Travel Beyond Hotels

Hell Hole Reservoir, A Gem in the Sierras

2012-02-28T16:04:00.001-08:00

Hell Hole reservoir is an artificial, crescent-shaped lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range 10 miles (16 km) west of Lake Tahoe in California. The lake is about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long when at full capacity. Surface Elevation 4,630 ft.

The lake was created in 1966 with the completion of Lower Hell Hole Dam across the Rubicon River, which is a major tributary of the Middle Fork of the American River. Hell Hole is named for a deep canyon which is now under the waters of the lake.

How the canyon came to be named Hell Hole is a combination of folklore and speculation. An early author, George Wharton James (1858–1923), visited the canyon in 1913. James attributed the name to an unidentified miner seeking riches during the Squaw Valley mining excitement of 1862. It was "a hell of hole to get out of," James wrote but admitted his source for the place name was more speculative than the anonymous miner's chances for riches at Squaw Valley.

James' guide for the 1913 camping expedition to Hell Hole was Bob Watson, a well-known camping guide who operated in the Lake Tahoe Region from the 1880s into the first decades of the 20th century. Watson may have been the source of the story who sought to entertain and edify his paying clients with tales of local history. James attributed much of the local lore to Watson.

The United States Board on Geographic Names attributes the first use of the name "Hell Hole" to a United States Geological Survey map of 1894. The board was created in 1890, so previous uses of the name on federal government maps are possible.

James reported finding a natural lake near the Hell Hole chasm known as Bear Lake, which would have been drowned by the reservoir. James also described Hell Hole in terms that belies the colorful name: "Hell Hole? Then give me more of it," he wrote. The author reported his pleasure of the canyon was derived from its rugged nature that precluded human exploitation: Logging, mining, water development and road building, evident in other portions of the Lake Tahoe region. It was "a paradise of delightful surprises," he wrote.

Proposals for the dam date to 1958. In 1964 the first Hell Hole dam was completed. Placer County sought drinking water supplies to fuel growth of its communities in the Sacramento Valley. The gold-rush-era town of Auburn is in Placer County as is the suburban community of Roseville. The agency also sought to generate hydroelectric power to finance its ability to deliver the water to users.

Recreational uses

Today, the lake offers modern facilities to aid in waterborne recreation. The remoteness of the lake limits the number of visitors, so the lake is seldom crowded even during the height of the summer season. Most boating activity is limited to small powered fishing skiffs, canoes and kayaks. Afternoon high winds can make boating precarious.

Upper Hell Hole campground's mid-level campsite nestled between two streams
The lake is known by its three components: Lower Hell Hole, the Narrows and Upper Hell Hole. The lake is accessible by motor vehicle only at Lower Hell Hole, where a paved launch facility and forest service ranger station are located. The Hell Hole campground is also located there.

The campground features a view of the polished granite lakeshore but is not located directly on the shore of the lake because of the steep grade. The campground features a parking area but the 10 campsites are walk-in only. Many visitors use Big Meadows campground about one mile (1.6 km) away, which has 54 drive-in campsites suitable for recreational vehicles.

A second forest service campground is maintained at Upper Hell Hole and is known by that name. It can be reached by boat or a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) hiking trail that is reached by crossing the breakwater of the dam and hiking on a trail that flanks the lake but is several hundred feet above the water.

Upper Hell Hole campground is said to have 15 campsites and two pit toilets, but does not have trash service or other amenities. A camping fee is not charged. The campground is arranged on three tiers of elevation. Steps are cut into the granite rock to connect the levels. During the spring and early summer snowmelt, several of the campsites feature creeks and waterfalls nearby. Other campsites there are sheltered by giant granite boulders. Camping is also permitted wherever the rugged shoreline will permit boat landing.

Lowest cataract on Rubicon River before it enters the reservoir Driftwood-filled Five Lakes Creek as it joins the reservoir. The lake's principal inflows are from the Rubicon River and Five Lakes Creek, formerly a tributary of the Rubicon. Lake water has drowned the historical confluence of the two water courses. The Rubicon River was once known as the south fork of the middle fork of the American River. The Rubicon River's entry into the lake is via a cataract where the river has eroded through the elevated granite block.

