Brokeoff Mtn., Mt. Diller, Pilot Pinnacle from Childs Meadows. June, 1974
The Intrepid Adventurers at the Start, Childs Meadows. L to R: Tim, John, Matt, Me
Day 1: 1st campsite we had to cross big lava beds that were very rocky. When we came into camp my feet hurt and I was thirsty and the water all around was stagnant. So we used Paul’s Hazalone (sic) tablets.
June 23, 1974
A ’67 VW squareback pulls off of Highway 36/89 at Childs Meadows. My mom climbs out of the driver’s seat, I out of the passenger seat. The seats tilt forward and my three buddies, John, Tim and Matt emerge in almost clown car fashion from the little back seat. We proceed to unload 4 frame packs, crammed with two weeks’ worth of food and gear, from the back of the car. How we got all that in there I can’t quite remember. After a trailhead photo and a quick goodbye, we are off up the trail. At first, we head north, walking through the thick forest over frequent snow patches and some longer stretches of solid snow. I can remember a scene, walking along a rounded ridge that was fairly open, big trees on both sides, low manzanita scrub flanking the trail on both sides, snowy peaks ahead in the distance. At some point we crossed a snow-covered meadow, and I stepped up onto a hump of snow which turned out to be a loose block, half floating in the partly flooded meadow. It tilted, but I managed to keep my balance despite the heavy pack, and hopped off onto more solid snow. I do not remember the lava beds mentioned above in my buddy Matt’s journal from the trip , but they show up on the map.
We reached the southern border of Lassen National Park, putting a ritual foot over the line, and turned to head south. The goal was 5 weeks south, Kings Canyon National Park.
Mt Lassen From Spencer Meadow
Falls On Rice Creek
We camped at Wilson Lake, a shallow, swampy lake that had a dirt road to it. The water did not look good, so we used my GI surplus Halazone tablets to sanitize it. I had little appetite that night – rather a shock for a 15-year-old normally prepared to eat everything in sight.
Wilson Lake
I am deeply indebted to my buddy Matt for having not only written a journal on the trip, but also having kept it all these years. That filled in a lot of blanks, and helped us all remember more incidents from the trip. I will include Matt’s journal verbatim, spelling as original, in italics; and the rest is our combined memories of the trip, and my thoughts about it.
TR: Summer of `74
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paul
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TR: Summer of `74
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
June 24th, 1974:
In the morning we filled our canteens with warm lousy water and headed for Deer Creek. At Deer Creek I phoned mom and then we set off. We followed a dirt road until we thought the trail took off. After an hour of hiking we figured we were in the wrong place, there was no trail and it was hard. Then we took another hour to get to the real trail and then another hour to get to some meadows. By then we were really pooped so we camped at Deer Creek Meadows after a day of wasted time by being lost.
I am pretty certain that what Matt records as Deer Creek Meadows was actually some other meadow a bit south of there, since Deer Creek meadows are directly south of the town of Deer Creek, and his description would not make sense for that. Probably we were actually at Carter Meadows, a couple miles south of Deer Creek Meadows.
Navigating in the mountains between Tahoe and Lassen can be a challenge. Our route up there was mostly the route of the PCT, but at that time the PCT was somewhat notional in that area. The now ubiquitous shield shaped PCT markers were nearly non-existent. What we saw, if anything, was blue and white surveyor’s ribbons tied to trees here and there. And the route we came up with was a mix of trails, forest roads, and occasional bits of cross-country to join them up. Following that route on the ground is complicated by the limitations of the maps. The topo maps showed the main roads, and showed nearly all the trails, and of course the topography; but they were rarely up to date. A lot of the maps we had in ’74 were most recently updated in 1956. A lot of logging happened after that, so a lot of additional roads were put in. The Plumas National Forest map showed many of those, but not all, as some were just logging spurs, never graded for logging trucks, just bladed in enough to get some equipment in and skid some logs out. Those are not on any map. And the PCT as such was not shown on any maps that we had, as none of them had been updated recently enough to have it on there. So, it’s easy to get confused about whether what you are looking at is a road, or a spur; and whether if it is a road, it’s the one you want. Where we were on trails, the situation was generally better, as the trails were generally on the topos and on the Plumas NF map, and of course reading the topography helped.
