For some reason, my GPX track reset after the first three summits, so those
are missing from the file linked on the TR. The maps show the routes I used.
My knee was starting to feel a bit better, I could now weight the right leg
with my knee joint straight, something I couldn't do a week earlier. There are
still some issues with it feeling weak when I get up or make unusual movements
so it's obviously not yet well. Not wanting to press it into hard service too
quickly, but having a need to get outside, I decided to head north again and
do a couple of days of easy hikes and drive-ups. This worked out nicely with
some of the best weather I've had up that way - no clouds, temps in the 60s,
very clear skies. Mosquitoes are starting to come out but I saw only a handful
on this trip. I found there was snow above 6,000ft that would keep the higher
roads unuseable and the peaks unreachable by easy means. So my focus was on
peaks around 5,000ft or lower. I found that roads leading to lookout towers
were in the best shape - I'm guessing the Forest Service clears those roads
first in order to get the towers manned and useable, then concentrate on the
secondary roads. April/May is a bit early in the season still, so I had to do
some clearing of roads where possible, turnaround at blockages and sometimes
just hike from there if the distance wasn't more than about a mile. Most of
today's peaks are located in the Scott Bar Mountains, found south of SR96 and
the Klamath River, roughly between the Scott River to the west and Interstate
5 to the east.
Badger Mountain
This P1K lies on the eastern ridgeline between Humbug Creek and I-5. The
Hawkinsville-Humbug Road goes conveniently goes over the ridgeline about a mile
south of Badger Mtn. This good dirt road was originally built to connect Yreka
to the gold mining communities along Humbug Creek, now just a handful of
residences in what was once a busy mining district. A spur road climbs from
the saddle to of Badger Mtn, though 4WD is likely needed to
get to the very top. Like all the summits I visited over the the next two days,
the dominant feature from any summit with a view is that of the towering
to .
China Peak
China Peak and Craggy Mtn lie to the west of Badger Mtn, across Humbug Creek.
It was necessary to drive down into the drainage, then up other forest roads
to reach them. China Peak is to the north, overlooking the Klamath River. A
decent road goes to southwest of the summit. An open,
route goes up the SW Ridge for about half a mile to
reach . There is a fine view to of
Cottonwood Peak, a P2K. There was a set
of red, nested cans that had been left unside down, and now completely
waterlogged. Murky water poured from the cans when I inverted them. They were
too difficult to open and I decided to leave it be - a register fail, to be
sure. To could be seen the higher Craggy Mtn where I
headed next.
Craggy Mountain
More driving got me within a mile and a half of Craggy Mtn,
blocking the last 3/4mi of the road. I hiked the road to
, then followed an old ATV track south
. A faint use trail led southwest
and some brush to the summit rocks. Dennis Poulin
has an accurate description of the craggy summit blocks on PB. To the east are
a that are reached first, requiring some modest
bushwhacking and then easy class 3 scrambling. The is to
the west, a blockier pinnacle that takes a bit more effort. I followed the
narrow connecting line between the spires and the highpoint (all of about
20yds), an airy almost-knife-edge that suggests caution. This leads to
an alcove on the east side of the summit block where I found another set of
nested cans for a register. This had been used for target practice and the
resulting holes made it impossible for me to open the can. There seems to be a
lack of appreciation for summit registers in these parts. I left
here. Dennis had gone from the alcove around to the left to find a way up. I
went directly up from the alcove, what I thought were some stiff
.
I didn't try out his route, so you'll have to decide for yourself which is
easier. In either case, it's a pretty nifty bit of scrambling in an area which
otherwise has very little of such stuff. I returned back the way I came.
McKinley Mountain/Gunsight Peak
These two summits lie about 3.5mi southwest of Craggy Mtn. I drove back down to
Humbug Creek, then up other forest roads to approach McKinley from the
northeast, the shortest way, but probably not the best. Dennis used another
route from the same ridge Badger Mtn is found on, in better condition since it
is used to access the telecom towers atop Gunsight Peak. The road I used was a
bit rough and required me to stop to that had fallen
onto it in places. A was too large for me to move or cut,
but by cutting off the branches first, I was able to drive over it. My route
also had the disadvantage of northeast-facing and I was eventually stopped
on the last switchback at around 5,500ft. With about a mile
and a half of road remaining to McKinley,
I simply parked and hiked from there. to
McKinley across the ridgeline was fairly open and easy enough. A
is found near the 6,200-foot , but it has
somewhat open views. I left atop this P1K, feeling it
deserved some love. I then used the to make my way
southeast to Gunsight Peak, a lower, more open but less interesting summit
thanks to found there. It was only upon reaching it
that I realized there was a better, snow-free road I might have used instead.
Like , the summit was high enough that one could see
in Oregon, and of course the ever-present
much closer to the southeast.
The whole outing to the two summits took about 2hrs, so no big deal.
Buckhorn Bally
This almost-P1K lies north of the Klamath River, about 12 air miles from
McKinley. I would spend 2hrs between them - one does not get
around these mountains in any sort of hurry, that's for sure. There is a manned
lookout atop the summit and a decent road that winds its way up from SR96 to
the summit. There was across the road about half a mile from the
summit but I found it unlocked. I opened the gate and drove to the top where I
found open but unmanned at the moment. It occurred to me
that the USFS truck I had passed on the way up back near the highway was
probably the resident caretaker running out for some supplies. I didn't climb
up to the cabin, but just the taking in
before beating a hasty retreat.
Bald Mountain
It would take another hour and a half of driving to get from Buckhorn Bally to
Bald Mtn, the latter found on the south side of SR96 and further west. Again, a
good forest road led to the summit. blocked the way a mile
before the summit, this time locked. I hiked the remaining distance to the top
in the late afternoon, finding locked up and not yet open
for the season. There is a pretty cool-looking perched over
the of the summit and all
. It was almost 6:30p by the time I with
this last one and time to call it a day. I took a shower in
the last bit of sunshine before the air began to chill, then spent another hour
and a half driving back down to SR96 and up toward the first peaks for tomorrow
on the north side of the highway. I found a very quiet spot to spend the night
undisturbed and slept quite well...
Continued...