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The Headwaters Loop: A Proposed Backpacking Loop In The Trinity Divide

Posted by bubbasuess on November 26, 2013
Posted in: Hiking, Klamath Mountains, Mount Shasta, Pacific Crest Trail, Rivers, Trinity Divide. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 9 Comments
Trinity Divide, Many Lakes Mountain - June2012 048 copy (Custom)

Mount Shasta stands regally beyond the Cliff Lakes, the headwaters of the South Fork of the Sacramento River.

The Sacramento River is California’s longest and largest river. It draws its water from more than five major mountain ranges: The North Coast Range, the Klamath Mountains, the Cascade Range, the Warner Mountains and the enormous Sierra Nevada. Out of this vast territory, the place where the Sacramento River first rises up and begins its journey to San Francisco Bay is in the Trinity Divide (not to be confused with the nearby Trinity Alps). This is the highest subrange of the Klamath Mountains. It is in the Trinity Divide that the North, Middle and South Forks of the Sacramento emerge from extensive meadows and alpine lakes and flow through rugged canyons to combine their waters to form California’s greatest river. The Trinity Divide, though by no means a well-known mountain range, is one of the prettiest and most diverse ranges in Northern California. Mount Eddy and the Deadfall Basin, Porcupine Lake, the Seven Lakes Basin, the Castle Crags and the Castle Lake area are all incredibly scenic areas, most of which are blessed with incredible views of mighty Mount Shasta. Though most of these areas lack formal wilderness designation, they are all still primeval lands both wild and rugged.

While studying the Trinity Divide on a map a couple of months ago, I was amazed how much of an incredible backpacking loop is composed of pre-existing trails. By combining existing sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Sisson-Callahan Trail and the Lake Siskiyou Trail 85% of a giant loop already exists. In other words, 34 miles of what would ultimately amount to an approximately 40 mile loop already exists. That such a spectacularly epic loop is nearly in existence already but remains unexploited is surprising. Considering the length, remoteness yet ease of access and absolutely magnificent scenery, this loop could be a major draw for the Mount Shasta area. It could easily become a destination trail, attracting backpackers from other parts of California and out of state to come and enjoy a sublime loop through great terrain and nearly constant stupendous views. The significance of the trail’s relationship to the genesis of California’s largest and longest river should not be underestimated either.

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Views from sections of the Headwaters Loop

The loop would presumably begin at Lake Siskiyou and head west up the Sacramento for nearly two miles. At the confluence with the North Fork of the Sacramento, the route would begin climbing up the Sisson-Callahan Trail. This trail ascends the length of the North Fork through a rugged and wild canyon to a sprawling meadow complex in the shadow of Mount Eddy. From there the trail climbs steeply up the flank of Mount Eddy to the divide between the Deadfall Basin and the North Fork Canyon. This is the only rigorous climb of the entire loop. After a quick side trip up to the staggering views at the summit of Mount Eddy (for my money, the finest vista in Northern California), the trail drops down through gorgeous Deadfall Basin, passing the stunning lakes as it heads down to its junction with the Pacific Crest Trail. Once on the PCT the loop heads south along the spine of the Trinity Divide. Views of Mount Shasta, the Trinity Alps and the Divide itself are incredible. Highlights along the way include Toad and Porcupine Lakes, the latter nestled in a stunning granite cirque at the foot of pyramidal Porcupine Peak. From there it is a few easy miles through excellent scenery to Gumboot Saddle.

Beyond Gumboot, the trail continues south a little further, still graced with amazing views, until it reaches another saddle between the Mumbo Basin and the Seven Lakes Basin. The larger Seven Lakes Basin is an easy side trip. The PCT then turns east and begins its long descent down the great central rib of the Trinity Divide that culminates in tremendous fashion at the Castle Crags. Views from this section of the trail continue to amaze and now include the Seven Lakes Basin far below the trail, the ragged Grey Rocks, the Castle Crags and Lassen Peak and the southernmost Cascades far to the east. As the trail proceeds eastward, the views of the Castle Crags continue to get better and better until it is an overwhelming presence. After traversing the headwaters basin of the North Fork of Castle Creek, a use trail leads over the shoulder of Castle Peak and into the Castle Lake Basin. Here backpackers can enjoy the splendid view of Mount Shasta from Heart Lake. It is then time to make the final descent down to Lake Siskiyou, completing the loop.

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The Headwaters Loop. The dotted lines indicate places where there is no trail or road.

