California Hiking and Backpacking Excursions
Hiouchi and Mill Creek Trails: These are two separate trails that are both short but can be combined for a longer hike. For an in-and-out hike it is about 9 miles when combining both trails. You can also shuttle these trails by leaving another vehicle at the Mill Creek trailhead on Howland Hills Road. The Hiouchi part of the trail is easy and follows along the edge of the Smith River most of the way. A close peek into the crystal clear water may have you spotting some salmon or steelhead depending on when you go. About two miles from the trailhead, Mill Creek Trail will take off up the hill. The trail becomes a little more moderate at this point, and although it leaves the river it is still beautiful. You still have a creek to look at and of course the Redwood Trees are magnificent. These two trails can be done year round, but my recommendation is spring and fall. In the winter you may have to get your feet wet to cross some creeks, and in the summer the trails can be pretty crowded due to the easy access from Jedediah Smith State Park.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
Red Butte, Elk Lake, and Towhead Lake: There is no actual trail that leads to these locations, but you can get to them off of the PCT in the Red Buttes Wilderness. To visit all of these locations in a day it would be about 12 miles in and out. However, about five of those miles would be off-trail. Getting to Towhead Lake is a moderate hike, but going to Red Butte or Elk Lake is strenuous. To get to these places you start from Cook and Green Pass and go west (which is essentially south on the PCT) on the PCT. The trail gradually climbs for two miles until you come to an overlook over Echo Canyon, with the small Echo Lake below. The trail then descends for about a half mile. Where the trail meets up with the old road is the point where you go off-trail if you plan on going to the summit of Red Butte or Elk Lake. Head up the mountain and aim for the saddle just east of Red Butte. Once at the saddle it's only a short distance further to the summit. Looking at the summit register, it appears only about a dozen people a year make it to the top. At the top you have great views of the entire Red Buttes Wilderness. If going to Elk Lake you will continue from the saddle down the north side of the mountain. This area is very steep, so be careful. Eventually you can pick your way through the bushes and the rocky cliffs to make it to the Beautiful Elk Lake. Once there, you have the place all to yourself. This lake doesn't even sho up on most maps, and can't be seen until you are on top of the Red Butte saddle, so probably only about 12 people a year even see this lake from a distance. There is no sign of humans at all at the lake. No trash, no fire rings, nothing. To get to Towhead Lake, head back over the ridge and meet back up with the PCT. Continue south about another mile until you get to Lily Pad Lake. On the opposite of the trail from Lily Pad Lake is Hello Canyon. With careful examination of the canyon you may be able to spot glimpses of the lake. It is about .5 miles down the canyon to the lake. The Lake is tiny, but very beautiful. It sits at the top of a ledge above the larger, but not as pretty Hello Lake. Both Towhead Lake and Elk Lake have spots where you could set up a small tent, but getting a tent down to Elk Lake would be difficult. Towhead Lake is much easier to get to.
Rating: 10/10
Rating: 10/10
Devil's Punchbowl:
Not to be confused with the Devil's Punchbowl on the Oregon Coast or the Devil's Punchbowl in Southern California, this Devil's Punchbowl lies in the Siskiyou Wilderness in Northern California. It is a 10-13 mile moderate hike (round-trip) depending on what source you go by. The sign at the trail head says 13 miles, while some sources online say as little as 10. In my opinion, it is about 12 miles and goes to one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever been to. The trail starts out easy and is pretty level for about 4 miles. The trail will keep going through the wilderness, but at about the 4 mile mark the Devil's Punchbowl trail will take off. It starts off going straight up the mountain and climbs about 1,000 feet in 3/4 of a mile. The climb the rest of the way is more gradual. The trail will go past another small lake and end up in a cirque that is nearly completely surrounded by jagged rocky cliffs. The lake itself is breathtaking. The water is crystal clear, and on the backside of the lake towers Bear Mountain (the tallest peak in Del Norte County). Bear Mountain summit stands about 1,400 feet above the lake surface, but it appears as if you could jump off the top and land in the lake. There is no official trail to the top of Bear Mountain, but it can be done. Go clockwise around the lake to the scree field on the west side of the lake. Start climbing the scree. It's really loose so it takes time, and be careful doing it. At the top of the scree field you will go slightly to your right. There is a small spring that comes down and you need to crawl through the bushes along the spring. After about 25 feet it will open up and you can go up the hill to your right to an upper scree field of bigger rocks. These rocks are more solid and easier to navigate through. Continue to the top of the ridge. Go south along the ridge line and continue following it to the top of Bear Mountain. The views are amazing.
