Castle lake

11/18/2010
This last Thursday I took a trip out to Castle Lake. It is one of my favorites places to go any time of the year. My plan was to climb to the top of the ridge (red arrow) and work my way across to the high point, which in this picture is behind the tree (green arrow).

This picture was taken a couple of summers ago

This picture shows the ridge better. My destination was black arrow.

When I arrived at the parking lot I realized that the weather was not working with me and I would have to adjust my plans. I did not want to try a cross country trip when the visibility was only a couple hundred feet.

I went with my backup plan which was to take the trail up over the ridge and visit a couple of lakes. I had never been to Little Castle Lake so that was my first goal.

This was taken from the same location as the pictures above.

     The wind was blowing a good 20mph and it had just started to rain. No point in letting a little wind and rain ruin the day so I loaded my gear and headed out. As I hit the trail the rain started turning to snow and the wind picked up a little bit. I consider this a mixed blessing. I will stay drier with the snow but the wind was driving it straight into my face.
     Normally when I go hiking the terrain is the primary experience. Today it was the weather. 
The sound of the wind in the trees was a constant companion throughout my trip. It is such a primal sound. I took more than one break to just stand and listen as the gusts of wind rushed through the forest around me. I don't think I will ever get tired of listening to the wind. The fog/clouds completely changed the landscape. Normally once you start climbing out of the valley the view just keeps expanding and you can see for miles once you reach the ridge line.

view to the north on a beautiful summer day

Not today

This was the most I saw of the lake all day

The trail heads south and climbs along the ridge on the east side of the lake. It is a steady climb but not but not overly so. Once you crest the ridge there is a small pond.

Pond on a clear day

Pond on a not so clear day

Once I topped out on the ridge the wind really picked up. The trail works it's way around the left side of the pond (red arrow) and then heads down the other side of the ridge towards little castle lake(blue arrow). once I dropped down off the ridge the wind was much more manageable.

After spending a few minutes with my map program I realized I could add selections  to my posts which allow for much better clarity on exactly where I am talking about.

The trail heads out past the pond through a large stand of trees and then down it goes.

This is steeper than it looks.

I had not been much farther on the trail than this in the past which made this section of the hike that much more of an adventure. The trail continued to drop for a while and then leveled out into a meadow. I located the side trail and made my way to Little Castle lake.

The meadow was very brown but I am sure during the spring it is quite beautiful.

This was all I could see of the lake

Grass surrounding the lake

After spending some time at the lake and finding a very nice camp site I headed back up to the ridge top.

This was the trail leading out of the camp sight I mentioned

Took a break at the top of the ridge near the pond.

The weather was not getting any worse and the cold was not affecting me yet so I decided to look for a side trail that would take me to heart lake. I was not willing to try a cross county attempt without at least some kind of trail to navigate by. I located a trail just North West of the pond that seemed to be going in the right direction. So I gave it a shot. Just to be on the safe side I went old school and used stacked rocks to mark the less clear sections of the trail. It was worth the effort. On the way back I needed to use them a couple of times. On the way to the lake I head a very distinct noise that I could not identify at first. After a little investigation I discovered that it was the snow striking the bushes around me. It was a very pleasant sound.

Looking back towards Castle Lake on the way to Heart Lake

Last hill before the lake

The terrain has a very surreal look to it. 

The trees are bent I am guessing because of the snow load during the winter pushing them down towards the lake.

Took another break here to eat and take some pictures of the lake

The blending of the light  and dark sections of the lake made for an awesome view.

Makes feel cold just looking at it.

No words. Wow

CLIF Bar promo shot. Still no endorsement offer. I don't know what they are waiting for.

The snow is starting to stick

My experience at Heart lake made the whole trip worth it. It was absolutely gorgeous. The lake was frozen and had a two tone look to it. It  was dark near the edge and brilliant white in the center from the new snow. When I first came over the ridge and saw the lake it was disorienting. Everything blended together and it was hard to sort it out until I walked down to the lake and got a better view. I stayed for a while and ate some snacks. While I was eating the snow started to really stick and it was coming down harder. With the trail being mostly rock I decide to head out before it got to slippery. This is not the type of weather you want to sprain an ankle or twist a knee.

Snow really starting to stick

I took this shot because I liked how the red in the rocks contrasted with the fog and the snow.

Just thought this look cool.

Back at the truck

The hike back to the truck was uneventful. The trail was just starting to get slick so I made the right choice in heading back when I did. In a few months I hope to snowshoe some of these same areas. Due to avalanche danger some areas will be off  limits but I should be able to retrace most of this trip. I hope you enjoyed the journey with me. If all goes well I will have another trip to share next month if not sooner.

Final comment: On the drive down the hill I had a very black. Very large bear cross the road about 100 yards in front of me. There was no time to get my camera so no pictures. It is amazing and sobering to see just how fast a bear can move. What a way to end this trip.

Brokeoff Peak

A few weeks ago I hiked Brokeoff peak in Lassen Park. It was my first venture on this trail and I was thoroughly pleased with my decision to go. I had actually planned to climb Lassen Peak but the trail was closed. Not one to give up a day in the woods I switched to Brokeoff. The hike took me through a variety of  surroundings: Deep forest, lush meadows, barren wind swept rock, each one has it's own appeal and I find them all fascinating. The pictures below are in order ( 92.3% accuracy) from trail head to peak. Enjoy the journey.

Just the view from the parking lot is worth the trip

The first part of the trail winds through a passage of trees and bushes that resemble a tunnel it is pretty cool.

As I gained elevation the view of Lassen just kept getting better.

The lower part of the trail travels through some amazing stands of pine and fir trees.

I had been wondering if I would find any fresh animal tracks and I found this the next time I stopped.

The picture does not do justice to this view of this pond. It is an amazing mix of rock, plant and water coming together in  perfect harmony. I would have stayed here longer if I had the time to spare. 

This shot was taken at the edge of the pond.

Farther up the trail there was another meadow that the trail crossed. My lovely and observant wife pointed out that this looks like a heart. Which it does.

This was my view of Brokeoff as I crossed the meadow.

The north end of the meadow was broken into multiple ponds. The grass was amazingly green.

As I started to clear the tree line the view to the east was fantastic.

I don't know exactly what it is about this picture. As I was traveling along I looked up and saw this stump laying over and the contrast of the old wood and the new green growth struck me. 

As I continued on the trail it took me to the backside of the stump where this little guy was having lunch.

No hike is complete without at least one deer.

Moving out of the trees and into the open has it's rewards.

South

Pretty much above tree line now. The view just keeps getting better.

I am always amazed at the damage that snow can do. The force of the snow pushing down caused this tree to split and then bend. It's pretty awesome to look at.

As I reached the turn of the last switchback I found a side trail that leads north west to the edge of Brokeoff. I got my first look a Mt Shasta from here.

North

Just to prove I was really there.

This is an amazing spot to look down from. The drop from the top of Brokeoff is almost 1100 ft.

Lassen Peak

View from the top

Mt Shasta

Looking West towards Redding. That's my gear on the rocks. Well that's it. It was one of the better hikes I have done and I will certainly be going back. I hope to climb it again when there is snow for a slightly different experience.