Trinity Alps

Last updated
Trinity Alps
Trinity Alps near Granite Lake.jpg
Trinity Alps near Granite Lake
Highest point
Elevation 9,001 ft (2,744 m)
Geography
Relief map of California.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Trinity Alps
The Trinity Alps in Northern California [1]
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
Region Shasta Cascade
District Trinity County
Range coordinates 41°0′1.505″N123°2′54.126″W / 41.00041806°N 123.04836833°W / 41.00041806; -123.04836833
Topo map USGS  Thompson Peak

The Trinity Alps are a mountain range in Trinity County and Siskiyou County in Northern California. They are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains located to the north of Weaverville.

Contents

Geography

The Trinity Alps are within the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the Klamath Mountains System, which lies between the California Coast Ranges to the west and the Cascade Range to the east. Elevations range from 1,350 feet (411 m) to 9,001 feet (2,744 m) on Thompson Peak. Other notable peaks include Granite Peak (8,094 feet (2,467 m)) and Ycatapom Peak (7,593 feet (2,314 m)). The Trinity Alps are noted for their scenic views and alpine environment. The range's alpine flora differs from that found in the Sierra Nevada or the Cascades. Within the Klamath Mountains, adjacent subranges of the Trinity Alps include the Salmon Mountains and Scott Mountains.

The Trinity Alps Wilderness covers 517,000 acres (2,090 km2), making it the second largest wilderness area in California. [2] The area was formerly known as the Salmon-Trinity Alps Primitive Area since 1932 until a series of expansions.

Glaciers, snowfields, and ice fields

The lowest snowfield in California that does not disappear except in the extreme runs of dry years is located above Mirror Lake at an elevation of 6,600 ft (2,000 m).

The Grizzly Glacier below the north face of Thompson Peak The north face of Thompson Peak, Trinity Alps, California.jpg
The Grizzly Glacier below the north face of Thompson Peak

Research had shown that some glaciers in the Trinity Alps were more resistant to the effects of global warming than are other California glaciers. According to recent, but incorrect, USGS maps, 35 permanent bodies of snow and several tiny glaciers dotted the highest peaks of the Alps. [3]

The only glaciers to survive to the 21st century were the Salmon Glacier and the Grizzly Glacier, a 15-acre (61,000 m2) icefield on the north side of Thompson Peak, which showed crevasses indicating true motion even on so small an icefield. [4] The Salmon Glacier went extinct in 2015. The Grizzly Glacier was declared extinct in the fall of 2022. [5]

Temporary glacier

On the ridge south of Sapphire Lake is an unusual phenomenon consisting of a temporary glacier, versus an inactive snowfield that melts out in dry years. Following years of heavy accumulation, an icefield appears in this fully sheltered north-facing cirque that can show active crevasses and seracs some tens of feet high. But this ice body, at an elevation of only 7,500 ft (2,300 m) in a region experiencing a long, hot dry season from about mid May to mid October, can disappear completely during a run of drier years.

Studies of lichen collars indicate that the site near Kalmia Lake is the snowiest spot in the State of California, receiving snow accumulation in excess of the Lake Helen snowcourse on Lassen Peak, by far the snowcourse with greatest late winter snow accumulation in California. This in turn is consistent with the fact of an active glacier under Thompson Peak, while, in contrast, no such active glacier exists under Brokeoff Mountain west of Lassen Peak, higher than Thompson Peak and presenting an ideal NNE-facing zone in the area of maximum snow accumulation beneath an almost-vertical cliff face 1,000 ft (300 m) high. Sufficient snow does accumulate under Brokeoff that in some years the snowfield there experiences incipient glacial motion. Two moraines below it, one very recent, provide clear evidence at least of mass transport in the recent past at that site. These moraines are quite a bit smaller than those found below the Thompson Peak glacieret.

Natural history

Flora

The Trinity Alps section of the Klamath Mountains Ecoregion is botanically outstanding by having the second greatest number of conifer species of any place in the world.[ citation needed ] Russian Peak, in the Russian Wilderness just north of the Trinity Alps, has the greatest number of conifer species in North America. [6] So many genera and species of conifers exist together because the Trinity Alps are at the intersection of the Mediterranean climate of the south and the Northwestern coastal climate, which has a shorter dry season.

