Stuart Fork Trail- Trinity Alps, July 2-5 2010

Important Notes to remember at a glance:
- be prepared to see brown bears, bring a smell-proof bear bag
-bring good sandals if snowmelt is high
- deet is essential
-forget chai, pack tea instead


Getting to the Trinity Alps: From Eugene, the drive is about 5.5 hrs. We took I-5 South then turned on Hwy 3 at Yreka. There are a few very small towns then a very windy and isolated stretch. Be prepared for hairpin turns and deer all around. We stopped at one very primitive campground, which had no one in it and a lot of downed trees so we drove on. Near Trinity Lake there are many campgrounds, the one we stayed at was Trinity River. It is a nice small campground with potable water and pit toilets. We camped on a spot near the road so we heard cars passing but there are other sites that are farther from the road.
From there we drove to Weaverville to stop and check in with the Ranger station. The Ranger station is very helpful with current trail conditions, maps, and trail permits. There is a place to fill out a permit outside so you can do that part anytime. We chose Stuart Fork over Canyon Creek because there was 2/3 less people who had filled out permits to go to Stuart Fork. Canyon Creek is reported to be busy all the time.
Weaverville is a nice little old mining town that now caters to tourists. The town has some old brick buildings that are now stores and restaurants and a museum. Since this was the 4th the old town was festooned with red white & blue banners. On the East side of Main Street there is a generic strip mall/grocery store combo with the only outdoor store, Trinity Outdoors. There is not much for the backpacker here but if you like to car camp or go fishing this is your store. Nora's water bladder sprung a leak and we were unable to get a replacement there. On our way home we stopped at La Grange on Main St., which was a good place to get a burger & fries.

Getting to the trailhead: To get to the trail we drove for about 15mins North on Hwy 3 then turned Left at The Trinity Alps Road (there is a big sign for the Trinity Alps Resort as well.) There is a general store at the resort and a restaurant, though I didn't stop at either. There is a no frills campground, Bridge Creek, at the base of the Stuart Fork trail. There is a big area to park and the way to the trailhead is clearly marked. You take a gravel road 1 mile to the trailhead, where the trail narrows.

Trail Notes: It is 9 miles uphill to Morris Meadow. Morris Meadow is a wonderful place to camp, gorgeous views and ample water, but it is also well used, with established campsites. Many people have collected firewood before so there is little downed wood around. Some of the campsites are tucked away but once you reach the meadow you take the trail that veers left to get to most of the campsites and a good place to get water. Before you get to the meadow there is little in the way of reachable water for quite a while. The hike to the meadow is a climb, be prepared to take some time reaching the meadow. There are numerous creeks that drain into the river, check with the Ranger station as to snowmelt level. If it is high I recommend Chacos or some other good sandals to cross the creeks so you'll keep your boots dry. Remember to secure all of your gear and to undo straps before crossing deep or strong currents.
This is brown bear country and they are all over this valley and the bears are brown, black and blonde. We had four bear sightings: one brown, one black, and a blonde-brown cub we think we saw twice (we didn't see mama.) I heard they like the ants that are present in the downed trees and so the one we saw on the trail was likely looking for ants. A note- they tend to stay away when deer are present. That is good because deer were almost as annoying as mosquitoes at the meadow. They LOVE salt and will get it any way they can- by licking where you cooked, eating your salty clothing, and digging up where you peed (it is advisable to dig your cathole elsewhere.) Don't camp where they have pawed the ground. We used a smell-proof bear bag and were only able to put our bear bag about 10feet off of the ground but it was not disturbed.
We didn't end up eating that much on the trail. I especially craved water and salt. Chocolate and salty nuts were good. We tried a honey Dijon pasta dish the first night. It was good but the sauce bag broke (probably due to Nora throwing her pack from 5feet up after crossing a creek on a log) and it was very smelly and very messy. Oatmeal was a good breakfast. Twizzlers were good as a snack. I didn't end up having any chai- I think I'll pack tea and maybe a honey packet instead- I couldn't do the extra sugar in the morning. The lunches need some work but they are ok if you are hungry (ours were pita with instant hummus, peanut butter & raisins, or tuna.)
I added moleskin to my first aid kit and that was great, Nora used it for blisters. I'd add some strong tape to secure it in place next time.

Emerald Lake Day Hike: It's 5 miles from Morris Meadow to Emerald Lake. It is a steeper climb and there is a fair amount of bushwhacking. Near the lake the trees thin out so it's advisable to bring a hat and to wear sunscreen. The lake is a pretty one, small and very cold. There is one shaded area near the lake that is good for camping, around the lake there is no trees. The lake was created by a man-made damn, I don't know the history about it. On the other side of the lake there are pretty waterfalls visible on the mountains.

Blister count: one small blister on the ball of my right foot. I wore injinji socks and long wright socks over them. I think my toes swell considerably, light socks helped to prevent the dreaded between-the-toes blisters. I had some minor ankle pain but adjustments of the tongue of the boot helped to alleviate pain, plus the trick of tying the top lace first and then tying the boot and the next one down helped to distribute force.