August 24, 2010 to August 28: Sonora Pass to Ebbetts Pass

This thirty two mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses over the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, located in the Toiyabe and Stanislaus National Forests, north of Yosemite National Park. This 160,000 acre wildland is named after the Carson River, which drains from the area, and after a distinctive iceberg-shaped formation in the wilderness.

Bill Salmon joined me again on this northbound trek, as he did for my last PCT hike back in 2008 across the Marble Mountain Wilderness. I did no PCT trip in 2009, as I was preparing for and taking the CA Bar Exam in the summer. The good news is that I passed!

Here we are at Sonora Pass, with the steep terrain of the Emigrant Wilderness in the background. (Bill and Peter at Sonora Pass) We look and feel refreshed and relaxed after an overnight at Grover Hot Springs State Park in Markleeville, where we took a leisurely soak in the springs at twilight. At 9,620 feet Sonora Pass is the second highest road crossing the Sierra Nevada after Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park.

At this point the PCT is making a transition from the gray granite mountains and formations of Yosemite NP and the High Sierras to the red and brown rocks of volcanic peaks and flows in the northern Sierra Nevada. For instance, this is volcanic material Bill is examining -- rough to the touch and colorful. (Bill with Craggy Rocks) Here is odd-shaped volcanic rock shaped like spires. (Volcanic Spires) There would still be occasional granite stretches, like in Desolation Wilderness up by Lake Tahoe, but the geology would be mostly volcanic northward from here.

We climbed steeply to the crest at 10,500' and began to drop down towards Wolf Creek Lake, our destination for the night. I set up my tent next to a spring that emptied into this meadow. (Wolf Creek Lake) So peaceful... After an hour or so of sound sleep I was awakened as the tent was flooded with strong light: a full moon had popped up over the trees and had painted the lake silver. It was so bright that the birds sang for about an hour thinking it was dawn!

The next day we began a long and steady downhill through a canyon carved by the East Fork of the Carson River. (Down Canyon of the Carson River) As we left the crest the PCT dropped below 10,000'; it would never reach that lofty height again all the way to Canada. We crossed a number of boulder fields and avalanche chutes. As the canyon deepened we looked up at Stanislaus Peak towering above. (Stanislaus Peak) After a descent of over 2,000' the PCT finally switchbacked up and exited the canyon. Here's a view looking back up to the top. (Up Canyon of the Carson River) Across the way thousand foot white cliffs jutted skyward. (White Canyon)

Bill and I had gotten into the happy habit of camping at lakes, so we decided to drop down a scenic side trail to Boulder Lake. (Reflection in Boulder Lake) Trees tightly rimmed the shore but I found a downed log that let me walk out, collect water and soak my feet. (Log in Lake) As I sat on the log I was surrounded by blue dragonflies the size of small birds -- friendly and curious. Other campers there were buzzing about the sighting of a mother bear and cubs so Bill hung up our food off a tree branch. Still there in the AM.

Back on the crest we hiked through a wet meadow being grazed by a large number of cattle, with their cowbells clanking. They had deposited large cow pies all over, polluting the water. (Much to the surprise of many hikers, livestock grazing is allowed in designated wilderness on national forests.) I do not object to cattle grazing in national forests but wish they would stay out of our drinking water.

Next came a rocky mountain created as a plug from a volcano; it was literally only a pile of stones: no trees, no grasses, no nothing. Oddly, such peaks have no names but are called by their elevation. (Peak 9500) Deep in the wilderness now we passed one vista after another -- (Clouds and Mountain); (Peak 9500 and Stanislaus Peak), and (Another Nameless Peak)

With no logging in wilderness, there are typically more older-aged trees than in logged areas, resulting also in more standing dead trees, called "snags," that provide diverse wildlife habitat. (Snag on PCT) Reddish-brown cliffs seemed to be everywhere, (Red-Brown Cliffs) reminding us of the volcanic flows that once covered this landscape. A final vista opened up northward to the skyline of the Mokelumne Wilderness, on the other side of Ebbetts Pass. (Distant Mokelumne Wilderness) I had hiked through that wilderness back in 2005 on the PCT and was excited to see its familiar peaks from afar.

