July 25, 2008 to July 30: Etna to Seiad Valley, CA
This fifty six mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) continued north from Etna Summit, where I exited to the town of Etna after the last hike, and ended in the rural hamlet of Seiad Valley near the border of Oregon. Much of this route is through the Marble Mountain Wilderness, directly past the crown jewels of this spectacular wildland: Paradise Lake, Kings Castle and the Marble Mountain itself, with its giant band of sparkling marble. Beyond the mountains, the PCT descends through a primeval forest all the way to the mighty Klamath River.
As noted in the entry for the last hike, lightning has been striking all over the dry forests of northern CA this summer and has been igniting numerous fires. My luck ran out as a blaze was started just off the PCT a few miles past Etna Summit. For safety reasons the Forest Service closed a few miles of the trail and directed hikers to bypass the burning area.
Bill Salmon from Carmel Valley, CA joined me for this section. (He had previously hiked with me on the PCT in 2006, over a long, rugged High Sierra section also known as the John Muir Trail.) Along with having similar interests and politics we hike at about the same pace. We got a ride out of Etna to a side trail -- Canyon Creek Trail -- into the Marble Mountain Wilderness that would take us up to the point where the PCT was open.
It was very exciting for both of us to make our first visit to the Marble Mountain Wilderness, a large wildland at 240,000 acres. (Peter at Sign) Designated in the original 1964 Wilderness Act, this area is legendary for its striking geology, remote grandeur and abundant wildlife. (Marble Mountain Wilderness) It is entirely within the Klamath National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. In Etna my favorite restaurant had a wall-sized mural of the Marble Mountains and I was itching to see the real thing.
We climbed steeply up the Canyon Creek Trail past old-growth fir and hemlock, like this down tree (Bill at Deadfall) We were rested and fit and gained about 2,000 feet in elevation without the usual huffing and puffing. We emerged from the deep woods into a basin of lakes and hiked across meadows bursting with wildflowers. We met a horsepacking group that reported they had seen five bear that very day. And, sure enough, there was fresh bear scat -- still steaming -- as we left the Canyon Creek Trail and headed towards Frying Pan Lake and the two Sky High Lakes.
While crossing a meadow Bill and I turned around and -- BOOM! -- there was the extraordinary sight of a giant band of white marble across a mountain, above the green of forested slopes and below the grey of a massive peak. (Marble Band on Black Mountain) We stared and stared some more, almost in disbelief, as the marble sparkled like snow in the sun.
The geology is almost as amazing as the sight. This rock began as a thick layer of limestone built up from coral reefs on the ocean floor. After eons of heavy pressure from rock above the limestone was metamorphosed and became transformed into marble. In other words, the hard marble on the top of this mountain began as a coral reef under the sea!
Bill and I arrived at Lower Sky High Lake and set up camp. To make up for the mileage lost due to the closing of the PCT we were exploring side lakes off the crest. After all the bear sign Bill decided to hang our food up in the air from some branches out of their reach. He also took out a can of bear spray and kept it handy! These were promises to his wife, he said. As I ate my Clif Bar at lakeshore (Lower Sky High Lake), I watched a great blue heron hunt for frogs and trout in the still, dark shallows. And it worked: no bear that night.
The next day we climbed still further up and at last got to the PCT. with more views of the marble band on the distant peak. (Peter and Black Mountain) We soon left the PCT on a side trail steeply down to Big Elk Lake on the other side of the ridge. I went splashing in the lake and again watched a great blue heron hunt at twilight in the shallow waters. With his sharp eyes Bill saw a bald eagle!
Back on the PCT the next day we descended to Marble Valley, a glacial cirque beneath Marble and Black Mountains. There were streams and springs and flowers everywhere -- a regular Garden of Eden. Next came a highlight of the section: a traverse directly onto and then around the giant band of marble. Almost like a glacier, the rock stratum had fissures and caves. (PCT on Marble) Like ice too, the hard rock was cool to the touch. And -- to me -- the marble sent off an earth energy that made my body feel extra alive.
If this was backpacking heaven we were surely there at Paradise Lake, our next overnight. (Reflection on Lake) Beyond the still waters was an emerald slope with meadows and rocky outcrops. (Slope Above Paradise Lake) Here's a detail of Kings Castle on the slope. (Kings Castle 1) We didn't talk much at dinner but just gazed at the beauty around us.
The next day we walked up and up to an exposed ridge about level with Kings Castle. (Kings Castle 2) Due to harsh weather many of the trees were stunted, like living sculptures. (Gnarled Jeffrey Pine) We hiked for many miles along aptly-named Big Ridge with steep views to the west into Bear Creek. Our intent was to reach Buckhorn Spring, with water, and camp out on the open terrain. Darned if we couldn't find the spring; maybe it had dried up.
