My sweetheart Stephanie and I (and Molly, our 13-year-old golden retriever) spent the Memorial Day weekend camping and hiking in the Trinity Divide mountains just west of Mount Shasta.
What’s the Trinity Divide? It’s a range of mountains that stretches from Shasta Bally west of Redding to China Peak just north of Mount Eddy. It’s located west of Interstate 5 and includes some of my favorite country: Castle Crags, Seven Lakes Basin, Mount Eddy, the Deadfall Lakes, and a very scenic stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Waters on the west side of Trinity Divide flow into the Trinity River. Waters on the northeast side flow into the Shasta River and then the Klamath River, while waters on the southeast side flow into the Sacramento River.
Friday afternoon we headed to Lower Cliff Lake and Cliff Lake.
Lower Cliff Lake in the Trinity Divide West of Mount Shasta.
(Photo by John Soares)
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My sweetie Stephanie Hoffman at Cliff Lake.
(Photo by John Soares)
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John Soares at Cliff Lake.
(Photo by Stephanie Hoffman)
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Very blurry yet somehow cool photo of Molly and John at Cliff Lake.
(Photographer identity protected to prevent embarrassment over infinity focus)
We camped for two nights on the ridge near Gumboot Saddle within spitting distance of the Pacific Crest Trail. The next day we hiked north on the Pacific Crest Trail from our campsite.
Gumboot Lake and the Trinity Divide from the Pacific Crest Trail.
(Photo by John Soares)
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This stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail allows many open views of Mount Shasta.
(Photo by John Soares)
The next morning we did a cross-country hike down from the Pacific Crest Trail to Picayune Lake, just west of the Trinity Divide.
Picayune Lake in the Trinity Divide mountains.
(Photo by John Soares)
Anybody been to these lakes or hiked elsewhere in the Trinity Divide? What are your favorite places?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, the first ever international hiker ho-down was stationed at Gumboot Lake. We even hiked a stretch of the PCT. Tom of Trout Underground was our unofficial host.
http://www.tommangan.net/twoheeldrive/index.php/2006/10/09/images-from-the-ho-down/
Twitter: @TheJohnSoares
Man! I wasn’t invited? The PCT above Gumboot Lake is one of my favorite stretches of trail in the state.
Bet you all had a great time. I just commented on Tom’s Trout Underground blog about the lack of crowds where we were and how crowded it was at other spots in our area.
John, looks like a superb trip and superlative time had by all three of you! Man! I wasn’t invited? (just kidding!)
Hey you two,
cool site! totally forgot your ph # steph! wanna get in touch, thinking of hiking Lassen the 9th to the 13th/14th – interested?? would love to catch up.
Hugs,
KP
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