알파인 카운티 최고의 워킹 & 하이킹 경로

It's quite a grind to get up here, at an elevation of 8,736 feet or 2,663 m, but sometimes you just have to play road biker for the views.

Round Top Lake sits at the base of the towering mountains of The Sisters and Round Top. Take your time to embrace the beauty of this turquoise alpine lake. There are several trails close by that take you deeper into the wilderness and up the mountain range.

Here, you'll reach Armstrong Pass. The trail to get here features a gradual climb with a few hundred feet of elevation gain. You can access several trails from this pass.

The highest pass along CA 108 is crossed here by the PCT. There are some pull-over options and interesting location markers, but if you organized to start or stop here it is better not to park here but a few hundred meeters down on the west side at a parking area.

There are, rare for trails in the US, two options for this section above Sonora Pass. The more gradual eastern trail is the main route of the PCT. The shorter direct trail is steep and has a dotted line on the Komoot map. The views from here are amazing. The tree line begins here at about 3100 m which is a little more than 10 000 feet. Above this point are just grass or, in this area, bare gravel dirt.

A small paradise at this glacial kar lake, a remnant from a hanging glacier. In summer, and in winter in snow, this is a good spot to camp, protected from the wind that can blow fiercely a little higher along the PCT trail and on Leavitt Mountain. In summer, a diverse variety of wild flowers blossom in this sheltered location, close to water.

At 8,700 feet, Ebbetts Pass is a spectacular high mountain pass that is the fulcrum point between two state parks namely Calaveras Big Trees and Grover Hot Springs. It is also a cross over point for the Pacific Crest Trail. It sits just below imposing Ebbetts Peak at 9,160 feet which is just a short easy hike away.

Sonora Pass is the 2nd highest pass through the Sierra, behind Yosemite's Tioga Pass. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses here and is a popular place for hiking. Just to the west of the summit is a picnic area with restrooms, which makes it a good spot to catch your breath after the climb and before the descent.