The lake also features many small granitic islands that expand and contract with the level of the lake. Hell Hole typically has its highest level of water in May and lowers gradually through the summer and fall. The forest service maintains visitor services from May 15 through September 15. The lake is accessible until snow makes roads to the area impassable.

In 1984, the federally protected Granite Chief Wilderness was created by the United States Congress after a long advocacy campaign by the Sierra Club, a conservation organization.

Upper Hell Hole forms the western border of the Granite Chief Wilderness. A small buffer zone between the lake shore and the wilderness prevents accidental intrusion into the wilderness. The juxtaposition of the lake and wilderness presents the opportunity for rustic boat/backpacking adventures through the rugged and scenic 25,680 acres (103.9 km2) of wilderness. Like the lake itself, the wilderness is lightly used on the western border. Hell Hole Trail enters the wilderness from near the lake but is difficult to locate. Granite Chief Wilderness is managed by the Tahoe National Forest, while visitor facilities at Hell Hole are exclusively managed by El Dorado National Forest (Georgetown district).

The Truckee and American River (formerly Foresthill) ranger districts of the Tahoe forest advise caution at Granite Chief: "Topographic maps and skills to use them are highly recommended in the wilderness because of the minimal level in signing and remoteness of the area." Wilderness permits are not required to enter the Granite Chief Wilderness. Campfire permits are always required.

Hydrology

The construction of the present Hell Hole Dam also changed the course of the Rubicon River. The pre-dam river channel wended its way several miles to its confluence with the Middle Fork of the American River near Ralston Afterbay. Now, In addition to releases from Hell Hole down the pre-dam path, water is diverted through a pipeline to Middle Fork Powerhouse (AKA Stephenson Powerhouse) where it flows into Interbay Reservoir. From here, in addition to releases down the Middle Fork American River, the water is diverted into a tunnel to Ralston Powerhouse and into Ralston Afterbay, where it joins water from the pre-dam path. Oxbow Powerhouse and Oxbow control dam there releases water into the middle fork of the American River just below the spot of the historical confluence.

Water for hydroelectric generation is also shuttled into Hell Hole from French Meadows Reservoir which impounds the Middle Fork of the American River. The water travels through a tunnel to a powerhouse located on the north side of Hell Hole. French Meadows, at 5,200 elevation, is higher than the 4,700-foot (1,400 m) elevation at Hell Hole. The powerhouse at Hell Hole is actually known by the name, French Meadows powerhouse.[6]

The traditional channel of the Rubicon River still maintains water flow from the spillway at Hell Hole Dam and from tributaries of the Rubicon below the dam, such as Gerle Creek (pronounced girly).

The Placer County Water Agency does not take water directly from Hell Hole or the other dam but instead claims rights to the water as it is shipped through the American River System and ends up at Folsom Lake near Sacramento. Folsom dam was originally constructed for the purposes of flood control. The Placer water agency's dams and Ralston are presently known as the Middle Fork Project.

Historical usage

Hell Hole canyon and nearby vicinities initially escaped man-made exploitation during the latter half of the 19th century, but events that occurred then allowed eventual exploitation of Hell Hole during the 1960s.

The gold rush of 1849 on the South Fork of the American River resulted in establishment of Sierra foothill towns of Auburn, Placerville, Nevada City and Georgetown. The gold rush did not intrude into the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada range, but the water and timber needs of these towns did intrude into the upper elevations. In one case in 1873 the privately owned, California Water Company employed a scheme to dam Loon Lake to the south of Hell Hole and then sluice the water closer to Georgetown where it could be used by residents and farmers.

Somewhat later, in 1862, the residents of Placer County (Auburn, Foresthill) came upon a scheme to build a road from the Foresthill divide to Squaw Valley with the intent of luring immigrant trains away from Nevada City and into Placerville and neighboring vicinities. George Wharton James, the author, described the road as an ill-fated enterprise: "The grade is frightful. For an hour or more, we go slowly up it stopping every few yards or so to give our horses breath," James wrote of a ride on the old road a half century after it was built. "It is hard enough for horses to go up this grade but to pull heavily-ladened wagons - it seems impossible, " he concluded. Later attempts to improve this road or forge other wagon roads not successful.