Rating: 10/10
Not to be confused with the Devil's Punchbowl on the Oregon Coast or the Devil's Punchbowl in Southern California, this Devil's Punchbowl lies in the Siskiyou Wilderness in Northern California. It is a 10-13 mile moderate hike (round-trip) depending on what source you go by. The sign at the trail head says 13 miles, while some sources online say as little as 10. In my opinion, it is about 12 miles and goes to one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever been to. The trail starts out easy and is pretty level for about 4 miles. The trail will keep going through the wilderness, but at about the 4 mile mark the Devil's Punchbowl trail will take off. It starts off going straight up the mountain and climbs about 1,000 feet in 3/4 of a mile. The climb the rest of the way is more gradual. The trail will go past another small lake and end up in a cirque that is nearly completely surrounded by jagged rocky cliffs. The lake itself is breathtaking. The water is crystal clear, and on the backside of the lake towers Bear Mountain (the tallest peak in Del Norte County). Bear Mountain summit stands about 1,400 feet above the lake surface, but it appears as if you could jump off the top and land in the lake. There is no official trail to the top of Bear Mountain, but it can be done. Go clockwise around the lake to the scree field on the west side of the lake. Start climbing the scree. It's really loose so it takes time, and be careful doing it. At the top of the scree field you will go slightly to your right. There is a small spring that comes down and you need to crawl through the bushes along the spring. After about 25 feet it will open up and you can go up the hill to your right to an upper scree field of bigger rocks. These rocks are more solid and easier to navigate through. Continue to the top of the ridge. Go south along the ridge line and continue following it to the top of Bear Mountain. The views are amazing.
Rating: 10/10
Fern Canyon and surrounding trails:
Although Fern Canyon was just a small part of this hike, it was the highlite of a beautiful trek through the Redwoods. The Route I took was an easy to moderate 20 miles. I started out at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center and from there, basically did a giant figure-8. I headed north west on the James Irving Trail before making a left onto the Fern Canyon trail. Fern Canyon is kind of like a slot canyon that a small creek runs through and has about 50 foot walls on each side. The walls are covered with several different species of ferns. The area is beautiful. When you go, look for dinosaurs. Part of the movie Jurassic Park was filmed here. Once I got through Fern Canyon, I made a right and headed up the coast line on the Coastal Trail. Along this stretch there are a few waterfalls and I also saw several elk. After about 2.5 miles you make a left on the West Ridge Trail and start heading South east. At the top of the ridge, make another left on the Friendship Ridge Trail. Friendship Ridge Trail will then come back out right at the top of Fern Canyon. Go through Fern Canyon one more time (it's only about .3 miles) and then make a left this time. This will put you heading south on the Coastal trail. This section of trail has no actual trail that can be seen. You just follow the shoreline. Once you see the campground you will head west, cross road and get on Miners Ridge Trail. Miners Ridge Trail will take you back to the James Irving Trail and then back to the trail head.
Rating: 9/10
Although Fern Canyon was just a small part of this hike, it was the highlite of a beautiful trek through the Redwoods. The Route I took was an easy to moderate 20 miles. I started out at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center and from there, basically did a giant figure-8. I headed north west on the James Irving Trail before making a left onto the Fern Canyon trail. Fern Canyon is kind of like a slot canyon that a small creek runs through and has about 50 foot walls on each side. The walls are covered with several different species of ferns. The area is beautiful. When you go, look for dinosaurs. Part of the movie Jurassic Park was filmed here. Once I got through Fern Canyon, I made a right and headed up the coast line on the Coastal Trail. Along this stretch there are a few waterfalls and I also saw several elk. After about 2.5 miles you make a left on the West Ridge Trail and start heading South east. At the top of the ridge, make another left on the Friendship Ridge Trail. Friendship Ridge Trail will then come back out right at the top of Fern Canyon. Go through Fern Canyon one more time (it's only about .3 miles) and then make a left this time. This will put you heading south on the Coastal trail. This section of trail has no actual trail that can be seen. You just follow the shoreline. Once you see the campground you will head west, cross road and get on Miners Ridge Trail. Miners Ridge Trail will take you back to the James Irving Trail and then back to the trail head.
Rating: 9/10
Raspberry Lake:
Raspberry lake is another beautiful lake that lies in the siskiyou wilderness. It's about a 14.25 mile moderate to strenuous hike (round trip). The hike actually starts off very easy, following an old dirt road as it slowly descends to the bottom of Youngs Valley (Via Youngs Valley trailhead). There are actually several different trailheads to take to get to Raspberry Lake, but Youngs Valley trailhead is the most common. The old road/trail will continue past Youngs Valley and will now start to gain some elevation. The road ends at an old Chrome mine and a normal hiking trail will then continue past the mine. This is where the trail becomes much more difficult as there are a lot of ups and downs the rest of the way. The final descent gives you some great views of the area. The lake is a beautiful turquoise color and is great for cooling off. However, the water left on my body after a swim seemed to attract the biting flies. Once I was competely dried off, the flies disappeared. On the backside of Rasberry Lake towers Preston Peak, the tallest mountain in the wilderness (7,309 feet). From Rasberry Lake, one can relatively easily summit Preston Peak by taking to the ridge on the west and then simply following along the ridgeline to the top of the mountain. I did part of it, but didn't have time to make it all the way to the top. There are a few areas where the rocks are pretty loose so be carefull. From the time you get to the ridgeline, you'll have excellent views of the lake down below.
