Backpack - Trinity Alps Traverse

The Trinity Alps are a hidden gem in far northern California.  They are like the granite peaks and lakes of the Sierras without the crowds or the lung stressing altitude.   There should be great September weather and good swimming at many of the camps and at stops along the way.  We will summit several peaks on boot-paths and likely do some off-trail exploring.  The trip is not long in length each day, but does have a good amount of elevation gain.  I backpack at a moderate pace and stop for whatever is interesting.  The goal is to enjoy the journey and experience a new mountain range that is quite different from our local Northwest mountains.

Here is the route on Gaia:  https://www.gaiagps.com/public/xZwojdcLfrE6kC2rDQlFZE2c/

Each segment is shown as a distinct color and is annotated.

There are many backpacking videos of the area.  Search them out in Youtube under:  Trinity Alps-- then Caribou Lakes, or Emerald  and Sapphire Lakes, or Four Lakes Loop.  This will give you a taste of this beautiful area and what you can expect.

Due to the length of the trip--five nights/six days and the significant elevation gain-averaging 3000' each day this is a Leader's Permission Only Trip.  Backpackers need to have excellent conditioning and experience with longer trips.  In requesting permission, please address completely each of the following questions/concerns:

1)  Have you successfully completed a backpack trip of 4 nights or longer in the past two seasons? Yes or No?  Please list where and when?

2)  Have you successfully completed a backpack trip that had over 10,000' of gain in 3 or 4 days or 15,000' in 5 or more days? Yes or No?  Please list where and when?

3)  What backpack trips will you have completed, this season, prior to this trip that demonstrate that you will have excellent conditioning for this strenuous trip? Please list.

4)  Have you successfully completed a backpack trip with this leader?  Yes or No?  If, no, could you provide a Mountaineers Backpack Leader that you have completed a trip with that I can confer with regarding you suitability for this trip.

5)  This trip will have some non-technical off-trail travel and some optional boot-path travel to summit various peaks along the way.  Are you comfortable with that sort of travel?  Yes or No?  Explain if needed

This trip will be a unique experience to a special place.  I hope you can join me.  Please send your Leader Permission Requests ASAP.  I will start reviewing them this week.  Rob

Meet at yet to be determined car camping site near THs on 9/2, the evening before the trip.  The pre-trip campsite will likely be a forest service camp--sparse and simple and without water.  This campground and the trip is a full day's drive (8-9 hours) from the Seattle area. Participants can choose other accommodations--motel, etc. if desired, however the THs are quite remote and we will need to gather early on the first day 9/3.  We will set up the car shuttle early on the morning of 9/3.  We will place one or more cars at the Grand Peak TH (ending TH), then proceed to the Big Flat TH which is the starting point for the traverse.   More information will follow on these logistics.  We will need a minimum of two cars for the shuttle.  If may be possible for one to fly in and out of Redding, Ca (non-stop flights from Seattle) and get picked-up if the logistic can work.