I hiked the Trail Gulch Lake/Long Gulch Lake loop on July 8, 2022. Here’s my report of trail conditions, lake conditions, and how the two drainages and other nearby Trinity Alps regions fared in the 2021 River Complex Fire. Overall, this is still a fantastic hike. The River Complex Fire did burn substantial parts of […]
Etna Summit: PCT Access and Gateway to the Russian Wilderness
Etna Summit sits astride the Pacific Crest Trail and has stunning views of the Russian Wilderness and the Klamath Mountains surrounding the North Fork Salmon River, all part of Klamath National Forest. Easily reached by paved Sawyers Bar Road from the town of Etna in the Scott Valley below, it offers the perfect place to […]
Taylor Lake in the Russian Wilderness: Hiking, Camping, Fishing!
Taylor Lake is the most accessible lake in the Russian Wilderness. Camping, fishing, swimming, and picnicking await at the end of the level 0.3 mile hiking trail. This makes Taylor Lake perfect small kids or hikers with physical limitations; nearly everyone can enjoy the beautiful waters, the forest, and the surrounding granite peaks.
The Best Northern California Spring Backpacking Trips, 2025
Northern California is a great place for a spring 2025 backpacking trip! Here are the best low/middle elevation trails in the Bay Area, Northern Sierra Nevada, Lassen National Forest, Klamath Mountains, redwoods, and North Coast. You can hike many of them year-round, even in winter. Tired of Winter, Ready to Backpack This Spring, 2025? Wherever […]
Hiking and Fishing Smith Lake Near the Russian Wilderness
Hike to Smith Lake beside California’s Russian Wilderness and enjoy the deep-blue waters and surrounding steep granite. Fishing is good, but campsites are basically nonexistent. Note: Smith Lake is actually just outside the Russian Wilderness on the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District of Klamath National Forest. When to Visit Smith Lake Basically, whenever trails and terrain […]
Sugar Lake Trail in the Russian Wilderness
The Sugar Lake Trail takes you into the beautiful glacial granite of the Russian Wilderness. It’s a great option for day hikers and backpackers who want solitude along with stunning scenery. Sugar Lake “Miracle Mile” Conifer Diversity The drainage is famous for containing a very high level of conifer diversity. Here’s the list of the […]
Hiking Ruffey Lake and Meeks Meadow Lake near Russian Wilderness
Hike the trail to Ruffey Lake and Meeks Meadow Lake for a day, or backpack in and camp overnight. Ruffey Lake and Meeks Meadow Lake lie just below Etna Mountain in Klamath National Forest, just north of the Russian Wilderness. Both are sweet little lakes, both quite different, and both with their own charm. These […]
Trinity Alps Pacific Crest Trail Section Hiking: Complete Guide
The Pacific Crest Trail travels through the rugged Trinity Alps Wilderness from Scott Mountain Summit to Carter Meadows Summit. This post provides PCT section hikers/backpackers details of lakes, campsites, connecting trails, along with a topographic map of the entire Pacific Crest Trail section. Highlights: East Boulder Lake, Telephone Lake, Mavis Lake, South Fork Lakes, Hidden […]
Hiking Big Duck Lake and Little Duck Lake in Russian Wilderness
Big Duck Lake and Little Duck Lake are two of my favorite hiking destinations in the Russian Wilderness. Trails lead to both Duck Lakes, and both offer good camping, swimming, and fishing opportunities. This day hike or overnight backpacking trip is in two of my hiking guidebooks. It’s Hike 80 in Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, […]
Section Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California
Ever thought about backpacking sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California? Philip Kramer, author of the new book Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California Section Hiking from Tuolumne Meadows to Donomore Pass (Mountaineers Books, 2018) shares key information in this wide-ranging interview. Why Does Section Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail Have Such […]
Bear Lake, Siskiyou Wilderness, Kelsey National Recreation Trail
This hike takes you on the historic Kelsey National Recreation Trail to Bear Lake in the Siskiyou Wilderness, where beauty and solitude await. Day hike or backpack with this full trail description and topographic map. Note that much of the first portion of the South Kelsey National Recreation Trail has burned in recent wildfires. Also […]
Trinity Alps Wilderness Trail Conditions 2025
Backpackers and day hikers need to know the conditions of Trinity Alps Wilderness trails and trailhead access roads before they begin their explorations of this beautiful and remote region in Northern California. I discuss the main source for trail and road information below in this 2025 update. 2025: Lots of Snow in the Trinity Alps! […]
Interview with Conifer Country Author Michael Kauffmann
Michael Kauffmann of Backcountry Press is the author of Conifer Country: A Natural History and Hiking Guide to 35 Conifers of the Klamath Mountain Region. I’ve been very impressed and very informed by Michael’s Conifer Country blog, and he has written an excellent book. And now let’s hear from Michael about his background, the book, […]
Russian Lake in the Russian Wilderness
Stephanie and I went backpacking to Russian Lake in the Russian Wilderness of far northern California last weekend. Stunning, and we had a lot of solitude. There are also several campsites around the lake, so even if there are other groups, it’s not too crowded. A surprising number stop at Waterdog Lake to camp. Note: […]
Winter Hiking to Bear Basin Butte in the Siskiyou Wilderness
Michael Kauffmann writes an excellent blog that focuses on Klamath flora: Field Notes from Plant Explorations. He loves to get explore the high country, and he did that recently by hiking to Bear Basin Butte in the Siskiyou Wilderness with some friends: During this extended period of phenomenal weather, we packed our weekend bags to […]
Backpacking Russian Wilderness Trails with Thom Gabrukiewicz
Backpacking the trails of the Russian Wilderness is one of my favorite activities. Thom Gabrukiewicz agrees, because he just spent a week at Paynes Lake and environs. Thom Gabrukiewicz is well-known in far northern California from his many years as a writer for the Redding Record-Searchlight. And Thom’s also a hiking guide writer, and we […]
Trinity Alps Backpacking: Caribou Lake, Sawtooth Ridge, Emerald Lake, Morris Meadows
I recently took a kick-ass backpacking trip to Caribou Lake, Sawtooth Ridge, Emerald Lake , and Morris Meadows, all top Trinity Alps trails I haven’t trod in years. The journey traced one of the most difficult journeys in my guidebook 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California — Hike 48 to Caribou, Emerald, and Sapphire Lakes. And […]
Klamath National Forest Off-Highway Vehicle–OHV Use
Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use of Klamath National Forest roads has been controversial, as it has been in other national forests. Hikers and OHV users don’t always get along. My Sunday Post about Ken Decamp’s Redding Record-Searchlight opinion article about OHV abuses of trails in Shasta County and Trinity County generated several responses, pro and con. Camp […]
