MARIA, STEVE, ALAN & TYSEN AT ETNA SUMMIT TRAILHEAD

ALAN ON PACIFIC CREST TRAIL HEADING SOUTH

ENJOYING VIEW ON PCT

STEVE, MARIA & ALAN ENJOYING REST STOP

SCOTT LAKE LOOKING EAST

TAYLOR LAKE LOOKING WEST

APPROACHING HIGH POINT ON WAY TO PAYNES LAKE

PAYNES LAKE LOOKING EAST

PAYNES LAKE LOOKING WEST

PAYNES LAKE VIEW TO SE FROM CAMPSITE

TYSEN, STEVE, MARIA & ALAN GETTING READY TO PLAY POKER FOR MATCHSTICKS

ALBERT LAKE ABOVE PAYNES LAKE

CROSS-COUNTRY CLIMB TO UPPER ALBERT LAKE

ALBERT LAKE FROM UPPER ALBERT LAKE

ALAN, MARIA & STEVE RELAXING NEXT TO UPPER ALBERT LAKE

VIEW OF UPPER ALBERT LAKE FROM RIDGE THAT STEVE CLIMBED

BLUE LAKE SW ON OTHER SIDE OF RIDGE

RETURNING DOWN TO PAYNES LAKE

OUR CAMPSITE WITH TYSEN’S TENT AND LAKE IN BACK

ALAN READING PHILOSOPHICAL BOOK

MARIA CATCHING UP ON HER MAGAZINE READING

STEVE WITH HIS INSEPARABLE IPAD

REST STOP ON PCT HEADING BACK WITH MT SHASTA IN BACK

TAYLOR LAKE

SCOTT LAKE

HEADING NORTH ON THE PCT WITH MARBLE WILDERNESS IN BACKGROUND

MARIA, STEVE, MARY & TYSEN

STEVE, MARIA & MARY HEADING TO BROWNS MEADOW

BROWNS MEADOW

MARY, STEVE & MARIA CAMPED AT BROWNS MEADOW

MARY ON TRAIL TO CARIBOU LAKE

LOWER CARIBOU & CARIBOU LAKE

SNOWSLIDE (L), LOWER CARIBOU (R) & CARIBOU LAKE

SNOWSLIDE LAKE (LOOKING SOUTH)

SNOWSLIDE LAKE WITH TRAIL (LOOKING NORTH)

CARIBOU LAKE

CARIBOU LAKE

TYSEN’S TENT AT NE CORNER OF CARIBOU LAKE

MARY WITH HER TENT

STEVE IN FRONT OF HIS TENT

MARIA & STEVE ENJOYING WINDY BREAKFAST

NEARBY SWIMMING HOLE

TYSEN ENJOYING REFRESHING DIP IN SWIMMING HOLE

CARIBOU LAKE LOOKING NORTH

SAWTOOTH RIDGE BEHIND CARIBOU LAKE SEEN FROM SADDLE

STEVE & MARIA LOOKING INTO NEXT VALLEY FROM RIDGE

EMERALD & SAPPHIRE LAKE TO SOUTHWEST

EMERALD & SAPPHIRE LAKES

MARIA & STEVE

ICEBERG IN POOL SOUTH OF CARIBOU LAKE

SCENIC POOLS AT SOUTH END OF CARIBOU LAKE

MARIA ENJOYING A RELAXING AFTERNOON AT CARIBOU LAKE

CARIBOU LAKE LOOKING SE FROM RIDGE (TAKEN BY STEVE)

CLOSEUP OF NE CORNER OF CARIBOU LAKE WHERE CAMPSITES ARE LOCATED

CARIBOU LAKE LOOKING SOUTH FROM OLD TRAIL (TAKEN BY STEVE & MARIA)

KIDDER CREEK TH TO MANEATEN LAKE (GPS TRACK)