Rating: 8/10
Raspberry lake is another beautiful lake that lies in the siskiyou wilderness. It's about a 14.25 mile moderate to strenuous hike (round trip). The hike actually starts off very easy, following an old dirt road as it slowly descends to the bottom of Youngs Valley (Via Youngs Valley trailhead). There are actually several different trailheads to take to get to Raspberry Lake, but Youngs Valley trailhead is the most common. The old road/trail will continue past Youngs Valley and will now start to gain some elevation. The road ends at an old Chrome mine and a normal hiking trail will then continue past the mine. This is where the trail becomes much more difficult as there are a lot of ups and downs the rest of the way. The final descent gives you some great views of the area. The lake is a beautiful turquoise color and is great for cooling off. However, the water left on my body after a swim seemed to attract the biting flies. Once I was competely dried off, the flies disappeared. On the backside of Rasberry Lake towers Preston Peak, the tallest mountain in the wilderness (7,309 feet). From Rasberry Lake, one can relatively easily summit Preston Peak by taking to the ridge on the west and then simply following along the ridgeline to the top of the mountain. I did part of it, but didn't have time to make it all the way to the top. There are a few areas where the rocks are pretty loose so be carefull. From the time you get to the ridgeline, you'll have excellent views of the lake down below.
Rating: 8/10
Mt. Shasta:
There are several routes to the summit of Mt. Shasta, but the route I took was the Clear Creek Route. This is regarded as the safest, least technical route for the time of year that I went (September). It is basically a straight hike to the summit, with a little scrambling at one point. Mt. Shasta is the tallest peak in Northern California and is the 22nd tallest peak in the lower 48. It's a 14 mile roundtrip hike to the top at 14,179 feet. Along the way you will gain about 7,600 feet in elevation. The trail starts by following a ridge along Mud Creek. The trail soon crosses clear creek meadow and picks up another ridge. From this ridge it is pretty much a straight shot to the summit. However, most of the way it is sand and scree, which makes the hiking much more difficult. The elevation doesn't help either. The day I climbed there was some intense wind. In fact, all the other hikers I saw turned back. I wasn't going to be denied easily, so I pushed on despite the 100 mph gusts and the 80 mph sustained winds. I was literally blown over a few times, but fortunately this route isn't as steep as some of the others, so I still had confidence in my ability to make it to the top. At about 13,000 feet both of my quadriceps started cramping up. This is the first time I've ever cramped, but it was also the first time I had ever been at 13,000 feet. I took a small break, ate some salty foods, and drank some water. I continued after that with no more problems and was soon at the summit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay long at the summit because of the wind. The wind chill factor was probably about 20 degrees. I quickly ate my lunch behind some rocks that gave me a little shield from the wind, before heading back down the trail. Going down was obviously much easier and I got to see some stuff I didn't see on my way up due to my 3 am start in the dark.
Rating: 10/10
There are several routes to the summit of Mt. Shasta, but the route I took was the Clear Creek Route. This is regarded as the safest, least technical route for the time of year that I went (September). It is basically a straight hike to the summit, with a little scrambling at one point. Mt. Shasta is the tallest peak in Northern California and is the 22nd tallest peak in the lower 48. It's a 14 mile roundtrip hike to the top at 14,179 feet. Along the way you will gain about 7,600 feet in elevation. The trail starts by following a ridge along Mud Creek. The trail soon crosses clear creek meadow and picks up another ridge. From this ridge it is pretty much a straight shot to the summit. However, most of the way it is sand and scree, which makes the hiking much more difficult. The elevation doesn't help either. The day I climbed there was some intense wind. In fact, all the other hikers I saw turned back. I wasn't going to be denied easily, so I pushed on despite the 100 mph gusts and the 80 mph sustained winds. I was literally blown over a few times, but fortunately this route isn't as steep as some of the others, so I still had confidence in my ability to make it to the top. At about 13,000 feet both of my quadriceps started cramping up. This is the first time I've ever cramped, but it was also the first time I had ever been at 13,000 feet. I took a small break, ate some salty foods, and drank some water. I continued after that with no more problems and was soon at the summit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay long at the summit because of the wind. The wind chill factor was probably about 20 degrees. I quickly ate my lunch behind some rocks that gave me a little shield from the wind, before heading back down the trail. Going down was obviously much easier and I got to see some stuff I didn't see on my way up due to my 3 am start in the dark.
Rating: 10/10