Only two sections of this proposed loop have not been constructed. The most significant portion is the leg descending from Castle Lake down to Lake Siskiyou. This consists of approximately 4.5 miles. The precise length would depend on which of the numerous routes the trail could take. There is currently an old road running down the east side of Castle Lake Creek and this would likely be incorporated into the trail until it intersected the road from Lake Siskiyou up to Castle Lake. From there a number of possibilities open up. Probably the most difficult to construct but by far the most scenic option would be to route the trail through the canyon carved by Scott Camp Creek. Currently trailless, few venture into this canyon which has some surprisingly rugged cliffs. The other lacuna in the loop is from Lake Siskiyou’s inlet up the Sacramento River to the confluence with the North Fork. Several use trails already exist along some of this section and one of them could easily be absorbed into the loop. Extending the path along the Sacramento River to the North Fork would complete the loop. Due to the scenic qualities of the river in this area, this section of trail would probably become popular with hikers who are not looking to hike the circuit around the Sacramento’s headwaters but would just want to enjoy a beautiful and scenic trail.

I plan on exploring some of the areas where there are gaps in the headwaters loop and I will post some thoughts and images along with my assessments regarding the best option for filling in these missing portions of the epic loop around the Sacramento River headwaters loop. Does this loop look interesting to anyone else? Any feedback is appreciated!

Descent Into Mystery: The Sisson-Callahan Trail

Posted by bubbasuess on August 7, 2013
Posted in: Hiking, Klamath Mountains, Lakes, Meadows, Mount Eddy, Mount Shasta, Mount Shasta History, Pacific Crest Trail, Rivers, Seldom Seen, Trinity Divide, Wilderness. Tagged: , , , , , , . 3 Comments
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The North Fork Of The Sacramento River Descends Into The Unknown.

Few trails in the Mount Shasta area have the aura of mystery that surrounds the Sisson-Callahan Trail (SCT). At one level it is something of an enigma on account of its extremely light use. Compounding this, there is a general paucity of information on the trail. Hikers looking for beta on the trip are bound to be stymied (until they stumble upon the SCT page on Hikemtshasta, of course) and must commit to the long trail with little preparation but a few brief descriptions, some of which are inaccurate, and a map of the trail. Yet, the lack of good information on the trail and the fact that the SCT is nearly forsaken by hikers is not the only reason for the enigmatic cloud that seems to hover over the trail. The very course the path charts imbues it with a sense of secrecy. The trail begins in the open, sunny heights of the Deadfall Lakes Basin and then descends into, to borrow Joaquin Miller’s description of the woods around Mount Shasta, the great black forest of California. It is a passage from height and light into depth and dark. But it is a grand and varied journey.

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Mount Eddy reigns high above the Deadfall Basin.

Perhaps the SCT is cast in obscurity in part because its more distant, higher trailhead is inaccessible by car. One must hike a few miles on the Pacific Crest Trail in order to reach the western terminus of the SCT. This section of the PCT is generally not obscured by trees and is bathed in light, with far reaching vistas of the Trinity Alps and the cardinal crest of the Scott Mountains. Upon arrival at the beginning of the SCT on the outskirts of Deadfall Basin, the crimson cliffs begin to encircle the trail, wildflowers greet hikers merrily and the lakes wait to refresh trail-worn. The multi-hued tower of Mount Eddy, characterized by a tall, ragged cliff, oversees this wonderful mountain fastness with a brooding presence. From the glorious vantage at Upper Deadfall Lake, the SCT makes a swift climb to the rim of the basin. Hikers bound to follow the SCT are joined here by those heading to the summit of Mount Eddy, so the path is not a forsaken one. However, at the crest of the basin’s rim, the Deadfall Lakes Trail turns left, and continues to the summit of the mountain while the SCT is truly the road less traveled. Those who choose this path now begin the great descent into a seemingly unknown land.

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The North Fork flows through the meadow complex.

After having climbed out of the Deadfall Lakes Basin, the nature of the SCT changes immediately. What was once a broad, well-traveled trail becomes a narrow, lightly used path. Though the condition of the trail is the first inkling that the SCT has now become a journey into an enigma, it is quickly accompanied by a loss of grand vistas. Though the Castle Crags, the Trinity Divide and the Lassen area are visible briefly, the clarity afforded by the first few steps of the descent is lost to the marvelous trees. These ancient denizens of the North Fork of the Sacramento River’s canyon are large, lovely and unusual, especially the out-of-place foxtail pines. As the trail nears the bottom of the canyon, it turns east and enters a fantastic meadow populated by clusters of lodgepole pine. Unlike earlier meadows and grassy areas, the views from this collection of meadows are clouded by the presence of countless trees. Still, light filters through and the area can be sunny and the red flanks of Mount Eddy are visible at times. As one continues to the east, the trail passes in and out of meadows, through the trees and stays very close to the path’s now constant companion, the North Fork of the Sacramento. As the canyon deepens, the forest grows thicker and views are eaten away, the river remains constant, a guide through the heart of the great black forest that waits ahead.