In the morning we filled our canteens with warm lousy water and headed for Deer Creek. At Deer Creek I phoned mom and then we set off. We followed a dirt road until we thought the trail took off. After an hour of hiking we figured we were in the wrong place, there was no trail and it was hard. Then we took another hour to get to the real trail and then another hour to get to some meadows. By then we were really pooped so we camped at Deer Creek Meadows after a day of wasted time by being lost.
I am pretty certain that what Matt records as Deer Creek Meadows was actually some other meadow a bit south of there, since Deer Creek meadows are directly south of the town of Deer Creek, and his description would not make sense for that. Probably we were actually at Carter Meadows, a couple miles south of Deer Creek Meadows.
Navigating in the mountains between Tahoe and Lassen can be a challenge. Our route up there was mostly the route of the PCT, but at that time the PCT was somewhat notional in that area. The now ubiquitous shield shaped PCT markers were nearly non-existent. What we saw, if anything, was blue and white surveyor’s ribbons tied to trees here and there. And the route we came up with was a mix of trails, forest roads, and occasional bits of cross-country to join them up. Following that route on the ground is complicated by the limitations of the maps. The topo maps showed the main roads, and showed nearly all the trails, and of course the topography; but they were rarely up to date. A lot of the maps we had in ’74 were most recently updated in 1956. A lot of logging happened after that, so a lot of additional roads were put in. The Plumas National Forest map showed many of those, but not all, as some were just logging spurs, never graded for logging trucks, just bladed in enough to get some equipment in and skid some logs out. Those are not on any map. And the PCT as such was not shown on any maps that we had, as none of them had been updated recently enough to have it on there. So, it’s easy to get confused about whether what you are looking at is a road, or a spur; and whether if it is a road, it’s the one you want. Where we were on trails, the situation was generally better, as the trails were generally on the topos and on the Plumas NF map, and of course reading the topography helped.
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
June 25th, 1974
Today we started up a pass at a quick pace. Tim couldn’t keep up, but it really didn’t matter waited for him at the top because we wanted (to) drink some water and take pictures of Eagle Rocks. I took a picture further down the trail. As we walked down a good gravel road looking for the trail to Yellow Creek, Tim glanced to his right and saw the sign. A lot of snow, wet boots, hard crossing of a creek. Falls of Rice Creek. We snacked near the trailhead because there was a hard climb in front of us. We took a last look of Ruffa Ranch and started. We hit a lot of snow, but we made it okay in time. I noticed that after not having water at Wilson Lake or Deer Creek that we were now keeping our canteens filled. Then we went to the Grizzle (sic) Valley and had a hard hike up and down a trail to Soda Creek. Our feet were very sore. Eagle Rocks
Eagle Rocks are easy to spot on the map, and just northwest is Ruffa Ridge, which I think is what Matt meant when he wrote Ruffa Ranch. This whole area is a maze of roads and trails, and that last drop into Soda Creek at the end of the day is about a thousand feet in a mile. No wonder out feet were sore!
June 26th, 1974:
Today we climbed up to Saucer Lake and I caught a 13 inch trout. There was a lot of snow and John caught a 12 inch trout. Then we started for Belden and it was a long hard climb down. Our feet hurt terribly and so did our legs. The snow in the trout bag melted and got into my apricot bars and made them quite squishy. I bought some milk, Wyler’s, licorice and an ice cream sandwich. Called home today and talked to mom and Dad. Camped at Forest Service campground. Mexican kid that looked exactly like Enrique. His parents speak Spanish so it seems. Saucer Lake
What Matt does not mention here is that either at Saucer Lake or neighboring Green island Lake, we found some cans of beer. With plenty of snow patches and ice-cold water, they were properly chilled. I did not yet like beer in those days – actually I am not sure I had ever tasted it before, but I recall that my buddies all enjoyed a cold change of pace. We were well under age – none of us was even 18 yet, much less 21.