On our last night we camped at Nobel Lake, (Nobel Lake) tucked away at the head of Nobel Canyon. On our way back from getting water at the lake, Bill saw a large bird fly into the trees near his tent and remarked it was a hawk. A while later he rushed up to my tent, in an open flat, and told me he'd been cooking dinner when a Sharp-Shinned Hawk flew down less than 20' away, seized a chipmunk and flapped away. What a rare moment!

As we hiked out the next day, we crossed Nobel Canyon and found still another kind of rock -- "conglomerate," like cookie dough with a wide variety of stones mixed in. (Peter at Nobel Canyon) We reached my car at Ebbetts Pass, (Bill at Sign) and headed down the narrow and winding highway; we followed this scenic route to the historic town of Angels Camp.

As we strolled around town, we came upon sidewalk plaques honoring each years' winner of a frog-jumping contest held in the county. Note this frog from 2007 that leapt 21 feet and 4 and 1/4 inches! (2007 Jumping Frog Winner) This contest is inspired by the story Mark Twain set here, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." The star of the show is the CA Red-legged Frog, the largest native frog in the west, sadly listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service due to habitat loss. I bet there were a few hidden in Nobel Lake!

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.

July 11, 2008 to July 22: I-5 to Etna

This 100 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) began at the crossing of Interstate 5 (I-5) in northern California. The PCT here detours from the Cascades for a westward loop through the scenic wildlands of the Klamath Mountains before returning to the Cascades in Southern Oregon.

I started the long and hot climb of about 5,000' from the low spot of I-5 along the Sacramento River and walked north upward and upward to the high country of Castle Crags. I recalled my first trip to this area in 2004 as a volunteer with the Pacific Crest Trail Association to help clear brush from the PCT a few miles distant. The area stole my heart back then with gorgeous views of Mount Shasta (Mt. Shasta) and the Castle Crags (Castle Crags) I was excited to be returning to this section to continue on to the little town of Etna through the beautiful wildernesses of Castle Crags, Trinity Alps and Russian.

It helped to be excited because air conditions were discouraging. In the past week lightning struck all across the dry forests of the region and set dozens of fires. The air was heavy with smoke and visibility was limited. Some sections of the PCT further south were closed by the Forest Service but fortunately not where I was going, so off I went.

Castle Crags is a giant chunk of granite that was thrust above the earth's surface by the collision of oceanic plates and then was carved by glaciers and erosion. This extraordinary formation and its forested slopes, totalling about 8,600 acres, are protected as wilderness. (Castle Crags Sign) As I hiked up and up, the crags emerged one by one, (Crag 1) (Crag 2), until finally the entire "castle" with its domes and spires, came into view. (Vista of Castle Crags Through Smoke)

These oceanic plates that thrusted the formation skyward contain "serpentine" rock --CA's state rock! These rocks weather to serpentine soils which, when boggy, provide ideal growing conditions for the CA pitcher plant, a tall insect-eating plant, unfortunately endangered. (Pitcher Plant 1) (Pitcher Plant 2). I also spied Bear Grass in open meadows with its tall stem and showy white blossom. (Bear Grass) Bears eat its root in spring, hence the name.

Further on I hiked past Seven Lakes Basin which included this black pond (Echo Lake) at the base of Boulder Peak. I made friends with a couple of backpackers -- Jesse and Brian -- who were fishing these many lakes. I ate lunch at a sparkling alpine pond (Peter at Porcupine Lake) and watched Jesse cast for trout. (Angler) Another night I camped at the top of a canyon containing the headwaters of the South Fork of the Sacramento River -- the river that flows past where I live.

More lakes appeared. Here is Toad Lake, with Mt. Shasta looming in the distance. (Toad Lake) Best of all in the entire section was Upper Deadfall Lake, with this view of Mt. Eddy at sunset from the door of my tent. (Upper Deadfall Lake) I even got to walk out to the log in the lake, sit on it and cool my dusty feet. The next night I got to camp at still another lake (Bull Lake) and again enjoy the reflection of the pink sunset in the still waters.

The next day I came upon some long-distance travellers -- on horseback. (Two Horses) They explained that the chestnut-brown horse is called a "Bay," as in "somebody bet on the Bay." I also enjoyed these splashes of orange along the trail. (Leopard Lilies in Bloom)

A sight I did not enjoy were these stretches of PCT surrounded by logging debris. As you can see, some of the trees were cut literally right next to the trail. (Stump at Trail). And near-clearcuts extended a hundred yards or so from the PCT. (Logging Debris) This logging was occurring on private land that the PCT went across, likely owned by Southern Pacific Company, a railroad company that is CA's largest private-land owner.