TYSEN, ALAN, MARY, MARIA & STEVE

KIDDER LAKE

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL TO SW

MANEATEN LAKE SEEN FROM PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

DESCENDING CROSS-COUNTRY TO MANEATEN LAKE

VIEW TO SE WITH TYSEN'S TENT IN FOREGROUND

STEVE & MARIAS TENT

STEVE ENJOYING VIEW NEAR HIS TENT

SHORE VIEW TO EAST

SHORE VIEW TO WEST

MANEATEN LAKE OUTLET, LOOKING EAST

STEVE

MARIA

ALAN

MARY

TYSEN

AFTERNOON AT MANEATEN LAKE

VIEW TO NE BY STEVE

VIEW TO NW BY STEVE

SUNSET WITH TYSEN'S TENT IN CENTER

The first observance of Father’s Day actually took place in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. It was organized by Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton, who wanted to celebrate the lives of the 210 fathers who had been lost in the Monongah Mining disaster several months earlier in Monongah, West Virginia, on December 6, 1907. [Wikipedia]

In addition, the June 19, 2011 was the 66th birthday of 1991 Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi Suu Kyii was also born on the same day in history as our intrepid lady hiker, Chiyemi.

Our day was no disaster but it did see the 6.8 mile hike begin with 4.5 miles of off-trail plunge through woods, meadows, past stream and lake, finally to ascend through pine and fir forest back to the PCT, returning to the cars. Not to be stopped there, we all proceeded to the Greensprings Inn for an early dinner (there were some mighty hungry hikers). We were entertained by the every-third-Sunday bluegrass jam. Some nice pix of the two very pretty youngsters (fiddle, mandolin and vocals) amid a group of 7 or 8 more mature musicians.

Planned (red) and actual 6.8 mile hike (blue)

Here’s the trip profile provided by Tysen, the GPS guy and One Mile Per Hour club founder.

Starting at the left side and winding up on the right

Beautiful warm weather following a cool, misty Saturday. Our temps were in the 70′s, bright blue skies.
Click to view slideshow.

Backpackers on this trip: Mary E., Maria G., Steve W.

Route: Lower Rogue River Trail section from Mule Creek TH (R arrow on topo; M25.0) to Brushy Bar CG (L arrow; M31.2)
(TH=Trail Head; CG=Camp Ground; M# = mi. downriver from Graves Creek TH)

BLM info: Rogue River Trail map; trail Page;  trail Log (mile markers M0.0-41.0 with descriptions)

References:  100 Hikes in So. Oregon by William Sullivan; “Rogue River Trail West” (#85, pp. 197-199 in 2nd ed.); Wildflowers of Southern Oregon by John Kemper; Steve&Maria photos from 4-day hike (staying at 3 lodges) Jul 2008.

Just getting to the start of the hike (in the middle of Rogue River Trail) was an exciting adventure.  It’s about a 3-hour drive from Ashland, via Glendale (exit 80 on I-5); the final 40 miles can take almost 2 hours; driving info: driving orientation (Glendale – Marial); Google;  shuttle routes (map p.1); Marial Back Country Byway. Keep a sharp lookout at intersections for BLM road #s: 33-7 2; 32-7 19 3; 32-8 31; 32-9-14 2 ! This early in the season, lots of downed branches and debris were on road.  Our Subaru plowed thru snow in several places — up to ~8″.  Then, about 15 miles from our destination, we saw a “Road Closed” sign…

Fearlessly, we decided to see how far we could go on the now, single-lane dirt road, with turnouts far apart.  Then, we encountered a large dump truck rumbling up the hill toward us…

Fortunately, we (or the truck) backed up to a wide spot on the shoulder without much of a steep dropoff.  After several more close encounters of the truck kind, we ended up with an escort (truck behind us) that caused oncoming trucks to pull over.  We finally saw Rogue River Ranch, waited to pass road graders, rollers and more trucks, passed Marial Lodge, and after another mile, on an even narrower “road”, reached the Mule Creek Trailhead before noon (we had left Ashland at 8am). It’s unclear if the “Road Closed” sign was leftover from earlier bridge work, or left up to discourage traffic.

Tue: backpacked 6.2 mi. downriver from Mule Creek TH (M25.0) to Brushy Bar CG (M31.2). After lunch and obligatory photos, we were hiking by 12:20. Sunny clear weather. Spectacular scenery. Poison oak visible (and even dangling into trail in a few places) but easily avoidable. One (safe) snake. Along the way, we stopped at Paradise Lodge (M28.3) and Brushy Bar cabin (M31.0) to meet volunteer host ‘Bev’.

