[pct-l] Campspots, Castella to Seiad

[montypct]

Hi Jeff
Here's what i remember.
Dog Trail
7 miles north of Castella there's a faint trail going off to the left called 
Dog Trail in the data book 1513.7.  About 5 minutes down this trail is a 
great campsite whith a creek running through it.  There's a nice two foot 
deep small pool and easy access(I really needed to wash the scuz off) and a 
lot of clean flat ground.  "Face flies" were thick a quarter mile before but 
somehow this area didn't have any at all.  There was a cave there too.

In the Marbles Shadow Lake is kind of cool and, I'm sure you can find a 
campsite, a couple miles before Sky Lakes (there's a sign), 1/4 mile off the 
trail, but last time I dove into it it was slimey.  The time before it was a 
great warm swimming pool.

Right before that is a trail sign for Red Rock Valley (Red something) It's a 
place I've camped numerous times, but it's two miles to the right off the 
trail.  There use to be an old tin roof hunting shack there, but it was torn 
down sometime before 1990.  Now it's firewood.  There's a nice fire ring and 
comfortable rocks to sit on.  It's at the base of a huge rock face and has a 
rock bottom creek running through the area.  Probably not practical but very 
memorable for me.

Another mile or so, Sky Lakes, like I mentioned in a previous post.  This 
would be my pick for a PCT hiker, though a couple more miles up is the old 
Guard Station (unmanned).  It has water running through and hanging your 
food inside (bend back a nail and push in a big window type panel to get in) 
from the rodents is easier than bear hanging outside.  I guess you could 
unroll an old dusty matress and sleep on a bunk.  Maybe cook in there too. 
Table? Chairs????  (the maid has been out for some time)

There were some footbridge crossings the day before Siead Valley where the 
guidebook said there was a campsite.  We couldn't find it, nor could three 
other hikers.  Next to one of the bridges though, was a rock swimming pool 
type place.  Another swimming hole.

After that there were places to camp, but I didn't.  The night before Siead 
Valley I stayed in a sort of campground tha actually had camp sites and 
outhouses.  I
slept on a picnic table.  I remember some nice spots in that area that were 
a short ways down hill as the trail paralleled a river.
Fire rings and big logs to sit on.  Didn't need to camp then.

Other than that I remember a cold rainstorm with uphill high winds and an 18 
mile hike northbound to the Etna Trailhead.
I couldn't see a thing through the Trinity Alps and the Russian Wildrness. 
(I've wanted to see that since I saw it from above in '79).  A hot bath in 
Etna was better than any campsite.  (There was a higher altitude nice view 
20 miles south of Etna that even had firewood stacked.  The winds were too 
high to camp there.)

The campground at Siead Valley isn't the greatest place to camp, but it has 
cheap showers, laundry, and a little cafe with inexpensive good food next 
door..... which is also Home of the Pancake Challenge!!!!! There's a store 
and post office in the same building.  Good place to clean up after your 
hike.

I think the bus runs on Monday at 8 am and connects in Yureka to Greyhound.

Enjoy the trip.  I'll be there some time in early August or so.

Warner springs Monty


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffrey Olson" <jolson at olc.edu>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 11:58 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Memorable Campspots, Castella to Seiad


> I'm going to be hiking this section of the trail this summer and wonder
> what others who've hiked this remember about campspots.  Normally I
> don't care, but as I won't be moving much more than six or eight hours a
> day, this trip will be more camp-centered than trail centered.  Any
> memories are welcome!
>
> Jeff, just Jeff...
>
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