Saw a Bear Hiking Near Auburn and the North Fork of the American River

Auburn State Recreation Area

Just outside of Auburn, take 49 South in the direction of Cool and Placerville. Park your car as soon as you cross the North Fork of the American River on the right side of the road. You'll see a road sized trail heading off to the south west toward an old bridge. That is No Hands bridge, and it is a great place from which to take pictures. On the East side of the bridge, opposite from Auburn side, is the trail to Cool. Take that trail up into the woods. The whole area is very well signposted, but the signs are very confusing if you're trying to find the Western States Trail. So, my advice is don't. I recommend the route I took. Take the Training Hill Trail until you see the sign for the Quarry Trail. Take it until you see the sign for the Short Cut Trail. This will take you back to Highway 49 and you can walk back down to your car. This loop is about 6 miles, and it is mostly shaded. It is steep at first, but it is well worth it. Just look at the pictures.

Guide Book Critique

This hike is number 19 in my book, 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California. Though I like this book for finding hikes, it is not so good in staying on the recommended trail route. One major complaint that I have about this book are the maps. The maps only show the trails that the author intends for you to take, and other trails are indicated with stubs that end in an arrow. So, should you want to extend your trip, or if you wonder where any of these trails go to, or if you become lost, you will need another map that shows all the trails. On this hike, I seemed to miss my turnoff to stay on the route recommended by the book, but it doesn't matter. I still had a great hike.

Signs Don't Make Sense

When you take your turn onto the Quarry Trail, you'll see the sign says, “Western States Tr. 2.3 M.” The very next sign says, “Western States Tr. 1.6 M.” back the way you came! So, trust me, don't trust the signs. This section of the trail is just to the side of Highway 49 by about 50 yards, and you hear the traffic. So, this is not the hike for those who want to feel completely removed from civilization. In fact, this hike is surrounded on three sides by the highway, though most of the time you don't hear it, or see it. There are also power lines and signs indicated buried cables throughout this hike, so take that into consideration if you are really trying to get away from the touch of humans.

Saw A Bear

As I was making my way down the Short Cut Trail, I looked across the valley and saw a big black bear on the other side of the valley. He was in the middle of a grassy area, and I could see him clearly through the branches on my hillside opposite him. He didn't hear or see me, and was just slowly making his way up the hill. It was 4PM and this was the best bear sighting I've ever had in broad daylight. I stood still and watched him walk up the hill until he disappeared into the manzanita. After that the trail switched back and passed just beneath the grassy place that the bear had been. I kept my eye out for him, but didn't see him again.

Great Swim

At the end of my hike, I was quite warm and dusty. I wasn't sweaty anymore, though I had broken a sweat on the first steep uphill part. I took a swim in the American River north of the bridge that I drove over to get to the trail. There are signs warning of currents, so be careful and know your limits. Make sure it is deep enough before you jump or dive in. I took three swims and lay out on the sunny rocks enjoying the warm breeze. This was definitely one of the better days.

Fine Day in Desolation Wilderness

Just two and a half hours drive from Vallejo, I found myself at Wrights Lake, starting a hike that I will not soon forget. Thanks to my guide book, "100 Classic Hikes in Northern California" I found hike 8 on page 28, to Grouse, Hemlock and Smith Lakes. This amazing hike is just 2.8 miles to the end at Smith Lake, but at the destination, you will find yourself completely removed from everything. It is such a remote feeling and inspiring, beautiful place. My hike was on a Thursday, and I was the only person at Smith Lake, where I lingered for an hour or so, without interruption.



Between Kyburz and Strawberry on Highway 50, Wrights Rd travels North for about 8 miles. Follow the signs to Twin Lakes trail head. Fill out a tag to let the rangers know who is on the trail, and off you go. There is no part of this trail that is not photo worthy. I filled my memory card with pictures, because I couldn't stop taking pictures. I've chosen the best for sharing.

The trail is well signposted, and most of it is sheltered by trees. Where the trail passes over granite, look for cairns. The guide book calls them rock ducks, but I've never heard that term before. The wonderful thing about this hike is that there is always a gorgeous view. If you bring a camera, bring plenty of film/memory.

Grouse Lake, which is as beautiful a lake as I have ever seen, is just 2 miles in. You could stop here and make a day of it exploring around the shores, swimming, and snoozing in the sun. I had lunch here, and took plenty of pictures. There were two other groups of people here at the time, but they didn't go further, so the rest of the time I was on my own.

The guide book says to look over your shoulder at 2.2 miles, and you can see a view back to Wrights Lake. Then Hemlock Lake is at 2.4 miles. This is a small lake, and compared to Grouse Lake, it seemed very small. But the rocky hillsides around it are amazing. Just after passing Hemlock Lake, you're still alongside it in fact, there is the most serene little meadow. I took several photos of it.

Then you scale a rocky mountainside up to Smith Lake. I had it all to myself, and I lingered for over an hour. First I explored around the rock wall that I assume is a dam. The water level wasn't up to it, and I'd like to see it in the Spring. I'll bet there are plenty of wildflowers early in the season, because I saw many here in late Summer. Then I explored up around the tree line on the Northwest side. The book says that there are views to the North, but the views are actually to the West. Smith Lake is surrounded by mountains to the North, East and South. If I had more time, I would love to have hiked to the top of this rim to see the views beyond. But I left that for another time. As I was exploring the South shore, I noticed beautifully colored fish in the water. I took some poor pictures, but noted the orange fins with a black stripe, and white on the leading edge. This identifies them as brook trout. It is very hard to find a good picture of one, most show them after they've been caught by anglers, and they look much happier in the water. These were very small, maybe five inches.

On this hike, I saw chipmunks, blue jays, robins, woodpeckers, brook trout and a marmot. Though this is bear country, I didn't see any bears or signs of them. I kept my eye out for Mountain Lions, too, but didn't see any.

This is a beautiful area, and there is so much reward for hiking such a short distance. There are also many other hikes in the area to explore, and I know I'll be back.