Begin your ride at the trailhead parking lot east of the pass. Noble Canyon has its reputation for a reason. The PCT section from Ebbetts Pass to Noble Lake a pretty spectacular display of both volcanic and granite formations all along the way, and in mid July the wildflower display was also pretty amazing. Both are beautiful but for camping Wheeler Lake is far better than Noble Lake IMHO. To the north, the trail follows scenic, rolling terrain about three miles to Upper Kinney Lake, passing smaller Sherrold Lake along the way. I suspect the stream crossings will be formidable not to mention the snow. Spectacular - let's go now! Great site Joe. GPS has me at 13 miles not the 10 the map says. Sierra redwoods in Calaveras Big Tree State Park. Two tenths of a mile after we start going down hill, we come to a sharp turn to the right which ends up heading us in a Southerly direction, going down the Western wall of Noble Canyon. 3.01 miles South from Ebbetts Pass to the Noble Canyon trail junction. So we’ve come about 4.1 miles. We started at 8595 feet and climbed to 8816 feet in about 0.4 miles. Then we dropped to 8662 feet in about 0.3 miles and climbed back to 8796 feet in about 0.48 miles. The next 1.52 miles took us down to 8291 feet followed by a 1.3 mile stretch that took us back to 8853 feet and just a short distance from the lake. Now it’s time to do it backwards…. This hike takes us from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trailhead at Ebbetts Pass to Noble Lake. During the mid summer weeks, this trail, like many above 8000 feet elevation, yields a spectacular display of sub-alpine wildflowers. Unlike the lower elevations where summer heat has already turned the foothills golden, at these elevations spring has just begun. The 2,650-mile long trail crosses Highway 4 just east of Ebbetts Pass in Alpine County. There isn’t much parking. 28 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail: Carson Pass to Ebbetts Pass. The first 2 1/2 miles are mostly a slight downhill along the way, with nice views of Noble Canyon … Share a Video . *13+ MILES* There is a giant dome you can climb up on to get great views! As the trail climbs above the Nobel Creek drainage, it is located on and switchbacks up a ridge that affords excellent views to the north. -If you have the time and energy, hike eastbound a bit on the PCT In the middle of the U.S. state lies the California Central Valley, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. As part of the PCT it sees a lot of use, and is well maintained. Hike/Ride Time. This trail was fantastic! Adventure Pass Required if parking at the Noble Canyon Trailhead. Full day. Recommend but be careful. The trail is rated as difficult and is primarily used for hiking and trail running. From the crossing of Noble Creek, we start making our way up the Eastern side of Noble Canyon. This side of the canyon is much more exposed, hot and dry. Still, the scenery is awesome and there were wildflowers everywhere. The uphill climb at the end was a killer. The following is a list of mountain passes and gaps in California.California is geographically diverse with numerous roads and railways traversing within its borders. -At the beginning of the trail you must cross a wide creek, there is a good log to walk on, Ebbetts Pass to the Hoodoos above Eagle Creek, Mokelumne River to Deer Creek via Hermit Valley Trailhead, Lower Gardner Meadow, Wolf Creek Pass and Asa Lake, Upper Gardner Meadow via Highland Lakes Trail, Highland Lakes Upper Campground to Arnot Creek, Milk Ranch Meadow via Tyrone Meadows Trail. The actual trailhead is at the Southern end of the parking lot. At the trailhead you will find an information board about the Carson Iceberg Wilderness Area and a wilderness permit station. If you plan to spend the night on the trail, you’ll need to fill out one of the wilderness permits available there. We counted no less than 20 different varieties along the way, and it is possible there were more that we just missed. XHTML: You can use these tags:
. I think you’re right about it being more difficult than the hike from woodchuck basin to the ridge, but if you go all the way down to Wheeler Lake I think the climb back out is a bit tougher. To the north, the trail follows scenic, rolling terrain about three miles to Upper Kinney Lake, passing smaller Sherrold Lake along the way. Fine article. Noble Canyon Route . You are hiking in the woods most of the time so it stays shaded for a good portion of the hike. I especially liked the video – It is nice seeing what the hike would be like before attempting it. I’m visiting friends near Bear Valley and read your blog about Ebbetts Pass to Noble Lake Trail. Make sure someone knows where you are going and when to expect you back. Bring lots of water. You also get your first glimpse of the ancient volcanic nature of this area as you approach the PCT. After having taken the PCT toward the East (South bound), we continue our gradual climb for less than a quarter mile at which point we turn toward the South, and then Southwest while heading down hill for about a third of a mile. Follow the trail out a