SEPTEMBER 13 - 20, 2003
Car camping and hiking in Northern California and Southern Oregon
Starring . . .
(in alphabetical order)
Darrell Ahlberg
Evon Ebeid
Elizabeth Lin
Kirk McWilliam
Dave Norkus
Tom Snyder
(our fearless leader)
Darrell, Dave, Tom and I land in Redding. Thankfully all of the baggage got here as our flight route was Detroit - Seattle - Portland - Arcata - Redding, the last three legs on a puddle jumper (Alaskan/Horizon Air). I'm glad my duffle held up. I definitely packed it to the limits and had to leave some items at home because they wouldn't fit into the bulging luggage.
I had nightmares of REI clearance items raining down on the Pacific coast. Luckily, instead of my clothes and gear exploding from my luggage, we got a nice aerial tour of the Cascades and flew right over Mt. St. Helen's. We like Horizon Air after the great view and complementary Samuel Adams beer.
Kirk and Evon flew into Sacramento and had to drive to Redding. We try to hook up en route to our campground, but miss each other. Darrell, Dave, Tom, and I are starving so we eat some really bad pizza before heading to the campsite.
By then it is getting really dark and we have no idea where Evon and Kirk are. We pull into Big Foot Campground in Junction City, 72 miles from Redding, just west of Weaverville. A car follows us into the campground. To our great surprise, it's Kirk and Evon. We set up camp and turn in pretty early. After all, we're on Michigan time and have a big day ahead tomorrow. The night temp is 48. Brrrr!
SUNDAY 9/14/03 - Day temp hi 70s
Showers: We experience our first pay shower in the morning. We ration our quarters. One quarter gets you about 3 minutes. My strategy is to use the time in between quarters to lather up and then enjoy a leisurely rinse.
We drive to Redwood National Park. Tom, Darrell, and I are in the white Isuzu with Tom driving; Kirk drives Dave and Evon in the red Grand Prix.. We have the two way radios in case we get separated. The drive is quite scenic. Tom has researched the park in his National Parks guide and wants to hit the three suggested points for a one-day visit: Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Big Tree, and hiking part of the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT).
We head to Lady Bird Johnson Grove where there is a one mile trail through the magnificent Redwoods. It's peaceful and quiet. The trees are amazing. Some are hollow inside; some have offshoots that are still larger than any tree we see in Michigan.. After that we head to Big Tree, which is exactly that - a big (Redwood) tree. Tourist trap. It's still neat to see because there is a sign with all of Big Tree's stats.
Our last stop is hiking on the PCT. Each group parks a car at opposite ends of the trail with plans to meet in the middle to exchange keys and proceed on their way.. Red car's at Hidden Beach; the Isuzu's at Klamath River Overlook. Tom, Darrell, and I begin at Klamath River Overlook and see some outstanding views. There are ripe blackberries on the trail as well. We soon discover that our hike is mostly downhill. Unfortunately for the others, theirs is uphill. We meet the others the middle and proceed to Hidden Beach. It's a beautiful beach with cliff faces and jagged rocks. Darrell and I take our boots and socks off and dip our feet in the water. It's frosty, and my feet and shins are immediately numb.
We join up with the others and camp at Mill Creek Campground in Del Norte Coast - Redwood State Park. Dave goes out to find beer, Bailey's and hot cocoa. A wild turkey pays us a visit at the campsite, obviously looking for food. We think it's a female, but it could be a young male. It is not intimidated by us. We watch it with interest, discussing whether or not turkeys can fly. Disappointed when we don't feed it, the turkey answers our question by flapping its wings and flying up to a high perch in a tree where it can monitor our generosity to the Turkey Food Fund. No such luck, although we do remark that the turkey might be good for our dinner.
Nite temp is 50.
MONDAY 9/15/03 - Day temp 70s
Showers: The ante is upped to 50 cents for three minutes, and the first minute is spent adjusting. What a waste! We're learning to shower quickly.