The Comstock Lode silver rush in the 1860s in Nevada Territory also encouraged the attempt of the gold-rush foothillers to find pathways over the mountains to the riches of the Comstock and the more local Squaw Valley silver excitement.

The roads then brought timber claimants and homesteaders, called locators, who were able to claim public lands. The old homesteads and timber claims were bought by private water companies or hoteliers who sought visitors to the "healthful" mineral springs after much of the timber was depleted by the mid-1880s.

Railroads brought the tourists. Tourists could reach Truckee, California by rail from either San Francisco or Ogden, Utah by the end of the 19th century. The Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company brought them to the lake. One particular resort established east of Hell Hole has a significant relationship to the canyon. Deer Park, just south of Squaw Valley (now a ski area and home to the 1960 Winter Olympics) was a tourist hotel which had a rustic hideaway camp at Five Lakes now in Granite Chief Wilderness. James described the Five Lakes resort as a 160-acre (0.65 km2) timber claim in which the timber had never been cut but in which cabins had been built and rowboats kept in hand for fishing upon the five small lakes.

The Five Lakes are the headwaters of Five Lakes Creek which led James on his 1913 horseback descent into Hell Hole in the company of Bob Watson, the guide. The pair camped at Hell Hole, then ascended the Rubicon River to Rockbound Lake, where they camped again. Rockbound Lake is now in the Desolation Wilderness and is near the headwaters of the Rubicon River. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District controls a dam within the Desolation Wilderness: Rubicon Reservoir. Desolation Wilderness was created in 1969.

Recent history

Upper Hell Hole looking northwest to Granite Chief Wilderness. May 2005
Placer County's 1961 bond approval allowed its water agency to seek out water supplies that were not already claimed by others. Loon Lake, south of Hell Hole, was already prescripted, but the rugged, untouched Hell Hole was not. In 1934, the State of California took steps to claim any unclaimed water rights along the American River's three forks. In 1962 the rights to the Rubicon River water were conveyed to Placer County.

The Hell Hole dam, a rock-fill-type dam, was completed across the Rubicon River in December 1964. As the reservoir began filling the dam sprung a leak during a flood event and failed completely the next day. The resulting flood washed down the Middle Fork of the American River and washed away the Greenville Bridge near Auburn.[10]

The Placer County Water Agency began a new dam which was completed two years later and has now stood for 42 years.

Want to see this historic area, you can stay at Over The Rainbow Lodge which is off the Foresthill Divide Road that leads to Hell Hole Reservoir. Click HERE to see more about this beautiful lodge.

Foresthill Sled Dog Winter Classic

2012-02-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

Sled Dog Winter Classic

Foresthill Sled Dog Winter Classic

Saturday, Sunday March 10/11, 2012 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Forestill Chamber, in partnership with the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers, One Track Mind Snowmobile Club and the Tahoe National Forest Service welcomes you to the 2012 Sled Dog Winter Classic Race.

Visitors to the Sled Dog Races are requested to park in downtown Foresthill and take the shuttle bus to the race venue at China Wall. There is a small fee for the bus. Parking at China Wall is very limited and used by the mushers and their crews. Read More Info.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2012 Sled Dog Winter Classic. Contact the Chamber office for more info.

Meet the Mushers! A community dinner will be held Sat March 10th at Veteran's Memorial Hall at 5:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are $17/person, $8 children's menu and can be obtained through the Chamber Office.

Mushers: Register for the race with the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers organization. Checkin Friday March 9th 7-9 p.m. at Campelli's Pizza, Main St, Foresthill.

Need a place to stay. Check out Over The Rainbow Lodge, a very unique lodge close to the China Wall staging area. Great scenic location and amenities. Click HERE for Over The Rainbow Lodge information.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Guest Rooms!

2011-12-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

Check out the outstanding guest rooms at Somewhere Over The Rainbow, nice!