Wed: day hiked 4.0 mi. RT between Brushy Bar (M31.2) and Clay Hill Lodge (M33.2). Cloudy skies when we left CG; rain clouds and blustery wind when we arrived at Clay Hill. We ate a quick lunch and visited with Martin, but as a few rain drops started to fall, we headed quickly back to Brushy Bar; fortunately, we arrived at camp just before the rain intensified (it continued until ~9pm); we stayed in our tents the rest of the day.

Thu: backpacked 6.2 mi. upriver from Brushy Bar CG (M31.2) to Mule Creek TH (M25.0), with thanks to Bev (for those clean outhouses!) and lunch stop at Blossom Bar (M27.1). Morning clouds dissipated, giving us a glorious beautiful day. On the drive back, we stopped at Marial Lodge (M24.3) for water & a quick tour by Pat (a great place for friends/family who prefer less hiking/roughing-it), passed more road equipment, passed Tucker Flat CG (M23.4 — where we might car-camp on a future trip), and started up the road, aware from road workers that just one more dump truck was heading downhill…

Rather than wait for the truck at the bottom of the hill, we decided we needed an adrenaline fix, so zoomed around corners while beeping our horn. Fortunately, we saw the truck in time, and backed up into a nearby turnout. The rest of the drive back home was uneventful and quick.

Gallery below (click to enlarge any photo) [K-# after wildflowers refers to page in Kemper's book]

(we also saw (but didn’t photograph): Camas [K-138]; CA Poppy [K-70]; Choke-Cherry? [K-39]; False Solomon Seal [K-27]; Ground-Cone [K-149]; Larkspur [K-142]; Lupine [K-133]; Paintbrush [K-116]; Pussy Ears/Or. Mariposa Lily [K-24]; Shooting Star [K-112]; Vetch [K-92]; …)

Click to view slideshow.

Happy Backpackers (Frederick, Maria, Steve & Tysen) at Varney Creek Trailhead (43 deg!)

Maria on Varney Creek Trail

Tysen captured on film after just having taken Maria’s picture

Frederick, Steve & Maria taking lunch break at trail junction to Lakes Eb & Zeb

Lake Como

Descending toward Lake Harriette

View across Lake Hariette from Campsite

View to West of Lake Harriette

View across Tysen’s Tent to Lake Harriette

Beautiful Lake Harriette

Steve Happy with his new SteriPEN Water Purifier

Topo Map of Day Hike from Lake Harriette to South Pass Lake and Back

Maria & Steve enjoying Lunch at South Pass Lake during Day Hike

Steve enjoying his Carrot

Tysen, wishing he had brought a carrot for lunch

South Pass Lake (looking east)

Steve, taking a picture of Mystic Lake

Mystic Lake

Maria enjoying view above Lake Harriette

View of Lake Harriette

Steve & Maria happy about having come on this 8 mile Day Hike

Big Flat Trailhead to Caribou Lake (8 miles)

with overnight stay at Browns Meadow on way in

Mary with Lower Caribou & Caribou Lake in Back (right)

View of Trail (Looking Back)

Mary on Switchbacks

Magnificent View of Trinity Alps

View from Trail of Lower Caribou & Caribou Lake

Snowslide Lake (left), Lower Caribou Lake (right) & Caribou Lake (top)

Snowslide Lake with view back to Trail (switchbacks)

Caribou Lake Panorama

Caribou Lake

Close-up of Pinnacles behind Caribou Lake

Mary Filtering Water from Caribou Lake

Tent Site above Caribou Lake

Another View of Caribou Lake Campsite

Wild Flowers near Caribou Lake

Swimming Hole next to Caribou Lake

View of Caribou Lake from other side (Pinnacles behind)

Caribou Lake from Trail to Pass near Pinnacles (note snow patches in foreground)

Caribou Lake with Point where Campsite is Located

Mary on Final Switchbacks to Pass with Caribou Lake in Back

Caribou Lake from Pass

Emerald & Sapphire Lakes on other side of Pass

Lower Caribou Lake (left), Snowslide Lake (right) & Switchback Trails (back) — View from Caribou Lake