As for the trout-flavored apricot bars, Matt recently said: ” I’m sure I ate them - couldn’t let such a tasty treat go to waste!”
And on the way down the long steep descent to Belden, we passed a little rattlesnake curled up in the downhill end of a cut-through log that had fallen across the trail. With the other half of the log on the uphill side of the trail, we didn’t have a lot of room to sneak past the snake. It was quite small, probably only about 18” long if it was stretched out – but the rattle was clearly visible. I don’t recall whether it rattled as we snuck past. I’m pretty sure I held my breath. North Fork of the Feather at Belden
Today we started up a pass at a quick pace. Tim couldn’t keep up, but it really didn’t matter waited for him at the top because we wanted (to) drink some water and take pictures of Eagle Rocks. I took a picture further down the trail. As we walked down a good gravel road looking for the trail to Yellow Creek, Tim glanced to his right and saw the sign. A lot of snow, wet boots, hard crossing of a creek. Falls of Rice Creek. We snacked near the trailhead because there was a hard climb in front of us. We took a last look of Ruffa Ranch and started. We hit a lot of snow, but we made it okay in time. I noticed that after not having water at Wilson Lake or Deer Creek that we were now keeping our canteens filled. Then we went to the Grizzle (sic) Valley and had a hard hike up and down a trail to Soda Creek. Our feet were very sore. Eagle Rocks
Eagle Rocks are easy to spot on the map, and just northwest is Ruffa Ridge, which I think is what Matt meant when he wrote Ruffa Ranch. This whole area is a maze of roads and trails, and that last drop into Soda Creek at the end of the day is about a thousand feet in a mile. No wonder out feet were sore!
June 26th, 1974:
Today we climbed up to Saucer Lake and I caught a 13 inch trout. There was a lot of snow and John caught a 12 inch trout. Then we started for Belden and it was a long hard climb down. Our feet hurt terribly and so did our legs. The snow in the trout bag melted and got into my apricot bars and made them quite squishy. I bought some milk, Wyler’s, licorice and an ice cream sandwich. Called home today and talked to mom and Dad. Camped at Forest Service campground. Mexican kid that looked exactly like Enrique. His parents speak Spanish so it seems. Saucer Lake
What Matt does not mention here is that either at Saucer Lake or neighboring Green island Lake, we found some cans of beer. With plenty of snow patches and ice-cold water, they were properly chilled. I did not yet like beer in those days – actually I am not sure I had ever tasted it before, but I recall that my buddies all enjoyed a cold change of pace. We were well under age – none of us was even 18 yet, much less 21.
As for the trout-flavored apricot bars, Matt recently said: ” I’m sure I ate them - couldn’t let such a tasty treat go to waste!”
And on the way down the long steep descent to Belden, we passed a little rattlesnake curled up in the downhill end of a cut-through log that had fallen across the trail. With the other half of the log on the uphill side of the trail, we didn’t have a lot of room to sneak past the snake. It was quite small, probably only about 18” long if it was stretched out – but the rattle was clearly visible. I don’t recall whether it rattled as we snuck past. I’m pretty sure I held my breath. North Fork of the Feather at Belden
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balzaccom
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
Great fun. I love the serious, mountain man expressions on your faces in that first photo. I did some trips around the same time in Yosemite and Kings Canyon--hiking in blue jeans and work boots, sleeping in a tube tent.
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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Harlen
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
This is great stuff Paul. We sure hope that this is the first of many installments. Did you really mean that you guys intended to make it all the way to Kings Canyon NP? Hope you made it... squeeking down the trail with those old frame packs! Cheers, Ian.
Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
I guess I should mention, even though it is probably obvious, that all the images are scans of, or photos of, 49 year old prints, thus the poor image quality.