Drive from campground to Crescent Valley toward Medford, Oregon. Darrell, Tom, and I stop at the national park visitor center to look for magnets. On the way out, we notice a unique looking fruit growing on a tree outside of the visitor center. We go back in to ask what the fruit is. The lady behind the counter says it's a strawberry tree and the fruits are edible. The ripe looking fruit are high up in the tree, but luckily Darrell and Tom can reach them. We each sample the fruit. It's the color and consistency of a mango inside, but tastes more like a kiwi.
We take I-5 to 234 to Crater Lake National Park. We drive around Crater Lake. About 6,850 years ago Mount Mazama, a stratovolcano, collapsed to produce Crater Lake, one of the world's best known calderas. The caldera is about 6 miles across. The catastrophic pyroclastic eruption released about 12 cubic miles (50 cubic km) of magma to the surface. It was one of the largest eruptions in the last 10,000 years. Crater Lake is 1,932 ft deep at its deepest point, making it the deepest lake in the United States and one of the world's deepest.
We stop by the visitor center so Tom and Darrell can pick up their national park magnets and so we can decide what to do. Hike Mt. Scott - base est. 6,000 ft; summit at 8,929 ft. Trail is 2.5 miles each way. Depart 3:33 pm; arrive at summit 4:43; depart summit 5:20; arrive at base 6:08. Warm at start - cool and windy at the top - wear gloves, hat, fleece. Exercise feels great, and the vista is wonderful. I sing the yodeling song from "Sound of Music" on the way up. We all do well on our first real mountain hike.
Dinner at picnic area, then watched the sunset over Crater Lake. It doesn't start out that great, but it's as if God set the sky aflame as the sun goes down. To quote Tom, "It started out a '3' and ended up a '10.' "
We set up camp in the dark. It's getting cold. There is a bear box, a large metal cupboard that secures shut so no critters can get at our food (or anything the smells like it). Apparently toiletries attract bears, so the bear box is quite full. Campfire with hot cocoa and Bailey's. Temps drop before bedtime. The stars are beautiful. Wear lots of layers to bed. Nite temp 33. Makes us long for the balmy nite temps of 48.
TUESDAY 9/16/03 - Evon and I wake up FREEZING. We peer out the tent flaps to see SNOW!! Hot breakfast at Rim Village Cafeteria. Go to Visitor Center to check the weather and see the Crater Lake movie. Snow and rain continue. Our camping gear is getting soaked. We reserve a night at the Lodge, a hotel room within the National Park. Although there is a limit of 4 adults per room, we are permitted to check in as 4 adults and two children. It will be crowded but warm.
Drove to see the Pinacles, then hiked Cleetwood Trail which is a winding downhill route to the lake where the boats to Wizard Island depart. There are no boats running, though due to the weather. Saw many chipmunks and fed bits of Cliff bars to a few. We got some to eat right off of our hiking boots. It is said that the water one foot below the surface of Crater Lake is some of the purest drinking water in existence. It's so blue it doesn't look real.
Checked into the Lodge and then went to break down our muddy camp. We feel extravagant to have real beds and an actual flush toilet and shower just steps from the bed! Dinner at Crater Lake Lodge. We have upscale dinners with wine. Slept six people in one room.
Flurries continue. Low in the 20s.
Showers: Hot and unlimited with no coin slots! Ahhhhhhhhh . . . At one point, someone said "that bathroom's gonna get pretty gross with six people using it" which prompted me to gently remind everyone to be considerate of others using the bathroom after them. (It worked.)
WEDNESDAY 9/17/03 - Day Temp 47 degrees. Awoke to a sunny day. Light snow cover on the ground and trees. Took group shots by the rim. It's so pretty. What are the chances that we'd get to see Crater Lake in both a summer and winter setting within 48 hours?
On the road again to Lake of the Woods and to climb Mt. McLoughlin (ele. 9,500 ft). Tom and Darrell sing "Indian Woods" song that either I must be too young to have heard or they are making it up. Checked into Lake of the Woods Resort after discovering that the campgrounds are closed for the season as of 2:00 pm today. Tom drops the f-bomb when he finds out. It all works out for the best, though since the tent sites are primitive (i.e., facilities are just a step above a spade and a roll of biodegradable toilet paper) and the other sites are spacious with amenities (bathrooms, free showers!!!, laundry, store, and cafe). Evon and I are literally happy campers.