short distance to connect with the Pacific Crest Trail. Noble Lake via PCT is a 9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Markleeville, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Best Seasons. While the PCT is best known for its long-distance backpacking opportunities by the infamous thru-hikers, a number of great day hikes are available from the two trailheads at Ebbetts Pass. The first part of our journey is on a mostly South bound spur trail that we take for about two tenths of a mile where it meets up with the PCT. We’re going up hill but at a gradual pace, only gaining a bit over 80 feet by the time we get to the trail junction. This first stretch of trail is mostly under tree cover but there are some areas where the wildflowers were beautiful. Totally worth it for the views. The first time rider would be in for one heck of a day. The Noble Canyon Trailhead is located off the fourth horseshoe turn on Highway 4 approaching Ebbetts Pass from the east, and a little under 1 ½ miles past the entrance to the Silver Creek Campground if coming from the east. Ebbetts Pass is also an excellent trailhead to begin short and long distance loops around the Carson Iceberg Wilderness, as well as being a beautiful hike of a PCT section. We love finding out about places/hikes that will work for our family. And we should warn you that in June and early July, the wildflowers on this trail are among the most astonishing in all the Sierra. One of my favorites: Enjoyed it: Glad I went -- Once: Not worth the time: I really like mountain peaks, lakes, difficult hikes and cross-country trekking. 53.9 86.7. Different routes exist usually involving a combination of the Noble Canyon Trail or a scramble from nearby Silver Peak. Views north across Filaree Flat draw the eye toward the craggy heights of Garnet Peak and the high desert peaks beyond. Chris and I headed out from South Lake at 5 am to meet Kristine at the Noble Canyon Trailhead for a 6 am start. The PCT is best known for its long-distance backpacking opportunities. Distance: 3.5 miles one way, mountain trail Elevation Changes: Descend 500 feet and climb 500 Start at the trailhead parking lot east of the pass. Bring layers it can be a lot colder on the top. Please explain. I loved this trail! The wildflowers were spectacular, though, so even without making it to Noble Lake it was an awesome hike. The Carson-Iceberg Wilderness is located south of Markleeville, California. Thank you so much for posting this article. At the trail junction we’re going to turn left, toward the East. This is actually the Southbound direction of the PCT and if we were to follow it for a few months we would find ourselves at the Mexican border, East of San Diego, California. Were we to take the North bound PCT, in about the same amount of time we would find ourselves at the Canadian border. From end to end, the PCT is 2.650 miles long! Today however we’re only going to be hiking a small fraction of that. I also liked seeing that the trail was extremely well defined and looked like it would be tough to loose the trail when you are walking on it. Thanks! And, I had been thinking about doing it this coming Friday (6/18/11). Access is from California Highway 4 at Wolf Creek Road and Ebbetts Pass, California highway 108 at Sonora Pass, and Mill Canyon Road to Golden Gate Road off U.S. Highway 395 south of Coleville, California. Great hike, but more difficult than we had anticipated. Thanks for the detailed description. The 7.5 miles from Raymond Peak across Reynolds Peak to Ebbetts Pass. Ruth and I learned that about 15 years ago when we set out to hike the 30 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Sonora Pass on Highway 108 to the Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4. There is WAY too much snow on the ground… several feet and I would guess there will be well into July this year! Can be accessed from the Penny Pines Trailhead or Noble Canyon Trailhead. It is recommended for mountain biking. No doubt there is lots of snow, don’t even know if Ebbetts Pass will be open MDW and should I bring snowshoes? Noble Lake Via Noble Canyon Trail is a 10.6 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Markleeville, California that features a lake. Then there is the Noble Canyon Trailhead and then Ebbetts Pass. The Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway travels through the Sierra Nevada’s old-growth Stanislaus National Forest, revealing towering mountain peaks, valleys, unique rock formations, and glacier-carved alpine lakes, as it climbs to an elevation of 8,732-feet along this historic trail. This side of the canyon has interspersed sections of open space, tree cover, and several small stream crossings. The volcanic landscape is interesting enough to take your attention away from the gravel strewn path leading to more that one slip-n-slide moment. Ebikes are not allowed on USFS non-motorized trails. Riding the Pacific Crest Trail at Ebbetts Pass South to Noble Lake. The last time I checked, there was a huge amount of snow even as low as Lake Alpine. 55.5 89.3. 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