The history here is that the federal government granted alternate sections (640 acres in size) of land to railroad companies in the 19th century as an incentive for them to build tracks. Hence, there are these "checkerboard" patterns of land ownership here on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and elsewhere. The PCT has a narrow easement to go across these private lands but I guess that does not preclude logging, even right over the trail. Over 200 miles of the PCT still remain on private land; here's an example of why the trailway needs to be publicly acquired.

Happily, I soon arrived at the boundary of the Trinity Alps Wilderness (Trinity Alps Sign),a vast wildland with little "checkerboarding" of private land and no logging allowed on national forest. At over 500,000 acres, this is the second largest national forest wilderness in CA, right after the John Muir Wilderness further south on the PCT. I hiked along ridges affording nonstop views of granite peaks (A Trinity Alp) and past greened-up meadows. (Rocky Greenery) I also walked now and then across these red-rock boulder fields (Red Rock Trailway) In still another reminder of the fires burning all around, I paused at this fresh snag sheared off by a lightning strike (Snag)

Much to my surprise, I then ran into one of the more colorful members of the PCT community relaxing in his favorite habitat. (Bill E. Goat). Yes, I assume that's his trail name; I have no idea what's on his driver's license. I had met Bill a couple of times at trail events and was delighted to come across him in the middle of nowhere. We lunched and told trail tales. The takeaway is that at age 68 he hiked 3400 miles last year on the PCT, the Florida Trail and others. He loves his trail life and bubbles over about his adventures.

After leaving the Trinity-Alps Wilderness I soon entered the Klamath National Forest and its Russian Wilderness, a 12,000 acre tract, with steep granite walls rising out of rushing rivers. (Russian Sign) I took a break at this outlet creek from Bingham Lake to get my fill of sweet, cold water. (Tumbling Cascade) Nearby was a view up towards Russian Peak, the area's namesake. (Straight Up)

My last night I camped at Paynes Lake, surrounded by rock faces, and took a dip to soak off the dirt before my re-entry to civilization. As an owl hooted, I reflected on our good fortune to have wilderness on this natonal forest and elsewhere. As a reminder, a wilderness is a wild area of federal land designated by Congress to be preserved by law in its natural condition. Hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, nature study, river rafting and other nonmotorized forms of recreation are allowed on national forest wilderness while logging, road building, mining, dam construction and motorized recreation are not allowed.

Thanks to farsighted political leaders and strong public support, we are especially blessed here in CA to have over fifteen millon acres of wilderness, the most of any state outside Alaska. This fifteen million acres of wilderness is 15% of CA's total size of about one hundred million acres; put another way, fifteen millions acres is the size of Vermont, New Hampshire and Conn. combined -- a worthy natural legacy for the people of CA to leave for the future.

I exited the Russian Wilderness the next day, descended to the road at Etna Summit, and caught a ride from a church group into the small, charming town of Etna. A local trail angel had fixed up a barn as a "Hiker's Hut" with bunks, showers and Internet. The hut was decorated inside with flags from many countries around the world that hikers hailed from. As a welcome I got a tour of the pretty Scott's Valley around Etna from a local celebrity, Molly, who had recently won the Senior World Figure Ice Skating Championship held in Germany -- and had the clippings to prove it! (Peter and Molly at Hiker's Hut)

During my two zero days I happily hung out at the old-fashioned ice cream counter at the town drug store and read newspapers. And who should show up in Etna but Bill E. Goat; my hiking friends from GA, last seen in the CA desert, and a young couple from Switzerland who sang the Swiss national anthem beneath their flag in the hut, among others? On day two Bill Salmon also arrived for us to start the next section.