We set up our muddy tents to dry and then are off to hike the mountain. It's a beautiful wooded trail with lots of steep uphill. It's 5 1/4 miles to the summit. We leave base (estimated 5,400 ft) at 12:57 pm with over 4,000 ft vertical ahead.. After the treeline there are some beautiful views of Lake of the Woods and Mt. Shasta. The air is thin, but it's warm in the sun. The terrain is much rougher than Mt. Scott with lots of scree and hard climbing. Some of the boulders are as big as I am, and it's a definite disadvantage to have such a short leg span. As much as I want to summit, I bail about an hour from the top but can see it and hear the group on the two-way radio.
Tom hits the summit at 4:35 pm. His triumphant "I made it! I made it! I made it!" comes clear through the radios. He is the first to summit with the others not far behind. He deserves it after dropping the f-bomb three times on this trip (twice today). I've never heard him swear; it was a shock to us all.
I'm getting the workout of my life. It's so invigorating and relaxing; I feel better than I have in months. It's times like this that I feel alive and happy. The group seems to be getting along pretty well overall . . . a few tense moments, but stuff we laugh about later. We are all enjoying some good laughs and bonding. Overall, everyone's consideration and concern for one another is impressive to me. I'm writing a lot because I'm waiting for the rest of the group to return. I hear strange swooping noises from above. There are small birds (as opposed to large birds of prey I thought would warrant such a noise) that are white with black markings. I looked at them through binocs so perhaps I can identify them later.. They eat from pinecones a the top of the tree.
My moments of solitude and peace abruptly turn to those of fear and concern. Hear on the radio that Kirk fell and thinks he broke his ankle. Darrell is with him, and Dave goes back to them to help. Evon and Tom make their way down to me. When I yell as loud as I can to see if they can hear me, my voice echos five times which makes me realize the immensity of the mountain. Evon, Tom, and I descend to get help. Darkness is falling fast, and the trail is hard to see.
Once we hit the tree line we wish we had some of Darrell's neon green marking tape to mark the trail for the others. I volunteer pages from my journal, and we drop them every so often. I write a note on the first page letting them know to look for our trail markers.
We leave my stopping point at 7:15 pm, agreeing to check in by radio every 30 minutes, starting at 7:30 to check on Kirk's status on their progress. The decision hasn't yet been made if we are calling for help when we arrive at base or if they are going to try to make it to base without help. Dave and Darrell help Kirk down as best they can with Kirk's injury, heavy pack (containing a glass jar of peanut butter, 5 beers, a large mag light with weak batteries, and a loaf of bread, among other things) and fading daylight.
Luckily we all have two-way radios (except Kirk) and Tom made sure we all have flashlights in our packs. Kirk, Dave, and Darrell don't have much water, but are handling the situation well. Darrell has duct tape and a first aid kit. Dave wraps Kirk's ankle with the tape. They do their best to keep Kirk hydrated and give Kirk electrolyte tablets when he says he feels dizzy.
Every 30 minutes we anxiously await the call on the radio. Each time we fear that we are out of range, but Dave's voice comes through clearly, and we're relieved. We approach the base and our radio and flashlight batteries are fading. We can still hear the three up top, but are afraid we won't make it out of the woods (literally) before the flashlight batteries quit. Evon and I talk nonsense loudly on the way down to scare off any bears. We use one flashlight to conserve batteries, but it's dim and the woods are extremely dark. Evon suggests linking arms so we can walk faster. We walk in front with the flashlight and call out obstacles to Tom who stumbles behind us. We keep telling each other "Be careful!" The last thing we need is another injury, and Kirk's mishap leaves us all feeling vulnerable.
