Moments in Dirt and Ink

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Klamath National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Tan line for day 3. Click for interactive map With morning it was time to deal with whatever exactly it was we had gotten ourselves into. Since I had splashed through the very last tributary crossing, I left my grungy socks on from the prior day so they could be the ones getting wet, then I found a way across without getting my feet wet and so didn't have to drag all that extra water uphill. I had a good look at the sign still mounted on a tree and couldn't make it mean anything other than the old ditch for the trail up. Animals are short cutting a way to the ditch next to the sign and that remains the only trail-like thing to see. Then there was the challenge of the log. There was suggestion of passing packs underneath, but the ground was soft and smooth and there was enough room to just wiggle along, pack and all. From there, it was clear. Well, there's a tributary to ...

Klamath National Forest Shasta-Trinity National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Brown and yellow lines for day 1. Click for interactive map I kept getting worried about this loop plan. Starting off at the eastern end of the Salmon Summit Trail, the far end of the trail that was a pushing, pulling, turn and press with the pack, swim through oaks until I got tired, and then turn south for some ridge walking and to visit an old fire lookout. From there, down to North Fork Trinity River and Grizzly Creek to visit a selection of old cabins. Once done with that, much climbing and then some ridge walking back. The trouble was we had no idea what shape the trails are in. In the elevation profile, I thought the one along the river looked iffy. Climbing up mysteriously alternates between good and bad. Getting out to the peak was recorded on Peakbagger in 2023, so that seemed safer. I chose counterclockwise because if we had to turn back, I wanted to have the peak ...

Klamath National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Green line for day 3. Click for interactive map Daniil decided to head up Kings Castle before heading down, but didn't get a very early start. I think he was expecting me to want to go up, but I didn't want to add the 1.5k feet of descent from it to the 4k feet already waiting for me. I got to watch the newts and read from Teddy Roosevelt about his trip through South America . The snow around us, at least that which was left, now had a very distinct crust to it as I plowed through it to the lake. Morning by the lake when the light is still colored. I can confirm that Daniil made it to the top of Kings Castle. Rough skinned newt minding its own business. Away it goes.

Klamath National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Red and orange lines for day 2. Click for interactive map I had a selection of possible day hikes for our middle day. We could go south to tag Box Camp Mountain that I have become fixated on (probably because its smack in the middle of everything) and maybe tag Black Marble Mountain once more. We could try hiking a loop with the old trail that passed on the west side of Kings Castle and down to Bear Lake, probably tagging the peak on the way. It's an easy up from that trail. Morning comes to the bumps near Kings Castle. Remembering the terrain to the south and seeing how covered with snow that sort of terrain was, anything going that way wasn't very attractive. There's similar terrain to the north, but then it opens up to a ridge, or so the map says. North to Big Ridge (or even Buckhorn Mountain, which sounds more like a "real name" but is a lower point) looked like the most pleasant use of the day....

Klamath National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Purple line for day 1. Click for interactive map In the continuing saga of going to high places because "it's like June out there", Daniil and I headed to the upper trailhead of the Kelsey Creek Trail. For this episode, however, there was a spring storm through on Wednesday, so we weren't quite sure what travel would be like in the high elevations. Copernicus sailed by after, but took pictures of clouds. Just a little mystery to keep us on our toes. Regulations and map on the left, a little history in the middle, at the trailhead. This is the easternmost portion of the Kelsey National Recreation Trail, which will take you at least as far as the west side of Siskiyou Wilderness, admittedly with a big chunk of road walking and a name change in between. The historic Kelsey Trail was a major supply route from Crescent City to Fort Jones in the 1850s. This day's travel would complete my travel along the ...

Shasta-Trinity National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Warm color lines for day 2. Click for interactive map We got up a little bit early. The peak of Mount Eddy isn't so far from the upper Deadfall Lake, but we had a lot more planned. There's a loop of trails south of the mountain we were going to explore and, if there was time, might go out to see Toad Lake. The ice grew in the night. But it was retreating again before the sun got there. We left the snowshoes in camp with the overnight gear. The microspikes still came along. We headed out before the sun had arrived, but it was up. The outflow is still flowing. There's lots of wet spots in the meadow below the mountain. Maybe not too bad a way up the lesser sloped scree, too. There was one spot with snow halfway to our knees that presented a little extra effort to walk through. Mostly it was thin and solid enough to supply a good grip for our boots.

Klamath National Forest Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Purple line for day 3. Click for interactive map While the faint upper portion of West Fork Seiad Creek Trail wouldn't be so hard to follow now that we knew it a little and the lower part is apparently maintained by biologists interested in Baker cypress, the memory of the drenching from the bushes in the short section of the middle led us to the decision to get up early and make the rather longer road walk back down to the car. Besides, new views! Kangaroo Mountain, looming over camp, looks pretty red in the early light. Meanwhile, in the east, a shadow of a big mountain and colors. Once breakfasted and packed up, it was a little lighter and the rocks had become a little yellower compared to the Red Butte. The local pool to our camp, which is definitely has springs in the bottom. A look back to the only pond that was frozen.

Klamath National Forest Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Yellow lines for day 2. Click for interactive map Neither of us had quite got our boots open wide enough the night before and the frozen shapes were hard to put on in the morning in spite of preparing for it. I had elected not to bring along my waterproof socks and I was sorry for it as soon as my boots thawed out. The cold also left my camera battery devoid of sufficient energy to take sunrise pictures. The extra battery, which admittedly only registered 2 of 3 bars when I grabbed it, was also dead. I decided to leave the camera and be stuck with substandard photography equipment for the day. I was also sorry for being lazy about battery maintenance. Leaving Kangaroo Springs, just one pool visible from here. Shasta almost hides in the low clouds in the nearby valleys. Upper and Middle Devils Peaks where the Pacific Crest Trail goes. Our goal for the day was ...

Klamath National Forest Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Red line for day 1. Click for interactive map Daniil had the idea that exploring the Pacific Crest Trail and Boundary Trail, one a National Scenic Trail and the other a National Recreation Trail, up by Red Buttes Wilderness looked like a grand idea and noted that it offers three entry options: head north on the PCT from the lot near Seiad, head south on the PCT from the parking at Cook and Green Pass, or the middle route along West Fork Seiad Creek. The pass might not be accessible with it being winter. The route from Seiad looks a bit too long but with some peak bagging opportunities along the way. I thought, by far, the creek side route looked the most interesting and obtainable, assuming the ford isn't too scary. There is definitely a point of view that makes it the most interesting and the ford wasn't too scary. So there's that. There is a large parking area at the ...