Granite Lake- near Silver Lake CA

After attempting to hike on the Emigrant Trail passed Kirkwood and finding ourselves snowed out, we went down the road a little bit toward Sac (about 15 miles) and just tried a trail we found on a trail map on the side of the road. From Silver Lake just off the 88, we parked in day parking scattered throughout a little neighborhood of cabins. You can park within the cabins on a dirt one lane road. We oriented ourselves with our destination on a map and began our trek. We took the lower dirt road, parked on the water and had to hike about 3/4m extra to the sign indicating Granite and Plasses lakes. The elevation is 9000-10000 ft so you can get a little winded, but the hike isn't that far, so its worth it! You pass a waterfall with a wooden bridge, many beautiful ponds, and mini lakes on your way up. We ran into one person the entire time, great for seclusion, and you will encounter a beautiful and untouched area. Great for having a picnic. Granite lake is on the map, although not searchable so just look above (I think South) on a map from Silver Lake that is basically on highway 88. Our hike total was about 4 miles. This hike was done in early May. A little sooner than expected, but we anticipated that there would be less snow and we were right, at least for this hike. May 2013

Mount Diablo- CA- North Peak/Devil's Elbow

Mount Diablo has many smaller hikes so you can choose how long you want to go, what kind of terrain you want, etc. It was a little confusing at times due to criss crossing trails, but for this hike, follow the main trail (biggest path) and you won't get lost. From the parking lot at the top, you can take the main Mount Diablo Summit trail to the next connection with the road. Go left passing the map above. This will take you towards North Peak and various other hikes. The trail is well maintained consisting of rock, dirt, and an old maintenance roads. Yes there are some towers at the top that take away from the sense of being in nature, but the views are worth it! We hiked about 4-5 miles total to the end and back, although the signage is confusing. We ran into few people. Don't forget to bring cash as you will need to pay (I already forgot), no more than 10$ to get in. On the small road up to the top, there are many little day picnic "nooks" that offer private park benches and spaces to have some great picnic's. April 2013.