Northern tree species, such as subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) are found here, as well as southern trees, such as incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and white fir (Abies concolor), plus unique populations of foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) and weeping spruce (Picea breweriana).

Swift Creek viewed from a footbridge in July 2005 Swift creek.jpg
Swift Creek viewed from a footbridge in July 2005

Other plants along the trails include the carnivorous California pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica), the showy pinkish Lewisia cotyledon, and the rare Trinity Alps endemic wildflower Trinity penstemon (Penstemon tracyi). Sagebrush is found on ridges in the Scott Mountains.

Large fires have burned through some of the forests in the wilderness, including much of the 105,855-acre (428.38 km2) Iron/Alps Complex fire in 2008.

Fauna

Most of the lakes have been stocked with rainbow, brown or brook trout, and some have self-sustaining populations. The major streams of the North Fork Trinity River and New River watersheds have spawning chinook salmon, and some have steelhead.

The Trinity Alps are home to much wildlife, including: American black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, blacktailed deer, lizards, chipmunks, and a great number of bird species. Deer and black bear are commonly seen. Less common but present are mountain lion, pine marten, fisher, and wolverine. Rough-skinned newts are commonly found in ponds and lakes. The Trinity Alps may be home to a cryptozoological phenomenon, the Trinity Alps Giant Salamander.

Geology

Geologically, the Trinity Alps consist of a mixture of igneous, granite and metamorphic peaks. In the eastern mountains are the Red Trinities, due to reddish ultramafic peridotite; in the central granitic batholith are the White Trinities; and in the western mountains are the Green Trinities, due to more extensive forest cover. The region contains much pine and fir forest as well as meadows, creeks, and lakes.

Recreation

Canyon Creek Lakes Sawtooth Alpenglow (3628737331).jpg
Canyon Creek Lakes

The US Forest Service, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, manages most of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The northern boundary extends into the Klamath National Forest, and the western boundary extends into the Six Rivers National Forest. There are also private inholdings, especially in the eastern portions. The wilderness contains hiking trails, backcountry camping, and scenery. Access is off California State Route 299 on the south, CA Route 3 on the east, and various old logging and mining roads on the north and west. Wilderness permits are required for hiking. [7] The Pacific Crest Trail connects the northeast corner of the Trinity Alps to the Russian Wilderness and Marble Mountain Wilderness to the north and the Castle Crags Wilderness in the Trinity Divide to the east.

Less-visited areas include New River, Salmon Mountain, Horse Linto Creek, Pony Buttes, and Limestone Ridge in the west, and Packers Peak, Deadman Peak, and Eagle Peak in the Scott Mountains. Most of the area is visited much less heavily than many other wilderness areas in California, such as in the High Sierra of Yosemite National Park and Kings Canyon National Park, but more heavily than the nearby Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness.

The most popular destinations beyond the trailheads are Canyon Creek Lakes, Emerald and Sapphire Lakes on the Stuart Fork, and Granite Lake on the Swift Creek trail. The western ridges are mostly lower in elevation with fewer lakes, and ridgetop trails there can be hot and dry in the summer. Trails do not reach all of the lakes; cross-country routes are possible.

The Trinity Alps overlook Trinity Lake to the east, a large reservoir of the federal Central Valley Project on the Trinity River. Hunting occurs for deer, bear, and bandtailed pigeon in season. Rock climbing is excellent in the areas with granite cliffs, such as Caribou Peak and Sawtooth Ridge.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lassen Volcanic National Park</span> National park in California, United States

Lassen Volcanic National Park is an American national park in northeastern California. The dominant feature of the park is Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the few areas in the world where all four types of volcanoes can be found: plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Mountains</span> Mountain range in Oregon and California, United States

The Klamath Mountains are a rugged and lightly-populated mountain range in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the western United States. As a mountain system within both the greater Pacific Coast Ranges and the California Coast Ranges, the Klamath Mountains have a varied geology, with substantial areas of serpentinite and marble, and a climate characterized by moderately cold winters with very heavy snowfall and warm, very dry summers with limited rainfall, especially in the south. As a consequence of the geology and soil types, the mountains harbor several endemic or near-endemic trees, forming one of the largest collections of conifers in the world. The mountains are also home to a diverse array of fish and animal species, including black bears, large cats, owls, eagles, and several species of Pacific salmon. Millions of acres in the mountains are managed by the United States Forest Service. The northernmost and largest sub-range of the Klamath Mountains are the Siskiyou Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Lake</span> Reservoir in Trinity County, California

