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Hiking (and Driving!) to Robb's Hut
Aug. 6th, 2023 09:43 amLast weekend I visited Robb's Hut in the Eldorado National Forest. It's one of those things you probably wouldn't find except for SMUD's nice map of the Crystal Basin. Getting to Robb's Hut, which is an old cabin next to a fire lookout atop a peak, entails a drive of about 3 miles up a 4x4 route then hoofing it for the last .5 to .6 miles past a locked gate.
For this chapter of the trip I've prepared both a video and a few pictures. Watch the video in the frame below or click through it to see it in 1280x720p resolution.
Once past the locked gate, on foot, it was both easy and tough going to the top. Easy, because the road is still a dirt fire/access road. But also tough, because it's up-up-up to a summit of almost 6,700' (2,042 m) and I don't have any acclimation to the altitude. Thankfully he views along the way provide ample excuses to stop and catch one's breath while appreciating the scenery.
Initially I misremembered this trail as being 1/4 mile on foot. Nope, it's more like 0.6 miles (1km). But hey, I need the exercise. 😅
Soon enough the peak comes into view.
The photo above shows the fire lookout. That's not actually Robb's Hut. The hut is just below it on the far side.
From atop the fire lookout there are views in all directions. To the west, you can see across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the California's Central Valley. It was hazy when I visited, though, so I didn't try taking photos. They wouldn't have come out well. To the east are views up into the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada, as shown in the previous picture. Beyond the Crystal Range is the Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe.
For this chapter of the trip I've prepared both a video and a few pictures. Watch the video in the frame below or click through it to see it in 1280x720p resolution.
Once past the locked gate, on foot, it was both easy and tough going to the top. Easy, because the road is still a dirt fire/access road. But also tough, because it's up-up-up to a summit of almost 6,700' (2,042 m) and I don't have any acclimation to the altitude. Thankfully he views along the way provide ample excuses to stop and catch one's breath while appreciating the scenery.
Initially I misremembered this trail as being 1/4 mile on foot. Nope, it's more like 0.6 miles (1km). But hey, I need the exercise. 😅
Soon enough the peak comes into view.
The photo above shows the fire lookout. That's not actually Robb's Hut. The hut is just below it on the far side.
From atop the fire lookout there are views in all directions. To the west, you can see across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the California's Central Valley. It was hazy when I visited, though, so I didn't try taking photos. They wouldn't have come out well. To the east are views up into the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada, as shown in the previous picture. Beyond the Crystal Range is the Desolation Wilderness and Lake Tahoe.
