2. Winnemucca Lake and Round Top

Length:	6.3 miles round trip
Hiking time:	5 hours or overnight
High point:	10,381 feet
Total elevation gain:	2,200 feet
Difficulty:	strenuous
Season:	late July through mid-October
Water:	available from streams and lakes; purify first
Maps:	USGS 7.5' Carson Pass, USGS 7.5' Caples Lake, USFS Mokelumne Wilderness
Information:	Amador Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest

This hike takes you past two gorgeous alpine lakes where you can picnic, swim, and camp and then allows you to climb Round Top, where an extensive Sierra Nevada panorama awaits. Backpackers must reserve campsites in advance and must contact the Amador Ranger District to obtain a wilderness permit.

Take the Woods Lake campground turnoff, which is on Highway 88's south side 3.2 miles east of the Caples Lake Dam and 1.7 miles west of Carson Pass. Follow the paved road 1.5 miles to the campground, then bear left and park in the day-use picnic area.

The trail, signed for Winnemucca Lake, begins on the east side of the road by a wooden bridge spanning Woods Creek. Cross the bridge, go straight at a three-way junction, and begin a climb through a forest of mountain hemlock, lodgepole pine, and western white pine. At 0.8 mile leave the trees behind and hike across an open hillside covered with sagebrush and a multitude of wildflowers as views of Round Top's summit lure you upward.

The sparkling waters of Winnemucca Lake await at 1.5 miles. Here, under Round Top's steep cliffs, you can swim and sunbathe on warm days and also camp at one of the several sites along the south and west shores.

To continue, head right at a trail fork, cross Winnemucca Lake's outlet, then begin climbing westward. As you gain elevation, look north for good views of Desolation Wilderness. At 2.2 miles the trail passes through a small saddle populated by whitebark pine before dropping 150 yards to Round Top Lake, which is guarded on the south by the high peaks of The Sisters and Round Top. Those seeking campsites will find two on the lake's northwest side.

If you want an easy 4.8-mile hike, head downhill to the trailhead at Woods Lake. If you want to climb Round Top, be sure you have several layers of warm clothing, good boots, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and plenty of food and water. Be aware that there are several steep sections, which can be dangerous when covered with snow, a condition that usually persists well into August.

To begin the ascent, head left at the lake and take a faint trail southeast. It travels along the left side of a gully and climbs 0.5 mile to a saddle between Round Top and the easternmost peak of The Sisters, where you'll have views similar to those from Round Top's summit.

From the saddle, scramble 400 yards along Round Top's steep, boulder-shouldered south side to the double-humped summit, elevation 10,381 feet. You can easily surmount the western hump, but avoid the much steeper and more dangerous eastern hump. Fantastic views await in all directions: To the south, you'll see range upon range of high Sierra peaks; to the southwest lies the bulk of Mokelumne Wilderness; numerous lakes spread out far below on the north side; and the white peaks of Desolation Wilderness beckon to the far north.

When you've imbibed as much of this magnificence as possible, retrace your steps to Round Top Lake and take the 2.5-mile downhill trail signed for Woods Lake. The path initially travels near the lake's outlet stream, as Black Butte looms ahead, and enters a forest of whitebark pine and mountain hemlock. The trail eventually travels by red fir and western white pine to join a dirt road. Follow the dirt road 0.4 mile to its gated end on the west side of Woods Lake Campground. From here, make your way through the campground to the trailhead.