Trinity Lake, previously called Clair Engle Lake, is a reservoir on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam and located in Trinity County, California, United States. The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake's capacity is 2,447,650 acre⋅ft (3,019.13 GL), making it one of the largest reservoirs in California. The lake's surface is at 2,370 ft (720 m) above MSL. Trinity Lake captures and stores water for the Central Valley Project, which provides the Central Valley with water for irrigation and produces hydroelectric power. This lake is known for its many small arms, glassy inlets, and good water-skiing conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shasta–Trinity National Forest</span> National forest in California, US

The Shasta–Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, United States. It is the largest National Forest in California and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2,210,485 acre forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles (10,103 km) of streams and rivers. Major features include Shasta Lake, the largest man-made lake in California and Mount Shasta, elevation 14,179 feet (4,322 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath National Forest</span> National forest in California, US

Klamath National Forest is a 1,737,774-acre national forest, in the Klamath Mountains and Cascade Range, located in Siskiyou County in northern California, but with a tiny extension into southern Jackson County in Oregon. The forest contains continuous stands of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, Douglas fir, red fir, white fir, lodgepole pine, Baker Cypress, and incense cedar. Old growth forest is estimated to cover some 168,000 acres (680 km2) of the forest land. Forest headquarters are located in Yreka, California. There are local ranger district offices located in Fort Jones, Happy Camp, and Macdoel, all in California. The Klamath was established on May 6, 1905. This forest includes the Kangaroo Lake and the Sawyers Bar Catholic Church is located within the boundaries of the Forest. The Forest is managed jointly with the Butte Valley National Grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Alps Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Trinity Alps Wilderness is a 525,627-acre (212,714 ha) designated wilderness located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. It is jointly administered by Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. About 4,623 acres (1,871 ha) are administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The wilderness is located in the Salmon and Scott Mountains, subranges of the Klamath Mountains region. The high, granitic and ultramafic peaks of the eastern half of the wilderness area are known as the Trinity Alps. Granite peaks at the core of the area are known as the White Trinities, reddish ultramafic peaks in the southeast are known as the Red Trinities, and the forested mountains in the western half of the wilderness are known as the Green Trinities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Buttes Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California and Oregon, United States

The Red Buttes Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Klamath and Rogue River national forests in the U.S. states of Oregon and California. It comprises 19,940 acres (8,070 ha), approximately 16,190 acres (6,550 ha) of which is located in California, and 3,750 acres (1,520 ha) in Oregon. It was established by the California Wilderness Act of 1984 and the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984.

The term Marble Mountains is a common term for the northwestern portion of the Salmon Mountains range in northwestern California. The Salmon Mountains are themselves a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains, which are a constituent part of the greater Northwest U.S. Coast Ranges. The local name derives from Marble Mountain and Black Marble Mountain, prominent peaks and the namesake of the surrounding Marble Mountain Wilderness Area. The term "Marble Mountains" is commonly applied not only to the ridges of Marble Mountain and Black Marble Mountain themselves but as a name for the northwestern ranges of the Salmon Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Linn</span> Mountain in the state of California

Mount Linn, at 8,098 feet (2,468 m), is the easternmost summit of South Yolla Bolly Mountain, and is located in the Yolla Bolly Mountains of the Northern Coast Ranges and sibling Klamath Mountains System, in Tehama County, northwestern California. Mt. Linn is the highest peak in the northern California Coast Ranges south of the Trinity Alps and, along with the highest peaks of the Trinity Alps, the tallest coastal range peak within the coterminous forty-eight states. Mt. Linn is the third most prominent peak in the northern Pacific Coast Ranges behind Mt. Eddy and Caesar Peaks in the Trinity Alps and Mt. Olympus of Washington's Olympic Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cascades (ecoregion)</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the United States

The Cascades ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Somewhat smaller than the Cascade mountain range for which it is named, the ecoregion extends north to Snoqualmie Pass, near Seattle, and south to Hayden Pass, near the Oregon-California border, including the peaks and western slopes of most of the High Cascades. A discontiguous section is located on Mount Shasta in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klamath Mountains (ecoregion)</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in northern California and southwestern Oregon