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The North Fork leads through the dense forest.

Finally, the last vestiges of the meadow are consumed by the forest and the river, once a playful stream laughing its way through grassy banks, transforms into a racing, crashing river. It cascades over boulders and fallen trees, only standing still long enough to gather itself in pools below cataracts before surging over more boulders. The forest itself has finally pressed in, closing off all but the immediate channel of the river. The views are gone and all that remains to link the hiker to the world beyond the dense woods is the river itself. Still, the forest has a deep, primeval beauty, even though it casts a pall of mystery over the canyon. There are hidden sites around this canyon but an accurate understanding of the area is necessary to be able to pierce the wall of trees and find them. Eventually, even the beauty of the forest is worn away and the final leg of the hike is a long push down to the North Fork trailhead. At the very end, the woods finally recede, pushed back as the river widens. The light returns and hikers are refreshed by the crossing of the river as they make the final steps to the end of the journey.

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Light on the river.

The SCT is a beautiful trail but it is shrouded in enigma. Little has been written and few claim to have made the whole journey. Those that have completed it passed through some of the most isolated country in the Mount Shasta area. Still, it is a wonderfully diverse trip, made the more dramatic by the unknown quality the trail has. It is many things with many pretty sights but at its heart, it is a descent into mystery. That is perhaps the trail’s greatest attribute. The land is beautiful, rugged and wild but the attraction of the unknown enhances these attributes. Though well plotted by cartographers, it is a dark spot on most hiker’s map, despite lacking formal wilderness designation. Perhaps in the near future, this trail will traverse an area protected in its primitive state so that those who seek a land seldom seen will be assured that the SCT retains its secretive allure.

Sisson-Callahan Trail

A Mount Eddy Wilderness?

Posted by bubbasuess on June 3, 2013
Posted in: Hiking, Klamath Mountains, Mount Eddy, Mount Shasta, Trinity Divide, Wilderness. Tagged: , , , , , , . 3 Comments
Trinity Divide, Mt. Eddy - Oct2008 006 (Custom)

Mount Eddy and Upper Deadfall Lake.

Mount Shasta dominates the California Northstate. It can be seen from the summit of peaks south of Lassen Peak to tall mountains deep into Oregon. Its massive bulk is obvious from as far east as the Warner Mountains, mere miles from the Nevada border. It is a wild, glacier-clad, regal mountain. It seems as though all other peaks fade into insignificance at the foot of the mighty volcano. Yet, despite the intimidating competition, there is one mountain in Shasta’s immediate vicinity that is worthy of far more acclaim that is receives and possesses many notable features in its own right. Mount Eddy, the second highest summit in the region, is a grand mountain in its own right. Without doubt, Eddy cannot compete with the grandeur or Mount Shasta, which stands a mile taller than Mount Eddy. Nonetheless, while Mount Shasta commands respect, Eddy at least demands some as well. Among the litany of notable qualities, Mount Eddy is the tallest peak in the Trinity Divide, is the tallest peak in the entire Klamath Mountain range and is the tallest summit in the United States west of Interstate 5. It is also one of 57 ultra-prominence peaks found in the contiguous 48 States (topographical prominence is the measurement of how high and independent a mountain is. It is measured from the first topographical line that encircles a peak and not higher mountain. Ultra-prominence is 5,000 feet of prominence or higher). If Mount Eddy were not stuck in the enormous shadow of Mount Shasta, it would receive more recognition for the grand mountain that it is.

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Mount Eddy and the Eddy Range from the Castle Crags Wilderness.

There are two wilderness areas in the Mount Shasta area. One encompasses the higher reaches of the great volcano. The other includes most of the granite spires of the Castle Crags in addition to an isolated alpine lake basin. Both of these wild lands are relatively small, though they do pack an inordinately large scenic punch. Of course, a little further to the west, there is nearly a million acres of wilderness divided between the Trinity Alps, Russian and Marble Mountains Wilderness Areas. Still, in the land immediately around Mount Shasta and Mount Eddy, there are only the two relatively small pockets of wilderness. In legal terms, an area that is designated as wilderness is left in its primeval state. No development can take place, no machinery be employed and natural processes are left to take their course. As the law famously states, man is a visitor in these lands. Typically, though not absolutely, lands that receive wilderness designation have notable and highly scenic qualities (this is not an official criterion for wilderness designation, but by their very nature it often works out that the wild lands are beautiful).

Trinity Divide, Mt. Eddy - July2010 005 (Custom)

Deadfall Lakes below Mount Eddy.

