Crystal Basin, Eldorado National Forest
Near McKinstry Peak, June 2009
Plenty of trails to explore in this area, and some
great views to be had. We used Airport Flat Campground as our base,
but if you are going up for a day trip, you can park near the
trailhead for Wentworth Springs (Google Maps).
The parking area is to the left (north) of the trailhead, just a bit
farther along on the paved road.
Base Camp Day One - Airport Flat Campground:
Location: 23 miles
east of Placerville on Highway 50 then 24 miles north on Ice House
Road (Forest Road 3), and 3 miles north on Forest Road 33.
The campground is managed by the Pacific Ranger District.
GPS Coordinates: 38.987,-120.3785
Google Maps Satellite Image for Airport Flats
The campground is at about 5300’ elevation.
Airport Flats Campground has 15 sites and pit
toilets. Sites are first-come, first-served and there is a 14
day limit. No piped water is available, but Gerle Creek is nearby.
There is no fee for the campground, and OHVs are
allowed.
We no sooner arrived and got setup that it started
to rain. Now it is mid June, and we have been having some
weird weather, but this was crazy. It came down in buckets!
The good news was we wouldn't have any dust on the
trail. Bad news was there was going to be a lot of water on
the trail.
Day Two:
From Airport Flats, we took the historic route up to
Wentworth Springs Rd. on FS 14N34. We crossed a bridge that was built in 1937,
then a bit further along we forded Gerle Creek. Once we hit the
Wentworth Springs Rd. (FS 14N07 - which is paved, but legal for OHVs
in certain sections), we drove west about a mile. At the trailhead
for the Rubicon (historic access, not the more common route from
Look Lake), we stayed on the paved road (I think it is still FS
14N07) which is no longer Wentworth Springs Rd.
Wentworth Springs Rd - Trailhead - Google Maps
At some point, you want to get onto 14N51A which
will lead you to the top. There was still a little bit of snow up
near the top.
Near McKinstry Peak and the Red Cliffs - Google Maps
14N05 will take you to McKistry Lake and on out to
Ellis Creek and the Rubicon Trail.
McKistry Lake - Google Maps
From McKistry Lake, we continued on 14N05 to
Ellis Creek and the Rubicon Trail.
Ellis Creek - Rubicon Trail - Google Maps
On the way back from Ellis Creek, we took a detour
to Bugle Lake. From there, we should have been able to take
another road out. My GPS and Google Maps both show this route, but
we could not find it on the ground.
Bugle Lake - Google Maps
Day Three:
Wentworth Springs Road is the original County road
that was also known as the Rubicon Trail. The historical county road
actually starts right near Airport Flats Campground.
FS 14N34 starts here.
Wentworth Springs Rd - Trailhead - Google Maps
Some private property along Wentworth Springs Rd.
The campground is at about 6,200’ elevation.
The campground is generally accessible between
mid-June and mid-October. These dates are affected by snow
conditions.
Wentworth Springs Campground - Google Maps
Just past the campground, the trail will get much more difficult.
We didn't have enough play in the more difficult parts of this
trail, so that will have to wait for another trip.
Links:
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