Twin Lakes Approach: Mileage: 2.3 miles to Twin Lakes 4.2 miles to Mt. Price 4.7 miles to Mt. Agassiz Elevation: Trailhead: 6,980' Mt. Price Summit: 9,975' Mt. Agassiz Summit: 9,967' Hiking time: A full day for both summits. The Route: From the permit self issue kiosk, head northwest, contouring along at 7,000'. After a little less than 1/2 mile, you will reach a trail junction. Turn right here, heading towards Grouse Lake. Remember to turn left at this trail junction on the way out, or you will extend your journey unnecessarily. About 1.3 miles from the trailhead, you will reach another trail junction. The right fork leads to Grouse and Smith Lakes, while the left fork leads to Twin Lakes. Follow the left-hand fork to Twin Lakes (about 1.0 miles from the trail junction). Continue on the trail along the small east shore of East Twin Lake. Follow the trail for another 0.4 miles, to a point just before Island Lake. From this point, head cross-country to the SE, climbing up the broad NW face of Mt. Price. The climb up is straightforward class 2 scrambling, but turns to steep class 3 at the very top near the summit. The easiest route to Mt. Price's summit is probably to head to climber's right, up to the small saddle that lies between Mt. Price and Peak 9,640'+ to the east. From this saddle, easy sandy slopes lead up the backside of Mt. Price to the summit. From either Price or Agassiz, you can bag the other summit by following the sharp ridge between the two peaks (about 1/2 mile). About halfway along this ridge at its low point, a steep overhanging couloir drops down the east side towards Lake Aloha. You may not see it unless you are looking for it -- it is guarded by a thick clump of whitebark pine. The summit of Mt. Price from this direction is easy class 2. The views from the summit of Mt. Price are spectacular, particularly to the south back to Mt. Agassiz and Pyramid Peak. Trailhead/Wilderness Permits: Take Highway 50 to Wrights Lake Road. This road is located about 35 miles east of Placerville (or about 6 miles west of Twin Bridges). Follow the winding Wrights Lake Road for about 9 miles until you reach the Wrights Lake area. there are a number of turns in the road along the way, but the route to Wrights Lake is well signed. Head right to the "Twin Lakes & Grouse Lake Trail". At the trailhead, you can self-issue a required wilderness permit for day hikes (overnight permits are subject to quota and must be issued at the Visitor Center or at Forest Service Ranger Stations)