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
June 27, 1974:
Today we climbed out of the Feather and it was a 4,000 foot vertical climb. It was hard, but we managed it. On top we lost the trail and started to walk the long way towards Buck’s Lodge - and that would be 17 miles with 3 hours of sunlight left. As we walked, we hoped for a ride and then a loaded truck came by and miraculously stopped and gave us a ride to Buck’s Dam 2 miles from where we were going to camp. When we got there we found a campground, store and showers. Took a shower and bought some potato chips.
I remember just the idea that it was 4000 feet of elevation gain in 4 miles – and not much else. It would have been hot and dusty, for sure. Forested mostly, so probably shady at least some of the time. I have an image in my memory that may well go with this day, of hiking uphill on a trail flanked by chest-high manzanita, I believe somewhere near the top of this ascent. And I remember the ride in the truck; we were crammed in the bed with a bunch of stuff, I had my legs folded up against my chest and I can remember the sweat running down my leg and leaving a trail in the dirt and dust that covered my leg. But it still beat the hell out of walking the whole way on the dirt road, which was what we were expecting to do once we gave up on finding the trail.
This was not the last ride we got; we were definitely not purists in that sense, and if we were walking a road and a ride was offered, we took it.
June 28th 1974:
In the morning we phoned mom and Dad and found out that Dad had been to Buck’s Lake before. Bought some potato chips. Paul almost gave up here because he said he wasn’t having any fun, but we talked him out of it. Climbed down to the Middle Fork of the Feather River that had a suspension bridge and met a real great guy named Tom who was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. We talked about Ryback, etc. Took a swim.
At Bucks Lake I reached my low point for the trip. I wanted to bail out and go home. Fortunately, I had chosen my friends well, and they talked me into continuing. Forty-eight years later I do not remember what my thoughts were at that time. But what we were doing was definitely not easy. A 40-pound pack is a load for a 125 pound teenager, and we were trying to cover 15 miles a day, through forested mountains that still held a fair amount of snow. And then we hit those Feather River canyons – the north fork about 4000 feet deep where we crossed, and the middle about 3000 feet deep. So I guess I got a bit discouraged.
We crossed the Middle Fork at Hartman Bar, which is not where the PCT crosses now, but it was where the provisional PCT went at that time. The thru-hikers we met here and later were a different breed than you would meet today, as very few people had thru-hiked the PCT at that point. The funny thing is that the only real memory I have of these folks is that one guy we met was stopped and having lunch, and he had a loaf of Rainbo bread. I guess that stuck because I was so surprised to see a long-distance backpacker carrying a loaf of squishy white bread!
Middle Fork of the feather at Hartman Bar. Bridge visible at center.
June 29th 1974:
Today we climbed out of the middle fork of the feather and meet a guy from Georgia who was also hiking the PC trail. We camped at the beginning of the South Branch of Middle Fork of the Feather River. Slept by a bunch of cows.
I am pretty sure that Matt is referring to the headwaters of the South Branch, somewhere around Hartman Bar Ridge/Franklin Hill. The cows were a regular thing up there, lots of them grazing in the national forest. After waking up one morning to find a bunch of cows standing around, staring at us from close range, we took to stringing a cord around our campsites about knee high so that they wouldn’t accidentally step on us in the dark. Probably they would have smelt us from a mile away, but we didn’t want to take a chance of getting stepped on. Often, we passed salt licks when we were on roads; a big block of salt, about a foot square, usually shaped into artistic curves by the cows’ tongues. They look a lot like miniature versions of icebergs that have been at sea for some time and have been shaped by the waves. Double track road, Hartman Bar ridge. We saw a lot of this sort of thing between Lassen and Tahoe
Today we climbed out of the Feather and it was a 4,000 foot vertical climb. It was hard, but we managed it. On top we lost the trail and started to walk the long way towards Buck’s Lodge - and that would be 17 miles with 3 hours of sunlight left. As we walked, we hoped for a ride and then a loaded truck came by and miraculously stopped and gave us a ride to Buck’s Dam 2 miles from where we were going to camp. When we got there we found a campground, store and showers. Took a shower and bought some potato chips.
