We have had a tradition of trying to do a hike every Father's Day, so we headed out to the north Lake Tahoe area to hike Castle Peak. Hubby of course picked the hike out and knew there would be snow so we were prepared but didn't expect the snow to start at the trailhead. :p
The drive from Davis is about an hour and 35 minutes. Directions to the trailhead can be mapped here. The parking lot wasn't big and there was no bathroom that I recall. I think I was amazed at how much snow there was I didn't notice any bathrooms. The kids were also very excited about all of the snow.
Below is a pic of the the map on the kiosk we were looking at. Some of the trail we hiked coincided with the Pacific Crest Trail, although I'm not sure we were even on the correct trail due to the snow. The map doesn't show the trail we took but gives you an idea of where you will be going.
We followed the trail made from others hiking before us. We were very happy it was a beautiful day and we were escaping the scorching temps (100+ degrees) back in Davis. It wasn't difficult navigating the trail in the snow.
The shot below is of the kiddos looking up to where we will soon be heading.
The boys really enjoyed the snow. :)
The hike climbs as you reach Castle Pass where there is a junction. Turn right to get to Castle Peak.
From Castle Pass, you can see your destination in the distance. I really liked once we got up to the pass because it is a ridge and the views were pretty awesome.
It's a good climb up to the peak and steep in parts.
We took the less snowy path up.
It was very tough at times dues to steepness but the views were amazing! I loved seeing the snow on the surrounding mountains!
It was difficult when we got closer to the summit to find the trail since some parts were covered with snow and others not. The loose rocks can also be difficult, just be careful because they can make you slip. We made it to the top after following another hiker up the trail and the boys did wonderful! It is their highest peak to date at 9,101 feet, according to my Garmin.
We had lunch at the top and just enjoyed the spectacular views.
On the way down, we decided to take out the snow shoes for the boys. They loved them and the snowshoes made it easier for them going down. We took the snowy path down and it made going down so fun for them.
I'm so glad we brought the snowshoes, it made for the trek down a lot more interesting for the kids. :)
We did stop for some snowball throwing.
Almost back at Castle Pass.
More pictures on the way down.
One last pic before we got to the car. The boy did awesome as always.
According to my Garmin, we did a total of 6.43 miles. You can see below the route we took.
It was a great hike with the fam. It was challenging at times on the way up but definitely worth it with the amazing views.
Happy hiking!
No comments:
Post a Comment