How good was the hike? We all agreed it was the best hike we had ever done. The weather was perfect. The scenery was spectacular. The trail was challenging but only in terms of the work involved.

We arrived in Yreka to find smoke everywhere and wondered whether we would hike at all. I pointed out we were 39 miles plus east of the trailhead and the winds come from the west. After 39 miles plus a few miles of dirt roads we arrived to find the road full of mules about to head up to resupply the Conservation Corps. The weather was sunny and clear and 67 degrees.

We skirted East Boulder Lake to the north and climbed up to the ridge, then all the way around the ridge and back over to the lake. The hard part was regaining the ridge and gaining the PCT but we took our time and the trail was fine. Our map reading proved excellent and the trail back over to the East Boulder Lake side was exactly where we had estimated it to be. After a very short but steep ascent it was downhill the rest of the day.

Everywhere we went we were looking down at mountain lakes and our lunch spot afforded views of Shasta, the Trinity Alps and Castle Crags.

We finished off at Dottie's in Etna for refreshments after the best hiking day ever.

John