I remember just the idea that it was 4000 feet of elevation gain in 4 miles – and not much else. It would have been hot and dusty, for sure. Forested mostly, so probably shady at least some of the time. I have an image in my memory that may well go with this day, of hiking uphill on a trail flanked by chest-high manzanita, I believe somewhere near the top of this ascent. And I remember the ride in the truck; we were crammed in the bed with a bunch of stuff, I had my legs folded up against my chest and I can remember the sweat running down my leg and leaving a trail in the dirt and dust that covered my leg. But it still beat the hell out of walking the whole way on the dirt road, which was what we were expecting to do once we gave up on finding the trail.
This was not the last ride we got; we were definitely not purists in that sense, and if we were walking a road and a ride was offered, we took it.
June 28th 1974:
In the morning we phoned mom and Dad and found out that Dad had been to Buck’s Lake before. Bought some potato chips. Paul almost gave up here because he said he wasn’t having any fun, but we talked him out of it. Climbed down to the Middle Fork of the Feather River that had a suspension bridge and met a real great guy named Tom who was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. We talked about Ryback, etc. Took a swim.
At Bucks Lake I reached my low point for the trip. I wanted to bail out and go home. Fortunately, I had chosen my friends well, and they talked me into continuing. Forty-eight years later I do not remember what my thoughts were at that time. But what we were doing was definitely not easy. A 40-pound pack is a load for a 125 pound teenager, and we were trying to cover 15 miles a day, through forested mountains that still held a fair amount of snow. And then we hit those Feather River canyons – the north fork about 4000 feet deep where we crossed, and the middle about 3000 feet deep. So I guess I got a bit discouraged.
We crossed the Middle Fork at Hartman Bar, which is not where the PCT crosses now, but it was where the provisional PCT went at that time. The thru-hikers we met here and later were a different breed than you would meet today, as very few people had thru-hiked the PCT at that point. The funny thing is that the only real memory I have of these folks is that one guy we met was stopped and having lunch, and he had a loaf of Rainbo bread. I guess that stuck because I was so surprised to see a long-distance backpacker carrying a loaf of squishy white bread!
Middle Fork of the feather at Hartman Bar. Bridge visible at center.
June 29th 1974:
Today we climbed out of the middle fork of the feather and meet a guy from Georgia who was also hiking the PC trail. We camped at the beginning of the South Branch of Middle Fork of the Feather River. Slept by a bunch of cows.
I am pretty sure that Matt is referring to the headwaters of the South Branch, somewhere around Hartman Bar Ridge/Franklin Hill. The cows were a regular thing up there, lots of them grazing in the national forest. After waking up one morning to find a bunch of cows standing around, staring at us from close range, we took to stringing a cord around our campsites about knee high so that they wouldn’t accidentally step on us in the dark. Probably they would have smelt us from a mile away, but we didn’t want to take a chance of getting stepped on. Often, we passed salt licks when we were on roads; a big block of salt, about a foot square, usually shaped into artistic curves by the cows’ tongues. They look a lot like miniature versions of icebergs that have been at sea for some time and have been shaped by the waves. Double track road, Hartman Bar ridge. We saw a lot of this sort of thing between Lassen and Tahoe
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
June 30th, 1974:
We had a late start today, started at 10:00 a.m. and had a 17 mile day today. After two miles a nice Ranger named Dave gave us a 4 mile ride to the Chimney Rock Trail. Left there and walked two miles to a spring for lunch. Met two about twenty year olds doing the PCT, but they didn’t talk much. Talked to a man and wife team doing the PCT and they seemed really nice and we talked a lot. Then we met Two more guys doing the PCT and talked for awhile. Then we hit an improved road and walked a mile then we got another three mile ride which saved us an hour. They were really nice and gave us Dr. Pepper sodas. We hit the 100 mile mark and camped at Whiskey Creek.