I can see Mars in the sky and beautiful stars. We feel like it's taking an awfully long time to reach the bottom. The flashlight keeps going out, and we alternate whose we use, coaxing each to dimly light our way for a few minutes before we switch to the next one with drained batteries. We come upon a trail marker showing where the PCT splits off. That's a great relief since we know for sure that we're on the right trail and in the home stretch. It still takes a long time to reach the bottom. Just when we're ready to give up, we hear running water. We remember crossing a small bridge over a river just after entering the woods. We're at base!!
We arrive at base at 9:25 in time for the 9:30 call. They are still descending but want help. I call 911 on my cell and get Jean in Jackson County. She calls Klamath County (that's where the base is). They dispatch an ambulance (volunteer), but say that Search and Rescue (SAR) has already been dispatched to a site 90 min away. I ask if Jackson County would help and am told that the SAR coordinator is not there. I call Jean back and let her know and she says she'll call Jackson County SAR and have them contact Klamath County to offer help.
The ambulance arrives and tells us SAR is on their way. We tell the guys on their 10:30 call that help is coming. A large pickup comes with an ATV. Temps continue to drop. EMS has water and batteries. They take one of our radios to communicate with the rest of our group. SAR is unfamiliar with the trail so they use our white paper trail. The guys have finally found the other end of the trail which makes us feel better.
The ATV goes in, but can't continue after 2 miles so SAR continues on foot. The guys are still a ways off. SAR uses an airhorn and our guys can barely hear them. Tom, Evon, and I wait in our car and listen to the radio exchanges. It gets later and later, and we begin to fear not just for our friends, but for the volunteer SAR team.
At about 1:00 SAR finds the guys. The first SAR person reaches them with the rest following at about 1:30. At the base, we're so relieved, but know that all must hike down now. It's 4:20 when the ATV arrives with Kirk holding on for dear life to the driver's waist. Our heroes Dave and Darrell emerge from the woods within minutes, headlamps still miraculously lit.
The ambulance takes Kirk to Merle West Medical Center in Klamath Falls, about 45 minutes away. We return to camp, exhausted. Thank goodness we set up camp in the afternoon and everything has dried! Nite temp in the low 30s.
There are many things to be thankful for. Tom insisted that each of us bring a flashlight and carry a radio even though we planned to finish the hike in daylight and stay together the whole time. Dave had the foresight to pack extra batteries and a bulb for his headlamp and Darrell purchased a new headlamp with a bulb that's made to last a long time at REI just before this trip. Darrell's pack contained duct tape and a first aid kit with electrolyte tablets. I brought my cell phone in the car even though I had no plans to use it which enabled us call for help when we reached the car. Dave, Darrell, and Kirk continued their descent and were able to keep warm and make some progress before we found out SAR didn't have a means to reach the top besides walking up. (We wondered if they would use a helicopter or a horse or pack mule. Turns out that there is no horse or mule, and helicopters don't operate there at night and prefer not to go there at all due to high winds and jagged peaks.)
THURSDAY 9/18/03
Awake early despite little sleep. Chad from EMS has my phone number and calls my cell phone about 5:30. Someone from the Merle West Medical Center calls my cell at 7:30 to say that Kirk has a doctor appointment at 8:30. When I get up and get the messages I call and speak to Kirk and find out that his leg and ankle are broken.
Evon gets up and finally gets to do laundry. Tom and I go to the lake where the mist is rising. It's a chilly 34 degrees. There's a view of Mt. McLoughlin. We let the heroes sleep as long as possible and then get a hot breakfast at the marina. We eat outside overlooking the lake. The sun is out and the temp is rising. Another beautiful day.
We break camp and go to pick up Kirk in Klamath Falls on the way to Lassen Volcanic National Park. I insist on filling his prescription for Vicodon. We continue on the Volcanic National Byway toward Mt. Shasta with Kirk situated in the back of the red car. We pass pastures of cattle with mountains in the background. Mt. Shasta gets closer with each mile. We stop at a scenic vista to snack and take photos. Through binoculars we can see ski tracks and a lift. On an opposite peak we see a house with a gorgeous view.
