Lake Schmidell - Desolation Wilderness

Because of the wonderful state of the world, all of my pre-work summer plans were canceled. After being cooped up in an apartment in Santa Cruz for a few months, there was an extreme need to get out and do something fun in a socially distant manner. So what screamed leaving it all behind and having some fun? Backpacking! A quick trip to the less visited side of the Desolation Wilderness seemed appropriate so I grabbed a friend and we went for it!

Our campsite

Trip Logistics

The goal was to enjoy the views, stay away from others, and maybe have a good time too. We settled on going Lake Schmidell. Laying beyond Rockbound Pass it gets little traffic due to its inconvenient location. Because we decided to tackle this in mid June we came mentally prepared for snow and mosquitoes, both of which were encountered. We aimed to do a rough loop but ended up settling on just an out and back at the end of day one.

We aimed to start our hike at the Twin Lakes Trailhead. Sadly because of closures we were not able to park there and were forced to hike an extra mile starting near the Wrights Lake Equestrian Camp.

Permits can be obtained through recreation.gov. Your first night you must stay in the zone you define on your permit but you may stay anywhere for the rest of your trip. Check the permits link below for updated permitting information.

Trip Statistics
2 days
16 miles
2800 ft of elevation gain

Map

Permits and Closures

Trip Report

On Tuesday night we drove up to the Desloation Wilderness. Arriving at 11pm, we parked along Lyons Creek Road and made a quick dinner consisting of chips and instant noodles. Our lazy selves did not want to unpack our backpacks so we slept in the car and opted for blankets over sleeping bags. It was way too cold but we were lazy so we just shivered all night like two functioning adults. 

We opted for a relaxed start in the morning. We were up by around 7am and were on trail by 9:30 am. With our backpacks already packed it did not take much for us to get up and going. A mile away from the Twin Lakes Trailhead we were foiled by a locked gate. We were forced to park in the lot near the gate, adding an extra mile each way to our hike.

All smiles to start the day!

Our only goal this trip was to have a good time, so we threw on our packs, and took it slow on our way to Rockbound Pass.

Right outside of Twin Lakes Trailhead

The advantage of no tree cover is nice views

A beautiful new sign welcoming us to the wilderness

More wildflower photos, you're welcome

After a few miles of hiking and a single creek crossing we finally began the upwards climb towards Maude Lake and Rockbound Pass. The trees eventually disappeared as we continued our way up the rocky alpine landscape.

Rockbound Pass looming in the background

After reaching Maude Lake, we took a "quick" two hour lunch break and enjoyed the scenery. The mosquitoes were present near the water but moving only a hundred or so feet away from the lake solved that problem. Eventually we dawned our packs and continued up the climb.

Crossing a snow field

Almost on top of Rockbound Pass

A portrait of a Desolation Wilderness marmot

The closer to the pass we got, the more snow we encountered. Another hiker warned us of snow but we continued. On the top of the pass we were able to look out onto Lake Doris where we saw just how much snow there was.

The snow line stopped around 8300 feet, just high enough to cover the trail we needed to get to Lake Schmidell. All aspect slopes on the northern end of Rockbound Pass were filled with snow. We looked down to see huge patches of snow as well as swampy terrain from the snow melt.

As we stood on the pass I slowly realized that my choice of La Sportiva Ultra Raptor trail runners may not have been the best decision. Kicking steps would prove to be a pain and it was just a matter of time until my feet would be soaked from the wet terrain. We continued downwards toward the lake traversing the soft snow slopes.

We opted to follow the snow slopes on the right

After descending the snow slopes we quickly realized we would not be able to re-acquire the trail. We continued forward following small streams towards where we thought the trail intersection was. After a bit of searching we found the wooden sign post marking our turnoff. The trail reappeared temporarily, and sent us in the right direction until about a half mile away from Lake Lois.

After some soul crushing trudging on the trail (swamp?), my shoes were thoroughly soaked and we decided to try and camp at Lake Lois. Twenty minutes of aimlessly walking around yielded no good campsites so we continued to Lake Schmidell.

We moved around the eastern end of the lake, eventually finding the trail to take us to Lake Schmidell. Before beginning the final small climb towards our destination we were forced into a small creek crossing. While we could have just walked through it with our shoes and boots, the idea of having wet feet sounded absolutely miserable so we opted to shed our footwear and make our way through.

The water was chilly and we were quite glad to not have soaked shoes. We continued towards our camp, trudging through more snow and swampy terrain. My condolences for having to listen to my color commentary.

Eventually we had Lake Schmidell in our sights. Rather than hike down to it and camp out, we opted to stay high up as not to make the next day any harder. We walked around for around ten minutes in search of a nice place to camp. The ground was uneven and bumpy but we found the least bumpy patch and opted to settle there.

Before we pitched our tent

We turned in fairly early due to our unexpected cross country journey. The next morning we went for another slow start, getting on trail by 10:30 am. With an easier day in front of us, we did not worry to much.

We retraced our steps through the mud and snow towards Rockbound Pass. Nothing super exciting on the way back but here are some pictures!

Kicking steps toward Rockbound Pass

The final bridge to Twin Lakes Trailhead

Eventually we got back to Twin Lakes Trailhead. The day was much warmer, likely in the mid 70s with mosquitoes reminding us why bug spray is important too. We continued onward on the last cement section to get back to the car where we both were excited to ditch our packs. After some rest we departed back for Santa Cruz, leaving another lovely trip behind.

If you are looking to get away from people, lake Schmidell is definitely a great option. Good views, few people, just be wary of snow and mosquitoes.

Happy hiking!

-m