Moments in Dirt and Ink

Klamath National Forest Six Rivers National Forest Smith River National Recreation Area Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Blue and purple lines for day 4. Click for interactive map We woke to a mist rolling over from the low pass to the Illinois River and down through Youngs Valley. Imagine how it might look from the triple point, with the one valley full of cloud, bleeding over to another and the third, perhaps clear? And so the suggestions that we should go up Youngs Peak began. The clouds roll by, right to left, as they thin in the morning sun. We had our breakfast from our unchallenged bear cans and packed up to head out. From here, it is all a repeat with a long road walk. A lone incense cedar stands in the spotlight of the sun. A Nashville warbler sings out strongly to tell that nasty recording who is in charge here. The clouds still roll past, now left to right across El Capitan.

Klamath National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Green lines for day 3. Click for interactive map Well, I hadn't been too crazy about trying to go up Preston via the route that some claim has several solid class 3 climbs while others seem to think is just a "high class 2" all the way when I had rested muscles. I wasn't any more interested when my legs still felt done over from fighting an overgrown trail for much longer than it should have required. We settled on trying for Copper Mountain with a plan to walk the ridge from Cyclone Gap. We packed up and headed down with a rather more than brief stop to saw off all the limbs of a tree that had fallen along the trail. Daniil carried in the saw and cut the limbs and all who hike the trail this season should be thanking him, because it wasn't very passable before the saw came out. A look back to the cirque of Raspberry Lake with Preston Peak rising up behind the false peak that dominat...

Six Rivers National Forest Smith River National Recreation Area Klamath National Forest Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Orange line for day 2. Click for interactive map Morning light came to Sanger Lake long before the sunlight. Since I hadn't had time to make a loop on the trail around the lake in the evening, I went around in the morning. Around the far side, where Calypso orchids and Trillium grew and small streams delivered water to the lake, the trail got hard to follow. Morning comes to Sanger Lake. The colored western sky as the sun comes up behind. But the flowers I took pictures of were the thyme leaved speedwells along the north side. They happen to be invasive. After breakfast and packing, I had to go back for a bit brighter pictures before heading down the road to the trailhead. Looking south across Sanger Lake from a campsite that is far too close to the water.

Six Rivers National Forest Smith River National Recreation Area DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4 Brown line for day 1. Click for interactive map Daniil said he wanted to go to the Raspberry Lake area in the Siskiyou Wilderness. Drive up and camp in the afternoon, then 3 days around the place. I've been wanting to hit that area, too, so I had ideas. Looking over the data on climbing Preston Peak, I noticed that it might be outside my comfort zone. Some say "high class 2" and others say "several class 3 sections". Looking at the map, the ridge up from Rattlesnake Meadow looks best, but they say there's a class 4 climb right at the end to get over the lower points to the peak. Taking it in, I said here's what I'd do: to Rattlesnake Meadow the first day, try the peak and fail the last little bit before contouring cross country to Raspberry Lake the second day, then wander back on the third. Oh, and there might be a seasonal gate 5 miles f...

Six Rivers National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2 Click for interactive map It wasn't all that cold in the dim morning light. I wasn't all that quick at breakfast before we headed out for an expected long day, which could be longer due to uncertain snow conditions. Under the big trees as we start up the Summit Valley Trail (3E07). We passed various trees cut from the trail, smaller than I remembered, as we curved around to an already known obstacle, a fallen tree much bigger than any I remembered. That saw that was used along Forks of Blue just before I traveled there might be big enough. I think those were only up to my chin. This is taller than we are, even lying down, and its well centered across the trail to maximize difficulty in going around on the hillside. And, of course, it didn't come down without collateral damage to the surrounding trees. We headed up and up and eventually around and down again to get to the real trail climb. There is still no sign ...

Six Rivers National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2 Click for map I didn't exactly jump at the chance to head up South Kelsey when Daniil offered the trip, but it has been nearly 5 years since I was on it and he had the good sense to want to go up the mountain, not just stay by the river, and there was a break in the rain. And it would be a sad thing to waste a break in the rain. And it would be a sad thing to miss a chance to hike something other than another loop through the community forest. On the drive up, I noticed I'd forgotten how pretty the Smith River can be. The G-O Road looked a little more clear, the narrow gravel off it to the trailhead and trailhead looked just the same. The trail is still in outstanding shape with bits of water passing it frequently. It's a while to see the river. The vertical rock walls are a thick garden of green. It wasn't a problem for me when I last was on this trail, but I recall hearing that Yellowjacket Creek can be a...

Klamath National Forest (Map link.) It has been a couple years since I actually did some trail work besides kicking the odd log and a lot of sticks off the path. There have been some excursions by the Siskiyou Mountain Club that got far enough south to tempt me, but none had worked out thus far. I noticed they would be working out of Clear Creek for five days and that sounded long enough to make it worth the drive. Is it odd that these California trails are getting a lot of maintenance by people from Oregon? Yep. I also notice that the folks driving out of Ashland are actually a couple miles closer to the trail than I am. I'm coming from another county too. Judging by the license plates on the way, it looks like more people from Oregon are using these areas too. In fact, you can find it covered in guide books for southern Oregon. Thursday The lower (last) parking area at No Mans Trailhead with the traditional burn area hazards signs marking the trailhead itself. The wo...

Klamath National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Purple line for day 3. Click for map. I took minimal water from Willis Hole knowing that there was nice flowing water just a mile away along the trail. It was even more minimal thanks to the 2 extra liters I'd carried from Bear Lake. That was, um, heavy. I felt super light as I left. On the way to the water, I walked out onto a well burned viewpoint to see that the smoke was looking settled in the valleys of Dillon Creek this morning. Misty valleys, one can hope. It's smoke. Then I walked down the hill and missed the trail I'd just walked the day before, taking a bit of tiny wash instead. I checked my track from the day before to see where I should be, then walked back a bit past a chunk of wood that had seemed familiar up to the trail once more. It was right where it should be. I built another cairn before continuing on to the water. The lower slopes of the south side of the upcoming ridge. The ...

Klamath National Forest Six Rivers National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 Red line for day 2. Click for map. I had a beautiful dawn, noticing that the smoke that was high above the mountain in the evening had dropped a long way below by morning. Then I noticed that another Platypus water bag can no longer be trusted. The first ones went 10-12 years, but that one has a 2015 date on the side. Admittedly it probably has more miles on it than those first ones. All my gear is dying! My Neoair mat shows bright yellow instead of shadowed when held to the light because all the metallization has crumbled. It barely handles the fall ground temperatures. The second water bag was fine, so nothing to worry about yet. Preston Peak glowed in the first light, too. I ate in the growing light of a mild but chilly morning, then pondered my water. I was expecting a hot day and, if the map wasn't lying to me, no water until Harrington Lake. I also had a track that s...