Make it to Lassen Volcanic National Park at about 7:15 and set up camp at a huge site at Massinique Lake Camp Ground. Freeze dried for dinner in front of a nice campfire. Temps drop to the 40s before bed and 34 during the night. It's another beautiful clear night. The sky is so amazing, I'd like to sleep under the stars, but it's too cold. We enjoy a much needed good night's sleep.
FRIDAY - 9/19/03 - Day temp up to 80
Sleep in 'til 8:30 or so. The guys are still asleep. Evon and I wake the troops. I'm surprised I didn't wake everyone up with my attempts to open the bear box. Apparently I'm dumber than the average bear because I can't get the contraption open for the life of me. Cool weather quickly changes to sunny and warm. We stop at the base of Mt. Lassen. It looks very steep. We're still sore from Mt. McLoughlin and decide to sight see instead.
We stop at Sulfur Works, where the steam is rising from the earth and water is bubbling. It's pretty smelly. Next we stop at Bumpass Hell where we take some photos and see a very small deer below. We come upon a meadow with a stream running through it. It's so beautiful that Tom pulls over immediately for a better look. We stop at the visitor center for magnets and a movie.
We drive to the Cinder Cone. The trail is 1.3 miles each way with about a 500 foot vertical. (Base is 6400; top is 6907 ft.) Trail is lined with pines. We can see volcanic rock walls. From the base of the cinder cone it's more loose ash and is very steep. It reminds me of walking up a hill of snow.
The view from the top includes lava beds, lakes, and surrounding mountains, including Shasta. The guys go to the bottom of the cinder cone. Evon and I stay up top and take photos. I look through my binoculars and radio down to the guys, asking if Darrell is enjoying using the world's biggest toilet bowl.
Kirk and Evon leave for Sacramento after the hike and our last group photo. Tom, Darrell, Dave, and I will spend the night at the same camp site before climbing Mt. Lassen and flying home tomorrow. Dinner out tonight at Coyote Grill -- Hat Creek Resort in Old Station. Food is not what it was cracked up to be ("Best Food on the Mountain"), but we're hungry. We enjoy two pitchers of Hat Creek Pale Ale. Return to the campsite to burn most of the wood and finish up Bailey's. Nite temp about 37. Alarms set for 7 am wake up.
Quick breakfast and tent tear down. We put everything in my tent (which Dave calls "the satellite"). Leave site at 8:30 - on time for once!! On Mt. Lassen at 8:50 am. Base is about 8500 ft; summit is at about 10,500. Trail is 2.2 miles each way. The air is thin at this altitude, but we're taking it easy. Dave has his GPS and tracks the altitude. It's another gorgeous day -- blue sky with no clouds. Starts out quite cool, but high expected in the 80s.
Spectacular views of Lake St. Helen and Emerald Lake. There are chipmunks and grasshoppers, but very little vegetation. (We wonder what the chipmunks and grasshoppers eat.) Snow is visible on slopes of Lassen as well as surrounding areas. We see Upper Meadow and Bumpass Hell where we toured yesterday.
Make it to the false summit and see that the "trail" is challenging to the true summit. It's more like rock climbing than hiking. I very carefully follow the guys, holding tight to the rocks. We make it to the summit without any trouble about 11:00. There are only a few others at the top -- an advantage to starting early. We have a clear view of Mt. Shasta and use it as a backdrop for some of our many photos.
Leave summit about 11:30 and stop at a large snow bank to take photos. Many more cars are in the parking lot, and we subsequently encounter several families and groups ascending. We timed it well as the temperature has risen significantly. Arrive at trailhead about 12:30 and return to the campsite with great anticipation of our first shower in two days, quarters in hand. Many layers of volcanic ash wash down the drain, and we leave the showers a different color feeling like new people.
We break camp and barely fit everything into the Isuzu for the flight out of Redding. It's blazing hot in Redding -- about 99 degrees. Flight from Redding to Portland gives us a great view of Mt. McLoughlin/Klamath Lake, and Crater Lake/Mt. Scott. It's hazier than the day we arrived, but we get a view of Mt. St. Helen and Mt. Rainier.