I was blessed to grow up very close to the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Sierra Buttes is the first mountain I summited when I was about 6 years old! I used to live so near this peak that it was a hike we often did on the weekends.
Moving to Texas was quite a change for me when I was younger. I still desperately miss the pine trees and mountain silhouettes on the horizon. In 2013, I was able to take Aaron (my then boyfriend) on a trip to my old hometown of Portola. Aaron and I took a day trip to the buttes and hiked the whole trail in our Chacos. I was fine, but he got a few blisters. Definitely justified!
I returned to the area in 2017 and hiked it again with my mother. It was the first time she summited the peak since we were all kids! The Lakes Basin area in Plumas County, California is my favorite place on earth. It’s beauty only rivals Scotland and, conveniently, it is so much closer.
The actual hike is a windy trail off the Pacific Crest Trail and the peak is only accessible by metal stairs drilled into the rock face. Unfortunately, the area has been plagued by fires is recent years and you can tell the difference in visibility from when I was there in 2013 and then in 2017. It breaks my heart that the area is still burning. I want to bring Quincy back to my home when he is older, but I fear the landscape will irrevocably changed from the time of my childhood. Someday we will summit this peak together though, it’s always been a family tradition.
I’ve lived in Texas for years now, but Sierra Buttes is one of those places that I still dream about. I’ve gone back to visit many times and I couldn’t tell you the names of the roads and turns to get to the trail head because I know the way by heart. If you are ever in the area and want to do the hike, reach out and I’ll make sure I get the directions down in writing for you.
It’s really not for those afraid of heights, but at the top it’s a beautiful view of the lakes basin area. Worth a visit if you’re ever near Lake Tahoe or Reno!
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