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canyonwalkerIn my previous blog I described how our plans came together at the last minute (well, 36 hours ahead of actually getting there) to hike Rancheria Falls. It would be a lot of driving just to hike one short hike. Thus I looked for ways to make the trip a two-fer. There was another waterfalls hike nearby, on the first bit of the Dinkey Lakes Loop. It was in just the right place to be a two-fer. The only problem? AllTrails.com says it is CLOSED.
I'm glad I read for more details because it's not actually the trail that's closed, it's the dirt road getting there. When I see that a road is closed, and I'm planning to go there in my 4x4 already, I think....
Seriously, I've driven around "ROAD CLOSED" signs several times in my 4x4. I've even driven around a "BRIDGE OUT AHEAD" sign once. And yes, that time I drove down the embankment, through the water, and back up the other side!
But this trek didn't require anything like that. There are other roads to get there. There's a whole network of dirt 4x4 roads in the area. A helpful post on the website clued me in to where to start looking, and I mapped it out.
We drove back west about 10 miles from the turnoff for Rancheria Falls, to the top of the Tamarack Ridge. From there a well-marked trailhead sat on the side of the road, beyond a large parking lot full of pick-up trucks with empty trailers. The area is popular with people driving XUVs. (XUVs are extreme ATVs. If you're not sure what that means, imagine a golf cart with 4 wheel drive that goes stupid, dangerously fast.)
The paved road ended just beyond the sign in the photo above. From there it was dirt roads the next 9 miles. The first 8 miles were passable by a regular street vehicle, but the last mile— after we joined with the the road that was closed lower down the mountain— definitely required high clearance. I'm pretty sure we hiked Dinkey Lakes once before, umpteen or more years ago, but I don't remember the last mile of road being that rough.
We rolled up to the Dinkey Lakes trailhead at 1pm. The Dinkey Lakes Loop is an amazing 7 mile trail in the high Sierra. From here at the trail signpost it looks... well, dinky. I'm glad I've been here before so as not to feel rooked after the tough drive.
Our plan wasn't to hike the whole 7 mile loop but only to visit a waterfalls near the start and then maybe hike up to the first lake and back. BTW, as much as hiking at Rancheria Falls was tough because of the elevation, here it's even higher, 8,600' (2.6 km) at the trailhead.
Update: keep reading as we visit... one of... the Dinkey Creek Falls.
I'm glad I read for more details because it's not actually the trail that's closed, it's the dirt road getting there. When I see that a road is closed, and I'm planning to go there in my 4x4 already, I think....
Seriously, I've driven around "ROAD CLOSED" signs several times in my 4x4. I've even driven around a "BRIDGE OUT AHEAD" sign once. And yes, that time I drove down the embankment, through the water, and back up the other side!
But this trek didn't require anything like that. There are other roads to get there. There's a whole network of dirt 4x4 roads in the area. A helpful post on the website clued me in to where to start looking, and I mapped it out.
We drove back west about 10 miles from the turnoff for Rancheria Falls, to the top of the Tamarack Ridge. From there a well-marked trailhead sat on the side of the road, beyond a large parking lot full of pick-up trucks with empty trailers. The area is popular with people driving XUVs. (XUVs are extreme ATVs. If you're not sure what that means, imagine a golf cart with 4 wheel drive that goes stupid, dangerously fast.)
The paved road ended just beyond the sign in the photo above. From there it was dirt roads the next 9 miles. The first 8 miles were passable by a regular street vehicle, but the last mile— after we joined with the the road that was closed lower down the mountain— definitely required high clearance. I'm pretty sure we hiked Dinkey Lakes once before, umpteen or more years ago, but I don't remember the last mile of road being that rough.
We rolled up to the Dinkey Lakes trailhead at 1pm. The Dinkey Lakes Loop is an amazing 7 mile trail in the high Sierra. From here at the trail signpost it looks... well, dinky. I'm glad I've been here before so as not to feel rooked after the tough drive.
Our plan wasn't to hike the whole 7 mile loop but only to visit a waterfalls near the start and then maybe hike up to the first lake and back. BTW, as much as hiking at Rancheria Falls was tough because of the elevation, here it's even higher, 8,600' (2.6 km) at the trailhead.
Update: keep reading as we visit... one of... the Dinkey Creek Falls.
