment a unique one for exploration and backpacking. But be advised, every trail going up into the range following that cascading river down from the heavens surely holds a grueling hike up to its treasures.

Into the Trinity Alps Wilderness

With the car jam packed of backpacks for my partner and I, gear stacked up to our eyebrows with a cooler full of food and beverages in tow for a night car camping at the trailhead campground, we hit the road from the coast and began our trip inland along the windy two-hour drive it took just to get a glimpse of the range. Following the Trinity River salmon and steelhead fishery, we eventually stumbled upon our dirt road and began bouncing our way through the trees and small creeks to the trailhead and campsite. A collection of firewood sparked the joy of the evening but reminded us of our only homework assignment for the night: packing.

The heat of the day swiftly cooled in the shade of the forest. We couldn’t see the range from where we were camping, but the air temperature certainly reminded us of its presence. With MRE’s, instant mashed potatoes, and oatmeal being on the menu for the trip, with of course some chili cheese Fritos and peanut M&M’s, we relaxed with the crackle of the dry downed wood serving as the only sound as we cowboy camped under the explosion of stars above us. Stars which did their best to serenade us into sleep despite the excitement of our upcoming early morning start.

Starting in the green tunnel of the thick, forested canopy that surrounds the trailhead, the trek began around sunrise. Even then however, the canopy of forest may block the intensity of the summer sun, but also acts like the dial on a sauna, with us trapped in its wooded heat enclosure. The dial cranks with every hour of the day with sweat pouring off from pores we didn’t know we had. The mosquitoes then attacked us with swiftness. Sunscreen and bug spray dripped into our eyes, causing an annoyance during the day's hike. But we need not worry, the green tunnel pushed us forward, despite the blood, sweat and tears, and even the rattlesnake I almost stepped on.

The long slow and hot trail through the forest gently shifts its grasp from the sweat locker to the more open Sahara-like heat with a subtle absence in the density of trees. The trail begins to gently change from a slow uphill walk to a near stumble up steeper sections on bigger rocks, aiding you in the new harder climb like walking up a staircase. The meadows offer their first reward however with sweeping views of granite looming quite high above with the mixture of purples, blues, and pinks of wildflowers previously dormant for the last several months. A deer wanders through the meadow as we gaze upwards with every step and deep breath taken.

With the new excitement from the views of granite and snow-capped alpine peaks, our pace quickened. The trail once again shifted into another gear now with the midday sun beating down in a nearly shadeless environment like a heat lamp would be for a reptile in a cage. But unlike the lizard or the snake that needs the heat lamp, we could have begged for a passing cloud or a tree with shade for a break. As we climbed the trek turned into a leg workout – huffing and puffing with nearly every step while gazing upward to see the reward, the trail in view ahead leading towards it.

With every pause, we lift ourselves upward from our hands on knees position while catching our breath, to see the endless switchbacks going up, and up, and up. Trying to not even think of counting, I put my head down and just began the upward hike despite the protest from my lungs and legs. Right when we were about to give up, the saddle lay ahead, but not before running us through a few more switchbacks to test every bit of resolve we had left. At three in the afternoon at the hottest time of day, dehydrated from the harsh Northern California summer sun and at an altitude where you are burnt to a crisp if not lathered in sunscreen, we crested up the last switchback and were rewarded with an alpine lake. Granite ran down the mountainside peak above towards the crystal clear water where you can almost see the fish. A high mountain peak sits in the distance, as if watching over the scene.

Fishing opportunities weren't lacking on this trip into the Trinity Alps.

A Wilderness Remote and Connected

Wildflowers bloom where they could in spaces between the granite, similar to what it is like to find a campsite amongst the rock in these types of areas. We made it. After dinner we were rewarded with an orange glow on the granite peaks surrounding the lake, the ripples on the water from trout feeding on insects seemed like rain hitting the surface even on a cloudless day. Night brought another spectacle, frost. The clarity at night brought a temperature change very different than that of the day’s heat wave. But in exchange it brought a constellation of greatness with dots covering the night sky, reminding us how very small we are. With the ocean to the west and an interstate to the east, the closest light pollution is a five-hour drive north to Portland, Oregon or the same south to San Francisco.

Out of a single drainage from the Trinity Alps flows a river that within 200 miles will reach the ocean. And to find a wilderness that boasts peaks up to 9,000 feet and creates snow that melts into runoff, creating a home downstream for salmon and steelhead is unique. In a setting of well over half a million acres of wilderness, the explorations are endless in this giant, untouched island of wilderness that is often looked past in favor of other nearby and scenic ranges. With our legs screaming and exhaustion setting in from the long downhill back to the car, we were rewarded with a lakeside sunset as stars emerged overhead – views that soon turned to memories and now serve as inspiration for yet another trip to California’s Trinity Alps.

Need to Know

Information

The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a 525,627-acre wilderness located in Northern California. It is accumulatively made up from the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. It is the second largest wilderness area in California and has over 600 miles of trail reaching across the area. With the highest point in the wilderness barely breaking the 9,000-foot range, it begs for skill sets of all types to set out and enjoy what it has in store.

Best Time to Go

Although the Trinity Alps are open year round, snow in winter will certainly inhibit any who don’t come prepared for such conditions. Summer is an excellent time to plan a trip. A visit to the Trinity Alps can get hot as described (with the exception of late spring and early fall), but once at altitude, the refreshing waters of the Trinity Alps abound.

Getting There

From Interstate 5, head west on highway 299 in Redding and find the trail that best suits you. From the coast, you jump on highway 299 and head east, past Willow Creek towards Weaverville, exploring from there.

Maps and Books

The Falcon Guide Hiking California's Trinity Alps Wilderness is a must have for every trail and no matter your planned Trinity Alps adventure. For maps, the U.S. Forest Service publishes a Trinity Alps Wilderness map and there is also a Green Trails Trinity Alps map available.

Editor's Note: This article by contributor Sean Jansen originally appeared in Issue 43 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.