Welcome to The Musings of Quintus Curtius Snodgrass
About me: I love to travel. I love exploring new places and visiting unknown regions. I can’t tell you how many times I arm myself with my trusty cell phone, sure that I’ll find all the hidden gems with Google only to return home to find out that I missed a whole lot of stuff that I wish I'd done. It’s disappointing and frustrating. If that’s ever happened to you, that’s why my new column, “The Musings of Quintus Curtius Snodgrass”, exists.
If you’re just here for a visit, I want you to know our beautiful region, to explore the vast area and diverse activities available to you. I want you to come back again and again because there is so much more to see and do. Or, if you are lucky enough to live here, to rediscover your childhood memories of camping in the forest, fishing and swimming in the lakes, rivers, and streams, and mini-golfing in Twain Harte. If you moved here from elsewhere, I want you to remember why you moved here in the first place.
Check this space often as there’s so much to do in our region and I have opinions. Let’s get right to it, then…
One of the biggest draws to the area is the Stanislaus National Forest, created on February 22, 1897 and named in honor of the Native American leader, Estanislao. It offers extensive outdoor activities for all seasons along the Highway 108 corridor. This includes over 1,000 miles of hiking trails where, with a little bit of effort, you will discover mountain lakes, rivers, and streams within the spectacular granite landscape of the Sierra Nevadas.
One of my favorite hikes is to the beautiful tarn Camp Lake, located in the Emigrant Wilderness. It is a short r/t hike of about 5 miles with an elevation gain of 445 feet, making this hike a perfect family outing or short backpack trip.
To reach the trailhead, drive east from Twain Harte on Highway 108 for 15 miles. Turn right to Crabtree trailhead and travel another 10 miles of paved and dirt road. Please drive slowly past Aspen Meadow Pack Station. Or better yet, make this your first stop of the day and enjoy a one or two hour guided horseback ride on a mount suited to your level of expertise. Call (209) 965-3402 for reservations.
When you have finished your ride, load up your vehicle and continue 3.3 miles to the Crabtree trailhead on your right. Park in the parking lot, use the pit toilets, (be sure to bring your own toilet paper as there may not be any available), and head across the bridge and follow the trail to Camp Lake.
After you arrive at the lake, relax, take in the view, swim, fish, hike above to view a granite valley or find a perfect spot to pitch your tent. Whatever you do, be sure to bring plenty of water to drink and practice the Leave No Trace (LNT) etiquette of hiking in the wilderness.
*Please note, guided rides and the hike to Camp Lake are seasonal activities dependent on snow and road closure.