Hunter's Room
Stunning views from all windows.
Decorated with predominately cool blue tones
Over sized comforter
Hand crafted pine queen bed and cabinets.
Oak roll top desk
Private entrance sliding glass door in bedroom opens to back deck and seating area.
Ground floor half-bath is "cozy comfortable" with marble floor and a stall shower
Overhead fan

Loft Bedroom
Soft neutral tones
Hand crafted pine queen sized bed
Plush over sized comforter
Stunning views
Love seat
32 inch monitor for movie viewing
Folding privacy screen
Overhead Fan
Bath on 2nd floor is shared
Marble floor
Jacuzzi tub/shower

Neoclassic Room
4 poster biedermeier bed and furniture
Over sized comforter
Turn of the century dressing table
Turkish carpet
Overhead Fan
Stunning views
Shared bath with Loft Bedroom
Marble Floor Jacuzzi tub/shower

Want to see pictures of the rooms, click HERE to go to Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Want a Secluded Retreat in the Tahoe National Forest?

2011-10-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who'd prefer to spend their holiday without the stress and noise of the hectic outside world, Somewhere Over the Rainbow Lodge in the Tahoe National Forest is a great destination. You can be pampered or you are welcome to take over the kitchen with your party and exercise your culinary skills. Extremely private located in the heart of the Tahoe National Forest. Abundant nature surrounds us with stunning views from all windows.

As an added feature, you can bring your horse and access hundreds of miles of trails right outside our door. Or just sit on the deck with a good book.
Any balance you desire is here, from a solitary vacation with respect given to your privacy or a festive setting in a beautiful location.
I've spent a number of Christmas holidays traveling alone in Europe and have found amazing places that welcomed me as one of the family and made my stay very special. From the food to the conversation and in general, being yourelf and relaxing.
If you hike, stroll or ride on any level, snowshoe, ice skate, snow mobile, cross country skiing with or without out family or friends, we are a great destination, open year round.
Click HERE to check us out to discover a great way to spend a week or weekend in privacy. Over The Rainbow Lodge

Need a Great Retreat from Stress!

2011-10-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Lodge was built using Cedar, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, and Black Oak, all milled from the property on which it lies. We offer a two-level lodge with 3 bedrooms, a spacious loft, 2.5 baths, a large open kitchen and a Great Room.

The Great Room has vaulted cedar lap board ceilings that compliment the 18 foot windows overlooking more than 75 miles of sweeping forest-mountain views. The Loft offers a queen bed surrounded by a privacy screen, beyond which lies a bathroom equipped with a jacuzzi tub.

The second floor Guest Bedroom houses a four poster queen bed, and additional stunning views. The first floor Guest Bedroom is furnished with a Queen bed, while the Master Bedroom is accomodated with a California King that overlooks the jacuzzi just outside on the Master Deck.

The Master Bedroom also has a private bath and a private entrance to the back portion of the expansive wrap-around deck. We also offer a full kitchen with all the comforts of home right at your fingertips.

Get away from the stress of the city. Check out Somewhere Over the Rainbow Lodge nestled in the Sierra Foothills. Check us out: http://www.thisismytownusa.com/somewhereovertherainbowlodg.php

Tevis Race Latest News!

2011-09-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

Latest News
Ride Director's Report
05 September 2011
.
The 56th annual Western States Trail Ride will run on an autumn day, which is unprecedented. I would like to discuss some things to consider as you prepare for your ride.

October 8 will present 2 fewer hours of daylight than you would have on a midsummer’s day. Your trail will have morning glowsticks most of the way to High Camp (about 13 miles out) as sunrise will occur at 7:06 bringing a breaking dawn at around 6:15. Our start is set for 5:15, and you may expect chilly predawn temperatures as low as the teens. The bridges on the way to Hiway 89 could be frosty, so they will be sanded for traction. We are going to ask that all riders cross the bridges at a walk for safety.

