#russian wilderness

[valhikes]

Etna: Etna Mountain, Meeks Meadow, and Paynes Lake

Klamath National Forest. Bagging the offset peak of Etna Mountain and visiting Meeks Meadow Lake and Smith Lake on the way to Paynes Lake.

Russian Wilderness, Klamath National Forest, California

Day 2: Tagging the top of Etna Mountain and then stopping by Meeks Meadow Lake and Smith Lake (by trail that isn't) and finally Paynes Lake.

[pcttrailsidereader]

Keith McCloghrie sent this photo from the crest of the PCT as it transects the Russians.  The lake pictured is Jackson Lake, a private lake on one of the few square miles of in-holdings not consolidated by the Klamath National Forest in this area.  This lake is accessible on the Jackson Creek Road that enters from the Etna side (east) of Russian Wilderness area.

Keith was a part of a team hiking to the top of the highest point in the area as a part of a climate monitoring project.

[valhikes]

Russian: Pacific Crest Trail

Klamath National Forest. Back on the PCT.

Russian Wilderness

Klamath National Forest, California

A few from the 7 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail on my 3rd and last day backpacking around the Russian Wilderness.

[valhikes]

Russian: Bingham Lake and Russian Peak

Klamath National Forest. Short hike with and excursion before and after. First, out to see Golden Russian Lake, then to the top of Russian P

Russian Wilderness

Klamath National Forest, California

My second day backpacking the Russian Wilderness started as a short plan, but couldn't stay that way. I added on a cross country hike to a little peak to see a hidden lake before starting. I added on a cross country hike to the biggest peak in the Wilderness after the hike.

[valhikes]

Russian: Siphon Lake, Russian Lake, and Waterdog Lake

Klamath National Forest. A few miles on the PCT, then off to the sights of grand lakes near and in the Russian Wilderness.

Klamath National Forest, California

The Russian Wilderness. It's not very big, but packs a bit of a punch. I hadn't been and found my way from the south via the Pacific Crest Trail. For my first day of three out backpacking, one of the jewels of the area: Russian Lake.

[pcttrailsidereader]

Russians in the news

I just returned from a loop through the Russian Wilderness that included a day on the PCT.  The sheer number of thru hikers on the trail were reminiscent of the first hundred miles of walking north of the Mexican border back in April. While on the PCT, I talked with some three dozen thru hikers about their experience this year. This year, as has been widely reported, the great PCT migration north was interrupted by snow. Most hikers I spoke with left the trail shortly after Kennedy Meadows (Cottonwood Pass or Kearsarge Pass being the most common exits) and rejoined at Donner Summit or Sierra City or Belden (some times Chester or even Castella). Those that crossed Forester Pass noted that the conditions were much more extreme than they were prepared to tackle. Not a single one of these hikers had navigated the full High Sierra.  Several noted that it had been a test to walk more than 10 miles a day given the snow and the need to search for safe water crossings . . . so they didn’t expect many who had persevered to reach Northern California for a while yet.

(Photo credit: Gabi aka ‘Forward’ and Dave aka ‘Aps’ . . . see their blog at www.thirst4adventure.com)

The Russian Wilderness is one of the real gems of Northern California.  For most PCT hikers this 18.5 mile stretch of trail will be a total and pleasant surprise. After a climb up from Carter Meadows Summit (6,160′) the trail crests at about 7,300 feet and quickly emerges into a landscape of glacier-carved granite crags similar to the Sierra Nevada. The PCT hugs the east side of the u-shaped South Russian Creek valley for the next six miles. The trail then continues its transit of the Russian Mountains overlooking the Scott River drainage to the east with Mt. Shasta and Mt. Eddy dominating the further view . . . before dropping down to Etna Summit (5,960′).

(Photo credit: Gabi and Dave . . . www.thirst4adventure.com)

When I first walked this stretch of trail some 18 years earlier, we lingered so long on the stretch high above the South Russian Creek that we ran out of daylight before we rounded the steep canyon wall and could begin looking for a place to jam a tent and three desperate hikers.  The 2014 Whites Fire cleared out the rather impenetrable underbrush and, on this walk, revealed just how steep a slope we had chosen for our bivouac.

This time, we diverted from the PCT to follow a section of the Bigfoot Trail past more of the 20 named lakes in the Wilderness (the PCT really only passes one, Paynes Lake) . . . Syphon Lake, stunning Russian Lake, and tranquil Waterdog Lake.  Perhaps this will be an adventure that will draw thru-hikers back for a closer look on another day.

(Photo credit: Gabi and Dave)

[pcttrailsidereader]

Benson Lake (with a glimpse of the wonderful beach at the lake’s east end in the foreground) . . . how amazing to have the lake so calm that it resembles an ‘infinity pool’.

I have selected a few more of David Reneau’s photos to share from his PCT experiences between 2012 - 2016.  As I mentioned in the first post of Dave’s images, I am reminded that we don’t include a fair representation of photos of lakes along the PCT.  Help us correct that by sending some of your best PCT lake photos to pcttrailsidereader.com

I will post at least another photo set from Dave’s collection.

Statue Lake in the Russian Wilderness. Most hikers are surprised to see the return of so much granite!

Aloha Lake at sunrise. The distinctive Aloha Lake in Desolation Wilderness is actually a reservoir with a dam on the south end.  The water eventually reaches the American River.  The hundreds of dead lodgepole pine snags (Dave managed to avoid those in his photo) that poke above the lake’s surface once grew in the basin that was flooded by the dam. Aloha Lake now contributes to the water provided to the City of Sacramento

[tenmilesadrift]

I’m back with my parents for about a week before I leave to the UK for a semester. Naturally, I’m missing all of the summer adventures I was able to have up north. But I’m so stoked to start my new adventure soon!