When I try to follow this on the map now, very few of these locations are familiar to me. And I think in some ways that is how it was up there in the northern Sierra – a lot of days walking through the forest, on trails, on dirt roads, on jeep trails; not a lot of prominent landmarks, punctuated by the canyons more than anything else. Campsites all pretty similar. And you know you are reading a teenager’s journal when any change in food or drink is worthy of a mention!
July1, 1974:
Left Whiskey Creek about 8:30 and started off for Spencer Lake. Met a guy working on the road that was gassing up a caterpillar. Ate lunch on a branch of Nelson Creek and wrote in my diary there. Before lunch took some real neat pictures. Took an improved road to a jeep trail to go to Spencer Lake. There was so much snow that we lost the jeep trail but found a trail that took us right there. We measured the snow at 10 feet. We camped at Lower Spencer but it was fished out because of people coming up the Jeep trail in August.
In this area there is a ridge labeled on the map as “Gibraltar”. We asked some question regarding our route of the guy working on the road, and part of his response was, “up around Jibberalter” – and that creative and entertaining pronunciation has stuck in my mind ever since.
Pinnacles , south side of Mt. Etna
Beartrtap Mtn.
Lower Spencer Lake
We had a late start today, started at 10:00 a.m. and had a 17 mile day today. After two miles a nice Ranger named Dave gave us a 4 mile ride to the Chimney Rock Trail. Left there and walked two miles to a spring for lunch. Met two about twenty year olds doing the PCT, but they didn’t talk much. Talked to a man and wife team doing the PCT and they seemed really nice and we talked a lot. Then we met Two more guys doing the PCT and talked for awhile. Then we hit an improved road and walked a mile then we got another three mile ride which saved us an hour. They were really nice and gave us Dr. Pepper sodas. We hit the 100 mile mark and camped at Whiskey Creek.
When I try to follow this on the map now, very few of these locations are familiar to me. And I think in some ways that is how it was up there in the northern Sierra – a lot of days walking through the forest, on trails, on dirt roads, on jeep trails; not a lot of prominent landmarks, punctuated by the canyons more than anything else. Campsites all pretty similar. And you know you are reading a teenager’s journal when any change in food or drink is worthy of a mention!
July1, 1974:
Left Whiskey Creek about 8:30 and started off for Spencer Lake. Met a guy working on the road that was gassing up a caterpillar. Ate lunch on a branch of Nelson Creek and wrote in my diary there. Before lunch took some real neat pictures. Took an improved road to a jeep trail to go to Spencer Lake. There was so much snow that we lost the jeep trail but found a trail that took us right there. We measured the snow at 10 feet. We camped at Lower Spencer but it was fished out because of people coming up the Jeep trail in August.
In this area there is a ridge labeled on the map as “Gibraltar”. We asked some question regarding our route of the guy working on the road, and part of his response was, “up around Jibberalter” – and that creative and entertaining pronunciation has stuck in my mind ever since.
Pinnacles , south side of Mt. Etna
Beartrtap Mtn.
Lower Spencer Lake
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
July 2nd, 1974:
Went to Lakes Basin and it was really cool just a whole bunch of lakes just sitting there looking really neat. We went to Gold Lake but there was no store and there was a phone booth so we called mom and Dad and I told them to give John’s parents 10 Kool Aids, 5 Apples and 5 Plums (to bring up with them to Norden). Went on headed for Yuba Pass. It was a hard walk, but we made it and finished at 8:30. It was a 25 mile day. Some people gave us deviled eggs and Cole slaw. Today was Tim’s birthday.
John’s parents were coming to resupply us at Norden, near Donner Summit. Matt was always a fiend for fruit. Still is!
Why we went for a 25 mile day, I can’t recall. Tim thinks we just kept going because we were not finding any water sources. But I’ve always remembered that it was 5 miles before lunch, through the Lakes Basin, and 20 after, on mostly dirt roads. There was a Forest Service campground at Yuba Pass; we camped there and that’s where we were given the treats. Lakes Basin was a nice change of pace after all the forest and the river canyons – we felt like we were into some real mountain now; but of course then we dived into the forest again for a long afternoon.