Without doubt, Mount Eddy has the scenic qualities worthy of wilderness preservation. In addition to multiple alpine lake basins and lush meadows, Mount Eddy is composed of bright multi-hued peridotite that usually manifests in yellow and orange. The Eddy Range and other nearby ranges such as the Scott Mountains and parts of the Trinity Alps represent the largest concentration of this kind of rock outside of Alaska. The rock also makes for poor soil the plant life in these areas are specially adapted to life in harsh conditions. The inhospitable environment also contributes to the barren appearance in Mount Eddy’s higher reaches. Thrown together, these elements combine to create an especially scenic, and in many cases, spectacular landscape. If it were not for Shasta’s mighty cone a few miles to the east, Mount Eddy would be a leading destination in its own right.

This raises the question as to why there is not a Mount Eddy Wilderness. If the mountain is worthy of wilderness designation and its special and scenic attributes are worth protecting, why has this not been done? It is not for lack of desire that it has not come to pass. The obstacle to wilderness designation lies in the 19th century. When the Southern Pacific Railroad laid track up the Sacramento River Canyon, the government, as was the normal practice at the time, gave the railroad sections of land (by section, I refer to a surveying section, which is one square mile and contains 640 acres) creating a checkerboard pattern of alternatingly private and public sections of land. Additional sections were sold to private individuals who had mining claims. Like much of the land between Mount Shasta and Redding, this was the case on Mount Eddy as well. The private inholdings, some of which constitute the heart of the Mount Eddy area, prevented the formation of a contiguous block of land necessary to establish a wilderness area. Even though wilderness organizations have recommended the creation of a Mount Eddy Wilderness, there have been too many roadblocks up until now.

The situation has changed in the past few months. In the fall of 2012, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest acquired more than 700 acres of land around the summit of Mount Eddy from a private owner. The national forest is now negotiating a sale for an additional 2,300 acres from the same owner. When these sales are completed, the necessary core for a wilderness to be created on Mount Eddy will be present. Conversations with the relevant personnel at the national forest have revealed that it is their intention to work toward wilderness protection for Mount Eddy once all of the necessary criteria have been met. The acquisition of the private inholdings is the most significant of these. There will probably be little opposition from private groups since most of the use on Mount Eddy already consists of recreation that would continue after the establishment of the wilderness area. Of the current uses only snowmobiles and OHV would be restricted. Of course, wilderness designation requires an act of congress, so even once all of the necessary steps have been taken, it is uncertain when the process will be completed. This is also a contentious issue with people who are sensitive about private landowner’s rights. I count myself one so concerned but this land is already owned by the federal government and will not effect private owners. Indeed, private ownership is what has prevented this action up until now and it is their desire to sell that has initiated the move toward wilderness preservation on Mount Eddy.

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Sections acquired in red. Sections under negotiation in blue.

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Porcupine Lake, at the southern end of the proposed wilderness.

What will be included in the Mount Eddy Wilderness? At this point, it is impossible to predict. An early proposal from the Calwild organization included a significant portion of the Scott Mountain north of Mount Eddy. This would have included the Bull Lake and Caldwell Lakes areas. At this point, I think that this becoming a reality is unlikely. Nonetheless, a significant amount of roadless land can be cobbled together that would incorporate most of the Eddy Range. It is possible to include all of the lakes on Mount Eddy, the North Fork of the Sacramento Canyon and even the Toad and Porcupine Lakes basins. The wilderness would essentially encompass the crest of the Eddy Range and descend down the upper portions of the North Fork and Middle Forks of the Sacramento River. This area is already prime hiking territory and has many great off-trail scrambles too. The establishment of a Mount Eddy Wilderness would further emphasize the hiking and backpacking use of this land and preserve it in its primeval state.

Mount Eddy Wilderness

My proposal for the Mount Eddy Wilderness.

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Mount Shasta viewed from Mount Eddy.

There are a few great trails in the area that would constitute the Mount Eddy Wilderness. Most notable is 10.5 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The southern portion of this makes a great hike up to Porcupine & Toad Lakes. The northern portion of the Eddy section of the PCT leads to the beautiful Deadfall Lakes, one of the prettiest areas in the Northstate. Another trail climbing out of Deadfall Meadows also arrives at the basin, where there are a series of beautiful alpine lakes. From there a trail leads to the summit of Mount Eddy and the finest view anywhere in the Northstate (I think it is better than the view from Mount Shasta because you can actually see Mount Shasta). The Sisson-Callahan Trail also climbs out of Deadfall Basin and descends into the canyon of the North Fork of the Sacramento, which it then follows all the way to the main fork of the river, 12 miles distant. There are also great off trail scrambles to grand but elusive lakes like Little Crater, Dobkins and Durney Lakes. It is an area ripe for exploration.