May 29, 2008 to June 7: Tehachapi to Walker Pass

About a month later I returned by bus to the town of Tehachapi in Southern California to continue north on a 86 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I picked up the PCT at Tehachapi Pass and did a long and steady climb back into the high country. In the distance I could see Sawmill Mountain and Antelope Valley, features from the last trip. (Above Tehachapi Pass)

As the hot air rises from the desert, the cooler winds race in from the coastal west and compress against the ridges, creating a wind tunnel in Tehachapi Pass. Wind speeds here reach up to eighty mph, powering wind farms along the PCT. (Windmills) Spring still touched the land, with bursts of red flowers dotting the trail. (Owl's Clover) In the distance I could see the air strips of Edwards Air Force Base, where the space shuttle lands.

Geologists consider Tehachapi Pass the start of the Sierra Nevada, which then runs 400 air miles north to Mount Lassen, the beginning of the Cascades.The Sierra Nevada is the longest continuous mountain range in the lower 48. Since the PCT winds back and forth, it clocks 800 trail miles along the Sierra Nevada, almost a third of its entire length from Mexico to Canada. Thus, it was very exciting for me to pass this 6700' granite mountain (Cache Peak) and to finally arrive in the mighty Sierras, a range of soaring granite.

Note too that the slopes of Cache Peak are cloaked with Pinyon Pine. This small, bushy tree has only single needles, not clusters of two or three needles like other pines. The nuts of this pine were an important food for Native Americans and are still used in our salads. Much of my camping in this section was in the shelter of Pinyon Pine.

Here's another set of windmills (Sky River Wind Farm), much taller than the last ones. The PCT goes right next to Sky River, which is planned for expansion. The visual impact does not bother me personally; I like to see power being created from renewable sources without greenhouse gases. However, I do worry about the killing of migratory birds, especially raptors like golden eagles and hawks, from the blades.

The PCT soon ascended into the Piute Mountains, with their tall and stately Jeffrey Pine and flowing water at Landers Meadow. The trail then dropped into the scenic Kelso Valley with piles of boulders (Boulders) and bushes decked out with yellow flowers (Fremontia) The public land here is largely under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the California Desert Conservation Area. The PCT went near BLM's Bright Star Wilderness, as it approached this pointed peak (Peter in Front of Mayan Peak) In this area BLM posted many signs to warn off-road-vehicles to stay off the PCT and use other trails. Thanks, BLM.

Kelso Valley is also infamous for its dryness and its wind. In a stroke of good fortune I arrived at the main road crossing just as some local trail angels delivered water jugs. With big smiles a bunch of us hikers helped unload. (Hikers and Water Jugs) I also chatted with a couple from Georgia. As it turned out we knew each other from our work together on conservation a decade ago and had last seen each other on the Appalachian Trail. I was to meet them again later in the summer.

The climb out of Kelso Valley was hot, shadeless and sandy. As I got back up on a ridge, the barometer dropped like a rock and a cold front blew in. (Clouds in Barren Landscape) I found a lone Joshua Tree and threw up my tent in its shelter. The wind pounded my tent all night. During a slight break in the wind in the AM, I packed up and dashed off. There was no escape from the wind however; it blasted wildly in all directions. One gust even knocked me to the ground. One hiker told me he was thrown down a dozen times that day!

I finally reached Bird Spring Pass (Peter at Sign) with tree cover and even some color (Prickly Pear Cactus in Flower). Bird Spring Pass also marked the gateway to the 90,000 acre Kiavah Wilderness in Sequoia National Forest. This wilderness protects the beauty of this semi-arid land. (Kiavah Wilderness)

This is also the first is a long string of Congressionally-designated wildernesses along the PCT, separated only by the occasional road, that extends hundreds of miles north, all the way to the Lake Tahoe area. As I reached the other side of the Kiavah Wilderness, near Walker Pass, I could see far in the distance the snowy slopes of Olancha Peak and Mount Whitney.

With all the banging around from the wind, I had brushed into tree branches and chaparral and had sat on the ground a lot. Changing my socks a short distance before Walker Pass, I noticed two dark spots on my shin, each surrounded by a red circle. The guidebook alerted hikers that a ring-like red rash around a tick bite could be a sign of infection with Lyme disease.

My plan was to hike another thirty miles to Kennedy Meadows but I decided instead to go home and get screened. The blood test turned out negative: no Lyme disease. I learned too that only a tiny fraction of ticks in California carry Lyme disease and that chances of humans getting Lyme disease from a tick bite are very low. The rashes soon went away on their own. All in all, it was another scenic and inspiring adventure, well worth the challenge to body and spirit.