Sierra Buttes Trail (12E06)

From the end of the Tamarack Connection (12E30), stay right of the lakes and follow the rocky singletrack climbing along the hillside. This is a challenging, loose, and rocky section that will make you wish for plus-sized tires with 10 psi. The rocky section soon ends but the grade increases, becoming too steep to ride up for most. At the time of this writing, there were a couple of downed trees as well.

Eventually, a three-way junction is reached. Left goes down an old road and dead-ends. Straight goes up a singletrack to the ridge with some very steep switchbacks near the top. It intersects the Pacific Crest Trail, where you'll have to turn around. Right goes up an old road Connector and also intersects the PCT.

When you're done exploring, turn around for a fun and steep descent to Tamarack Lakes, but watch out for downed trees.

From Tamarack Lakes, you can descend the jeep road to the paved Packer Lakes Road that goes up to Packer Saddle. Going right takes you back down to the car.