Granite Lake - Trinity Alps Wilderness

Trip Date: June 11 - 13, 2021

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stnf/recarea/?recid=6521

Permits were purchased from the Coffee Creek Ranger Station

Blog site we referenced for the trip. Used this to plan a day hike from our campsite at Granite Lake. https://pantilat.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/four-lakes-loop-via-swift-creek/

Last year was my introduction to backpacking. Applied lessons learned and added more trips this year with varying difficulty. Trinity Alps Wilderness was the first trip scheduled. A wonderful way to begin the summer of backpacking.

The sky was cloudy when we began the hike at Swift Creek trailhead. It is approximately 5 miles to reach Granite Lake. Fortunately, we were able to reach the lake and set up camp before the rain set in. Though we didn’t get to explore much, I enjoyed some downtime plus the added bonus of sleeping with the sound of raindrops steadily hitting the ground and tent. To quote Fight Club… “babies don’t sleep this well”. Or snore as loud. At one point Joseph thought a wild animal had come into the tent :) It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had while camping thus far. Only downside was the cold temperature and soggy environment.

Weather was still overcast the following day. Initially, we were unsure about whether to pack out or continue the trip. A decision was made to continue with the original plan of hiking Four Lakes Loop. Very happy we made the decision to continue. The highlight of this hike isn’t just the lakes. It is the beautiful, Frankenstein-like landscape where red rock and grey granite meet. Prior to the trip, we used the blog link cited above to create an AllTrails map. Four Lakes Loop is approximately a 13-mile hike from Granite Lake. I would rate it as strenuous due to the total elevation gain.

Overall the trip was a great experience and I’m grateful for having the opportunity to see this area.