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Mary West: Exploring Emigrant Lake Trail

9/11/2020

 
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NOTE: Because of wildfires, Eldorado National Forest and Tahoe National Forest are temporarily CLOSED, including the Emigrant Lake Trail.

​EXPLORING EMIGRANT LAKE TRAIL
The Emigrant Lake trail; one trail, two lakes. The journey to Emigrant Lake begins with a beautiful drive to the Kirkwood area of Alpine County. Aptly named for the majestic pine-covered mountains, Alpine County is home to world-class skiing, and for day hikers, panoramic views, lush greenery, running streams and mild temperatures.


A dear friend told me about Emigrant Lake Trail for backpacking and camping. I admit I don’t do a lot of backpacking, I am a day hiker, I like to sleep in my own bed and need coffee in the morning, but eight-miles is a doable day hike and with the drive it’s a full day.
This was a first for me in a couple of ways; I brought my friend Lizzy to hike with and this was my first hike in Alpine County.

To get there, take Highway 49 to Placerville where you pick up US 50 East to Sly Park Road to Mormon Emigrant Trail/Silver Lake Road. Take left on CA-88E to Caples Lake.

The trail head has limited parking but I went on a three-day weekend that may have added some congestion. A convenient restroom and a large sign marking the trail head set you on your way four-miles back to Emigrant Lake. The trail begins by skirting Caples Lake for the first two-miles. At the end of the lake you will notice the gentle climb that takes you away from the noise of the highway, through tall pines, with the call of the birds above and wildflowers at your feet.

A couple of creek crossings may get your shoes wet if you misstep, but even in September the runoff leads to lush greenery decorated with impressive rock formations and mountain meadows, a joy to behold. I am happy to report that this is a well maintained and well signed trail. Near the end a handful of switchbacks. The trail then opens up to a meadow that leads to Emigrant Lake surrounded by peaks including Melissa Coray Peak, named for a Pioneer woman who walked 2000-miles to reach the west, Peak 9597 and Covered Wagon Peak, that still held patches of snow.

It’s downhill from here. After a good rest, maybe a snack, the trek back is a gentle downhill, weaving among the trees and boulders strewn about the wilderness. Before you know it, Caples Lake comes into view, the roar of the highway finds your ears and this hiking day-dream will be over.

Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guides (Available on Amazon). The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, and favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2018 and 2019 CRAFT Award for Best Outdoor Column by the Outdoor Writers of California. You can follow West on Facebook and Instagram.



Another protected addition and trail easement in the Bear River watershed by PLT

9/10/2020

 
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Placer Land Trust has some good news for you to help brighten your 2020! We just permanently protected a 185-acre addition to the Laursen Bear River Preserve located north of Auburn, making the total preserve 546 acres. That means that with the help our members, we have protected more than 11,900 acres of natural and agricultural lands in Placer County!

The expanded Laursen Bear River Preserve, along with other adjacent preserves, creates a block of over 8,000 contiguous acres of protected lands in the Bear River and Raccoon Creek watersheds. These expansive oak woodlands support healthy and diverse populations of plants and wildlife. The preserve provides critical habitat for animals such as mule deer, mountain lion, grey fox, hawks, and many others.

“This property was on the market and certainly would have been developed had the original landowners, Andy and Shana Laursen, not agreed to sell it to Placer Land Trust instead,” says Placer Land Trust Executive Director Jeff Darlington. “We are so grateful to Andy and Shana for working with Placer Land Trust to protect their lands along the Bear River.”

Andy and Shana were key funders of Placer Land Trust in the early 2000’s to help the nonprofit remain sustainable. In 2005 the couple provided funds for Placer Land Trust to purchase the Shutamul Bear River Preserve, adjacent to their land. Placer Land Trust recognized Andy and Shana for their conservation work with the 2010 Placer Conservator Award.

The funding needed to acquire the extension of the Laursen Bear River Preserve came earlier this year through two Prop 68 grants: one from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), and one from the Wildlife Conservation Board. Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust provided the funds needed for stewardship of the property for generations to come.

In addition to the diverse wildlife, the property also has a rich human history. Andy feels the land is special because, “people have lived on this land for probably thousands of years. There’s been Native Americans, there’s been Basque sheepherders, there’s been gold miners. And we bought all this land to keep it the way it is, to keep it natural.”

Placer Land Trust plans to share this land with the public through docent-led activities starting in 2021. The property is served only by private roads, so it is not suitable for open public access and recreation at this time. However a trail easement donated by Andy and Shana will allow future visitors to travel from the Laursen Bear River Preserve to adjacent Shutamul and Harvego Bear River Preserves.

In the meantime, the Laursen Bear River Preserve expansion can be “visited” during Placer Land Trust’s annual Placer Conservator, which will be taking place virtually this year and is free to attend. Click here more information on the event, including links to RSVP.

CLICK HERE to see the original press release from Placer Land Trust.

New bike video in the time of COVID-19

9/9/2020

 
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Bikers get a bad rap, especially recently in the time of the pandemic. There are more bikers, as well as other users, on the trails. Some of them new or old, who don't understand how one bad interaction can ruin a year of good public relations work. 

In speaking with Land Managers, there have been more conflicts, more injuries, and more complaints in the past three months than they have had in years. In response to these unsettling issues, these bike groups have made a new video to help everyone understand how to share the trails without these incidents. How to stop those complaints you have to be aware that your interactions with others affects all bicyclists... and even more important, your access to public shared trails.

TO SEE THIS SHORT VIDEO, CLICK HERE.
​


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