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion of Oregon and California lies inland and north of the Coast Range ecoregion, extending from the Umpqua River in the north to the Sacramento Valley in the south. It encompasses the highly dissected ridges, foothills, and valleys of the Klamath and Siskiyou Mountains. It corresponds to the Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and to the Klamath-Siskiyou forests ecoregion designated by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, US

The Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Yolla Bolly Range of the southern Klamath Mountains and the Inner Northern California Coast Ranges, in Northern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Shasta Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Mount Shasta Wilderness is a 38,200-acre (155 km2) federally designated wilderness area located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Mount Shasta City in northern California. The US Congress passed the 1984 California Wilderness Act that set aside the Mount Shasta Wilderness. The US Forest Service is the managing agency as the wilderness is within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The area is named for and is dominated by the Mount Shasta volcano which reaches a traditionally quoted height of 14,162 feet (4,317 m) above sea level, but official sources give values ranging from 14,104 feet (4,299 m) from one USGS project, to 14,179 feet (4,322 m) via the NOAA. Mount Shasta is one of only two peaks in the state over 14,000 feet (4,300 m) outside the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The other summit is White Mountain Peak in the Great Basin of east-central California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Crags Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Castle Crags Wilderness is a 12,232-acre (49.50 km2) wilderness area in the Castle Crags rock formations of the Trinity Mountains, and within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, in northwestern California. It is located in Siskiyou County and Shasta County, 40 miles (64 km) north of Redding and south of Mount Shasta City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon Mountains</span> Subrange of the Klamath Mountains, California

The Salmon Mountains are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains in Siskiyou County, and Trinity County northwestern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marble Mountain Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Marble Mountain Wilderness is a 241,744-acre (978.30 km2) wilderness area located 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Yreka, California, in the United States. It is managed by the United States Forest Service and is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County. The land was first set aside in April 1931 as the Marble Mountain Primitive Area, which comprised 234,957 acres (950.84 km2). It was one of four areas to gain primitive status under the Forest Service's L-20 regulations that year. In 1964, it became a federally designated wilderness area when the U.S. Congress passed the Wilderness Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Wilderness</span> Protected wilderness area in California, United States

The Russian Wilderness is a wilderness area of 12,000 acres (49 km2) located approximately 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Eureka in northern California. It is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County and is managed by the US Forest Service. It was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System when the US Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Peak</span> Mountain in the state of California

Russian Peak is part of a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains called the Salmon Mountains—a horseshoe-shaped range encompassing the headwaters of the Salmon River. The mountain itself is part of the granitic Russian Peak batholith. This beautiful peak is also the highest peak in the Russian Wilderness—12,700 acres (51 km2) of subalpine lakes and botanical wonders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thompson Peak (Trinity County, California)</span>

Thompson Peak is a mountain in Trinity County, California. At 9,001 feet, it is the highest peak in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and the second highest in Northern California west of the Cascades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yolla Bolly Mountain</span> Mountain peak in the Coast Ranges in Northern California

North Yolla Bolly Mountain is a 7,868-foot (2,398 m) peak in the Klamath Mountains of the Coast Ranges located in Trinity County, Northern California. The mountain is located in an isolated part of the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, about 50 miles (80 km) west of Red Bluff. It is situated about 13 miles (21 km) from Mount Linn, the highest point of the Coast Ranges south of the Trinity Alps.

References

  1. ↑ "Trinity Alps". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  2. ↑ "Trinity Alps Wilderness". Orbitz Away LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
  3. ↑ University Of California - Santa Barbara (May 7, 2005). "Small Glaciers In Northern California Buck Global Warming Trend". ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  4. ↑ Garwood, Justin, The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History , retrieved July 14, 2024
  5. ↑ Martin, Gillen Tener (July 1, 2024), "Fire, Flood and Ice: Local Scientists Document Climate Threshold Crossed in the Klamath Mountains", Lost Coast Communications, Inc.
  6. ↑ Munz, P. A. & D. Lake. Introduction to California Mountain Wildflowers.
  7. ↑ Shasta-Trinity National Forest: Trinity Alps Wilderness FAQs
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.