As we exited Marble Mountain Wilderness, we picked up the pace, did an additional six miles and got to refreshing Cold Spring Creek just as darkness fell. Whew! Close call. As he went to get water, Bill heard a bear scramble out of a nearby thimbleberry bush. The next AM I noticed a coat of ash on my tent blown in from nearby fires.
Our route out was downhill through pristine and stately old-growth forest along Grider Creek. Since the PCT is by design normally a crest pathway, it was a rare treat to have a sustained hike through this mid and low elevation ancient forest. The musical tumbling of Grider Creek past its many clefts and canyons added to the delight. Before leaving the forest Bill and I stopped below a footbridge and took a chilly dip. (Grider Creek)
As we came out at the campground at the end of the national forest, we met a Forest Service wildlife biologist researching the effect that roading and logging this drainage of old-growth forest would have on the Northern Goshawk, a hawk of the deep forest adept at hunting other birds and small mammals.
Logging roads have already begun to penetrate the upper portions of this watershed and there does not appear to be any permanent protection for this sizable, unbroken ancient forest. There would be many benefits, it looked to me, if the boundary of the Marble Mountain Wilderness were extended north all the way from Buckhorn Spring to the Grider Creek Campground. It would certainly preserve a wilderness setting for the PCT and those that hike it.
At the campground Bill and I also met a well-known hiker, by the trail name of Nimblewill, who has authored many books on his adventures. Our age, he hikes thirty miles A DAY on the PCT, about triple our mileage, although with a support van to meet him at roads. Like here, where we were treated to Gatorade and fresh fruit! Lean and with a full beard and ready laugh, Nimblewill seemed like a twin to Bill E. Goat from the last section.
Outside the Klamath National Forest, the PCT is forced onto a road walk of a few miles up to the Klamath River, across it on a bridge and then along the river to the tiny town of Seiad Valley. The easy walk gave me time to think about whether to compete in the "Pancake Challenge" at the one restaurant in the town. In this challenge the customer gets their order of pancakes FREE if they can eat the whole thing, under the watchful eye of the management. Bill was on a low-carb diet so "no" for him; I figured I would at least ask about the portion size.
Once seated I did ask. The waiter lifted up a plastic top over a cake on the counter and said, "That's the size: five pancakes; a pound apiece; total five pounds." Not counting butter and syrup. Hmmm.... I thought, and ordered a tuna salad sandwich. (In case you're wondering, eleven customers have "won" the challenge, including three PCT hikers.) (Pancake Challenge) By the way Seiad Valley is the last stop in CA before crossing northward into Oregon.
After lunch we asked the cashier how to return to Etna where Bill had his car. We had heard there was a series of buses that could get us there. I was literally in the middle of the question when in through the door walked Alice, a local about to leave for a town near Etna. Our ride! Trail magic. We had dinner that night in the restaurant with the mural of the Marble Mountains.
As noted in the entry for the last hike, lightning has been striking all over the dry forests of northern CA this summer and has been igniting numerous fires. My luck ran out as a blaze was started just off the PCT a few miles past Etna Summit. For safety reasons the Forest Service closed a few miles of the trail and directed hikers to bypass the burning area.
Bill Salmon from Carmel Valley, CA joined me for this section. (He had previously hiked with me on the PCT in 2006, over a long, rugged High Sierra section also known as the John Muir Trail.) Along with having similar interests and politics we hike at about the same pace. We got a ride out of Etna to a side trail -- Canyon Creek Trail -- into the Marble Mountain Wilderness that would take us up to the point where the PCT was open.
It was very exciting for both of us to make our first visit to the Marble Mountain Wilderness, a large wildland at 240,000 acres. (Peter at Sign) Designated in the original 1964 Wilderness Act, this area is legendary for its striking geology, remote grandeur and abundant wildlife. (Marble Mountain Wilderness) It is entirely within the Klamath National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. In Etna my favorite restaurant had a wall-sized mural of the Marble Mountains and I was itching to see the real thing.
We climbed steeply up the Canyon Creek Trail past old-growth fir and hemlock, like this down tree (Bill at Deadfall) We were rested and fit and gained about 2,000 feet in elevation without the usual huffing and puffing. We emerged from the deep woods into a basin of lakes and hiked across meadows bursting with wildflowers. We met a horsepacking group that reported they had seen five bear that very day. And, sure enough, there was fresh bear scat -- still steaming -- as we left the Canyon Creek Trail and headed towards Frying Pan Lake and the two Sky High Lakes.
While crossing a meadow Bill and I turned around and -- BOOM! -- there was the extraordinary sight of a giant band of white marble across a mountain, above the green of forested slopes and below the grey of a massive peak. (Marble Band on Black Mountain) We stared and stared some more, almost in disbelief, as the marble sparkled like snow in the sun.
The geology is almost as amazing as the sight. This rock began as a thick layer of limestone built up from coral reefs on the ocean floor. After eons of heavy pressure from rock above the limestone was metamorphosed and became transformed into marble. In other words, the hard marble on the top of this mountain began as a coral reef under the sea!