The trail has been adjusted to take out Bald Mt. and the Pucker Point loop after Robinson Flat. Riders will go down Road 43 instead. This trail change is intended to get the riders through the canyons in the daylight. The cutoff times will be 30 minutes earlier at each point from Last Chance to Francisco’s and 15 minutes earlier at Lower Quarry. The rider card has this year’s mileage and cutoff times updated for your reference. The official timed finish is at 5:15 under the banner in McCann Stadium. Riders will arrive at the finish by using the Pioneer Express trail which loops south around the skateboard park at the overlook. This trail turns left approximately100 yards short of the staging area and crosses under Pacific Avenue with a right turn along the railroad tracks, then back toward the north to the traditional railroad crossing at Pacific Avenue.

The top 20 horses will get a “place holder” finish card on the Pioneer Express trail on a wide gravel stretch before the Pacific Avenue undercrossing. After crossing the “place holder” finish line, riders will hold their order of finish in McCann Stadium.

The trail committee has been logging many hours of work widening, leveling, pruning and generally improving safety on our trail. You will be impressed.

October 8 falls on the third week of the 2011 deer season. We have posted signs cautioning hunters of the presence of horses and riders for the portion of the trail from Hodgson’s Cabin to Last Chance. It would be a good idea if riders planned to wear brightly colored clothing for added visibility.

The Western States Trail Ride has never been run in October before, and we will be sharing the fairgrounds with some pretty festive events; namely, The Music Fest, Octoberfest, and a gun show (scheduled for Sunday). Parking will be tight and our stabling will not be available until September 28. If you are traveling a great distance and need to arrive in the Auburn area before this date, please contact the Tevis office for assistance in locating stabling as we have some options available.

As you can see we have been planning for many eventualities to make the 56th Annual Western States Tevis Ride as memorable and incredible as ever. Keep training and check back to our website for any future updates.

Chuck Stalley

Tevis Race is Coming October 8, What is this all about?

2011-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

What is the origin of the Tevis Cup and Haggin Cup Awards?
The Tevis Cup was named for Lloyd Tevis (1824 - 1899) by his grandson Will Tevis, a prominent San Francisco businessman and early benefactor of the Ride. The trophy is awarded to the first rider to complete the 100 mile Ride whose mount is "fit to continue." It was first awarded in 1959 to Nick Mansfield, riding Buffalo Bill, an eleven year old Thoroughbred Cross gelding.
Lloyd Tevis and James Ben Ali Haggin, college friends from Kentucky, met again in the California gold fields in the early 1850s. By 1853 Haggin and Tevis had moved to San Francisco where they established a successful law practice. The men also married sisters, Susan Gano Sanders and Elizabeth Jane Sanders of Kentucky, further strengthening their bond. Haggin raised thoroughbred horses on his ranch in Sacramento, and in 1886 his horse, Ben Ali, won the Kentucky Derby.
In 1964, Louis Haggin of Versailles, Kentucky, donated the James Ben Ali Haggin Cup in honor of his grandfather. It is awarded to the horse among the first ten finishers that is considered, as Lloyd Tevis stated, "to be in the most superior physical condition."
Check out more information about this race on our site: http://www.thisismytownusa.com/somewhereovertherainbowlodg.php
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Lodge

Want to Raft the North Fork of the American River?

2011-08-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

Want to Raft the North Fork of the American River?

The North Fork of the American River is the most difficult of the three forks. Towering cliffs make up the 2000 foot canyon walls covered with black oaks and a variety of pines to set the back drop of one of the most beautiful of California’s whitewater rafting river canyons. Located off Interstate 80, near the city of Auburn, the North Fork is easily accessible with some camping options nearby and lodging at Somewhere Over the Rainbow Lodge out of Foresthill.
The Colfax-Iowa Hill Bridge to Ponderosa Way Bridge Run is the most popular section and has been a favorite for California rafters and kayakers since the mid seventies. This 9.5 mile run contains many steep drops and boulder slaloms, providing some of the best whitewater rafting of the 3 forks of the American river.
The North Fork American River, with no dams upstream, is truly a wild river. It can be run by raft, canoe, or kayak in winter and spring only, when water exceeds about 900 cubic feet per second (cfs). At all levels, the river is Class IV with little rescue access. The North Fork American is a highly technical river. It should only be attempted by very experienced whitewater boaters who have seen its rapids before. A mile-by-mile guide cannot replace the judgment of each individual boater.
The North Fork is as dangerous a river to boat at low flows as at high flows. Several drownings and injuries have occurred at low flows due to underwater sieves. Above about 1500 cfs most dangerous rocks are covered and passages are wider, and maneuvering is much easier. But at flows in the 3,500 to 5,000 cfs range, hydraulic intensity increases markedly and eddies and rescue options decrease.
Don’t drive home after experiencing this fantastic trip, feel free to stay at Somewhere Over the Rainbow Lodge, 14 miles outside of Foresthill, CA – breathtaking views overlooking the American River Canyon – give us a call. Click here to learn about our lodge: http://www.thisismytownusa.com/somewhereovertherainbowlodg.php
Somewhere Over The Rainbow Lodge