Above Spencer Lakes - still plenty of snow
Long Lake in the Lakes Basin
Big Bear Lake
July 3rd 1974:
Today we slept late because of the preceding day and started off at 10:30. Tahoe National Forest signs are terrible we walked 5 miles and a sign said we had gone backwards 2 miles. We would have had to walk 20 miles that day, but some nice guy gave us an 8 mile ride so we only had to walk 12 miles. We camped near Webber Lake and it was hard not to breathe mosquitos there were so many of them.
This was not the only time that the forest service signs were off. We came to assume that they were fine for direction, but useless for mileage. Webber lake took on a legendary status, the worst mosquitoes we ever encountered. We decided this must be where the Cutter company, makers of mosquito repellent, had their testing grounds. We had no tents, just tarps, and no headnets. Just plenty of GI surplus jungle juice, which we slathered on. The worst was getting mosquitoes in your sleeping bag with you. They would lay in wait, and we’d wake up with bites all over.
Went to Lakes Basin and it was really cool just a whole bunch of lakes just sitting there looking really neat. We went to Gold Lake but there was no store and there was a phone booth so we called mom and Dad and I told them to give John’s parents 10 Kool Aids, 5 Apples and 5 Plums (to bring up with them to Norden). Went on headed for Yuba Pass. It was a hard walk, but we made it and finished at 8:30. It was a 25 mile day. Some people gave us deviled eggs and Cole slaw. Today was Tim’s birthday.
John’s parents were coming to resupply us at Norden, near Donner Summit. Matt was always a fiend for fruit. Still is!
Why we went for a 25 mile day, I can’t recall. Tim thinks we just kept going because we were not finding any water sources. But I’ve always remembered that it was 5 miles before lunch, through the Lakes Basin, and 20 after, on mostly dirt roads. There was a Forest Service campground at Yuba Pass; we camped there and that’s where we were given the treats. Lakes Basin was a nice change of pace after all the forest and the river canyons – we felt like we were into some real mountain now; but of course then we dived into the forest again for a long afternoon.
Above Spencer Lakes - still plenty of snow
Long Lake in the Lakes Basin
Big Bear Lake
July 3rd 1974:
Today we slept late because of the preceding day and started off at 10:30. Tahoe National Forest signs are terrible we walked 5 miles and a sign said we had gone backwards 2 miles. We would have had to walk 20 miles that day, but some nice guy gave us an 8 mile ride so we only had to walk 12 miles. We camped near Webber Lake and it was hard not to breathe mosquitos there were so many of them.
This was not the only time that the forest service signs were off. We came to assume that they were fine for direction, but useless for mileage. Webber lake took on a legendary status, the worst mosquitoes we ever encountered. We decided this must be where the Cutter company, makers of mosquito repellent, had their testing grounds. We had no tents, just tarps, and no headnets. Just plenty of GI surplus jungle juice, which we slathered on. The worst was getting mosquitoes in your sleeping bag with you. They would lay in wait, and we’d wake up with bites all over.
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paul
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Re: TR: Summer of `74
July 4th, 1974:
We left the lake in a hurry so we’re didn’t get eaten alive by mosquitoes. 2 creeks we had to cross were big. The first one we got a as little wet, but on the second one we took off our boots and waded. Ate lunch about three miles from there. From our lunch spot e climbed until we lost the trail. We climbed to find out where we were. It took about two hours of cross country through snow and brush to get to Peter Grubb cabin. We couldn’t stay at the cabin because it was For Sierra Club members. We went via the creek a little way and camped there.