Bill and I arrived at Lower Sky High Lake and set up camp. To make up for the mileage lost due to the closing of the PCT we were exploring side lakes off the crest. After all the bear sign Bill decided to hang our food up in the air from some branches out of their reach. He also took out a can of bear spray and kept it handy! These were promises to his wife, he said. As I ate my Clif Bar at lakeshore (Lower Sky High Lake), I watched a great blue heron hunt for frogs and trout in the still, dark shallows. And it worked: no bear that night.
The next day we climbed still further up and at last got to the PCT. with more views of the marble band on the distant peak. (Peter and Black Mountain) We soon left the PCT on a side trail steeply down to Big Elk Lake on the other side of the ridge. I went splashing in the lake and again watched a great blue heron hunt at twilight in the shallow waters. With his sharp eyes Bill saw a bald eagle!
Back on the PCT the next day we descended to Marble Valley, a glacial cirque beneath Marble and Black Mountains. There were streams and springs and flowers everywhere -- a regular Garden of Eden. Next came a highlight of the section: a traverse directly onto and then around the giant band of marble. Almost like a glacier, the rock stratum had fissures and caves. (PCT on Marble) Like ice too, the hard rock was cool to the touch. And -- to me -- the marble sent off an earth energy that made my body feel extra alive.
If this was backpacking heaven we were surely there at Paradise Lake, our next overnight. (Reflection on Lake) Beyond the still waters was an emerald slope with meadows and rocky outcrops. (Slope Above Paradise Lake) Here's a detail of Kings Castle on the slope. (Kings Castle 1) We didn't talk much at dinner but just gazed at the beauty around us.
The next day we walked up and up to an exposed ridge about level with Kings Castle. (Kings Castle 2) Due to harsh weather many of the trees were stunted, like living sculptures. (Gnarled Jeffrey Pine) We hiked for many miles along aptly-named Big Ridge with steep views to the west into Bear Creek. Our intent was to reach Buckhorn Spring, with water, and camp out on the open terrain. Darned if we couldn't find the spring; maybe it had dried up.
As we exited Marble Mountain Wilderness, we picked up the pace, did an additional six miles and got to refreshing Cold Spring Creek just as darkness fell. Whew! Close call. As he went to get water, Bill heard a bear scramble out of a nearby thimbleberry bush. The next AM I noticed a coat of ash on my tent blown in from nearby fires.
Our route out was downhill through pristine and stately old-growth forest along Grider Creek. Since the PCT is by design normally a crest pathway, it was a rare treat to have a sustained hike through this mid and low elevation ancient forest. The musical tumbling of Grider Creek past its many clefts and canyons added to the delight. Before leaving the forest Bill and I stopped below a footbridge and took a chilly dip. (Grider Creek)
As we came out at the campground at the end of the national forest, we met a Forest Service wildlife biologist researching the effect that roading and logging this drainage of old-growth forest would have on the Northern Goshawk, a hawk of the deep forest adept at hunting other birds and small mammals.
Logging roads have already begun to penetrate the upper portions of this watershed and there does not appear to be any permanent protection for this sizable, unbroken ancient forest. There would be many benefits, it looked to me, if the boundary of the Marble Mountain Wilderness were extended north all the way from Buckhorn Spring to the Grider Creek Campground. It would certainly preserve a wilderness setting for the PCT and those that hike it.
At the campground Bill and I also met a well-known hiker, by the trail name of Nimblewill, who has authored many books on his adventures. Our age, he hikes thirty miles A DAY on the PCT, about triple our mileage, although with a support van to meet him at roads. Like here, where we were treated to Gatorade and fresh fruit! Lean and with a full beard and ready laugh, Nimblewill seemed like a twin to Bill E. Goat from the last section.
Outside the Klamath National Forest, the PCT is forced onto a road walk of a few miles up to the Klamath River, across it on a bridge and then along the river to the tiny town of Seiad Valley. The easy walk gave me time to think about whether to compete in the "Pancake Challenge" at the one restaurant in the town. In this challenge the customer gets their order of pancakes FREE if they can eat the whole thing, under the watchful eye of the management. Bill was on a low-carb diet so "no" for him; I figured I would at least ask about the portion size.
Once seated I did ask. The waiter lifted up a plastic top over a cake on the counter and said, "That's the size: five pancakes; a pound apiece; total five pounds." Not counting butter and syrup. Hmmm.... I thought, and ordered a tuna salad sandwich. (In case you're wondering, eleven customers have "won" the challenge, including three PCT hikers.) (Pancake Challenge) By the way Seiad Valley is the last stop in CA before crossing northward into Oregon.
After lunch we asked the cashier how to return to Etna where Bill had his car. We had heard there was a series of buses that could get us there. I was literally in the middle of the question when in through the door walked Alice, a local about to leave for a town near Etna. Our ride! Trail magic. We had dinner that night in the restaurant with the mural of the Marble Mountains.
posted by peterkirby at
10:02 PM