Visit the Gold Country - Experience the Rush!

2011-04-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

Come and explore the California gold country made famous by the Gold Rush in
1849. Take a step back in time as you explore the towns and the various sites
that show us how the early California settlers lived. One site to see is Yankee
Jim's Bridge. Built in 1929, it spans the north fork of the American River.
The 150 foot plus, steel cable, one lane suspension bridge served as an all
season link between the gold towns of Colfax, Yankee Jim's and Foresthill, Ca.>

This stunning scenic drive can be a bit treacherous in parts as it turns into a
narrow and winding dirt road but it allows you to experience the days of old. If
you venture on to Shirttail Canyon Road be prepared for scenery that will take
your breath away. There are still gold seekers in the area so be warned to obey
posted private property and no trespassing signs. No claim jumping allowed!!But
who knows you could get lucky and see a nugget washed to the surface after the
winter and spring rains.

If you need more information or just directions, feel free to stop in at the
Somewhere Over The Rainbow Lodge (named for the gold mine, just 14 miles east of Foresthill, Ca at
a 4,500 foot elevation. We are on our very own mountain top adjacent to
Deadwood Ridge overlooking 75 miles of Eldorado Canyon, with expansive, breath
taking views from every room and deck. We offer a very private and comfortable
place to stay, full of amenities.

Come visit the the Gold Country and feel the RUSH!- 530-320-2618

This Summer....Take a Local-cation Instead of a Vacation or Staycation!

2011-03-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

The summer is coming and the window for planning your annual vacation is growing slimmer. Like many of us the amount of money you have set aside for your time off is also much 'slimmer' than usual. There are many options out there to have a vacation or staycation (where you stay at home during your vacation) on a budget but might I suggest a "Local-cation!"

What is a Local-Cation?

A local-cation is a vacation where you actually stay in a unique area or venue within 50 miles of your home. Here in Northern California, for example, there are plenty of unique things to do and places to stay that help maintain your budget and still give you the feeling of a getaway. There are a five rules of thumb to follow when taking a Local-Cation...

1. Rest your head on someone else's bed

This means you need to stay somewhere other than your own home. Does this mean you need to stay in a hotel? No. There are comfortable bed and breakfasts, lodges and luxury cabins all throughout Northern California - many are priced below most hotels. They'll offer meal options, extras like trail hikes and the best part - privacy!

2. Avoid the Familiar

Just like a typical vacation, you need to get out and try new things. Go see local sights, eat at different restaurants and avoid your regular hot spots at all costs. The only exception is if there is a restaurant that you love but never go to...treat yourself!

3. Turn the TV, Cell Phones and Internet ....OFF!

If you were soaking in sun on an island in the middle of the Pacific you wouldn't be checking your email or watching the game...so the same rules apply here. Take the time off to do things you don't normally get to do, like reading, discussing goals or playing games. Vacations are great times to reconnect with your loved ones which means sacrificing a week of the normal grind.

4. Enjoy a Smaller Gas, Food and activities Bill

Because you aren't required to drive or fly over great distances, the cost of travel is significantly lower. Plus most high traffic tourist areas have higher prices for food and activities over your local areas. In some cases, locals even get discounts.

5. Do NOT Go Home Early!

This is your vacation so treat it as if you were hundreds of miles away. Even if you spend the first day sitting and staring at each other unsure as to what to do....stick it out! You have no idea what adventure might await you, so give it a chance!

This is just another option to make your summer vacation memorable and cost affordable!