Round Valley and peaks to the south
The brush we encountered on our cross-country sections was usually manzanita. Hiking in shorts, we’d get pretty scratched up from the knees down. I remember wading into lakes at the end of the day, and the cool water felt very soothing on all those scratches. That night in Round Valley, we camped on a little rise that was just a few feet above the main level of the meadow, and in the morning, there was frost on the meadow but not on us. That few feet had made just enough of a difference when the cold air settled into the floor of the valley in the night.
Castle Peak
July 5th, 1974
Today we saw Boreal Ridge without snow. It looked terrible because of all the cut down trees and the mess people have left. John found a pair of goggles which he gave to Paul. Reached Borden about 1:15 and went in the store-post office and got directions on where to find John’s parents. Found the camper but nobody. So we went to Soda Springs to buy some stuff then came back and in an hour John’s parents came back and we got our goodies. Put on the packs with the new supplies and it felt like a ton.
Norden – start of the second leg
I can remember nothing about that resupply at Norden, or where we camped. Maybe in 1974 there was a campground somewhere around there? John’s folks had a pickup camper, easy to spot.
July 6th 1974:
Today we started out late from Soda Springs and we got a ride to the beginning of our cross country. We started up the ridge of Mt. Lincoln. There was a trail after the summit and we followed it to Bensen Hut CA ski hut and it was a hard climb. Than we had. Then we climbed a snow bank to get to Anderson Peak. On top we’re out our names in the registry. Then we hiked down to Meadow Mountain Lake and camped.
That would be Mountain Meadow Lake in actuality. There was still a fair amount of snow up on those ridges, I remember that and I have some photos of that area. I guess that previous winter must have been a big one in the northern Sierra, given how much snow we were seeing in early July.
The scenery was definitely improving now.
Lake Van Norden from near Roller Pass. it's now a meadow.
Anderson Peak
We left the lake in a hurry so we’re didn’t get eaten alive by mosquitoes. 2 creeks we had to cross were big. The first one we got a as little wet, but on the second one we took off our boots and waded. Ate lunch about three miles from there. From our lunch spot e climbed until we lost the trail. We climbed to find out where we were. It took about two hours of cross country through snow and brush to get to Peter Grubb cabin. We couldn’t stay at the cabin because it was For Sierra Club members. We went via the creek a little way and camped there.
Round Valley and peaks to the south
The brush we encountered on our cross-country sections was usually manzanita. Hiking in shorts, we’d get pretty scratched up from the knees down. I remember wading into lakes at the end of the day, and the cool water felt very soothing on all those scratches. That night in Round Valley, we camped on a little rise that was just a few feet above the main level of the meadow, and in the morning, there was frost on the meadow but not on us. That few feet had made just enough of a difference when the cold air settled into the floor of the valley in the night.
Castle Peak
July 5th, 1974
Today we saw Boreal Ridge without snow. It looked terrible because of all the cut down trees and the mess people have left. John found a pair of goggles which he gave to Paul. Reached Borden about 1:15 and went in the store-post office and got directions on where to find John’s parents. Found the camper but nobody. So we went to Soda Springs to buy some stuff then came back and in an hour John’s parents came back and we got our goodies. Put on the packs with the new supplies and it felt like a ton.
Norden – start of the second leg
I can remember nothing about that resupply at Norden, or where we camped. Maybe in 1974 there was a campground somewhere around there? John’s folks had a pickup camper, easy to spot.
July 6th 1974:
Today we started out late from Soda Springs and we got a ride to the beginning of our cross country. We started up the ridge of Mt. Lincoln. There was a trail after the summit and we followed it to Bensen Hut CA ski hut and it was a hard climb. Than we had. Then we climbed a snow bank to get to Anderson Peak. On top we’re out our names in the registry. Then we hiked down to Meadow Mountain Lake and camped.
That would be Mountain Meadow Lake in actuality. There was still a fair amount of snow up on those ridges, I remember that and I have some photos of that area. I guess that previous winter must have been a big one in the northern Sierra, given how much snow we were seeing in early July.
The scenery was definitely improving now.
Lake Van Norden from near Roller Pass. it's now a meadow.
Anderson Peak
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