What we’re about
At Lassen Plumas Trekkers, we look forward to offering beautiful, interesting and FUN hikes and other outdoor activities primarily in Lassen and Plumas Counties. Occasional out of county excursions will also be offered.
Our intent is to provide opportunities for like-minded folks to explore and discover the wonders of our diverse local area. Now that fall has arrived, we will be holding off from the after-work hikes until after the days get longer in the spring.
Come join us and SHARE IN THE FUN!
Due to on-going concerns with COVID, local county and state guidelines will be followed. PLEASE, do not join any excursions if you suspect you may have COVID or if you have been exposed to someone with COVID.
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Recon Campout - Scouting Approach for Hat Mtn Ascent - S. Warner MtnsNeeds location
Warner Mtns of far NE CA, Lassen Co., see Feature Photos. Camping and Staging at the old 1923 Ranger Station (left photo) we have rented to explore approaches for a later ascent of Lassen Co. high point, Hat Mtn (right photo). The region we will be exploring is big, wild, lightly visited, with great scenery. As some say, more reminiscent of the Rocky Mountains than typical California mountains, in several aspects.
Take a look at our posted Labor Day Weekend Campout at Blue Lake and its optional Hat Mtn Challenge for perspective on this exploratory Hat Mtn Recon Campout, seeking approaches, the weekend prior.
A typical event includes driving to a trailhead, finding a parking spot, lining up, and hiking up an established trail to a destination and back. This event is sort of the polar opposite of a typical event.
None of us in our local Lassen group has ever stood atop Lassen County's high point, Hat Mtn. Nor has anyone we know or have checked with, including USFS and BLM folks. Without an established trail to the summit, the last part of any ascent will be on foot and off-trail. But this is big, wild country and it challenging to even access a good starting point for an off-trail ascent on foot. Exploring on the ground and finding the best such starting points we can are the primary purposes of this posted event.
For meeting and staging purposes for this event, we have rented an old 1923 Ranger Station, the Patterson Guard Station, unused since the 1980's, but recently renovated with federal funds to rent out on Recreation.gov.
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10229798There is a lightly used first come campground, Patterson Campground, adjacent to the station, and another half a mile away, as well as lots of undeveloped dispersed camping sites nearby.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/modoc/recreation/patterson-campground
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/modoc/recreation/east-creek-campgroundStraight line distance from our staging at Patterson Station SW to summit of Hat Mtn is about 5 mi. But on the ground around there, nothing is ever close to straight or straight forward.
Various maps, including outdated USGS topos and the topo map image in this event Photo section, show various potential approaches, including old roads or jeep trails, or other trails. But on the ground, a number of roads or trails shown on maps have now disappeared with time. Yet there are some remaining that aren't depicted on maps.
We will use the Patterson Station to meet, have coffee, compare notes, and stage from. The Station is situated on a beautiful meadow in a grove of Pines and Aspen. A couple of us will be camping in the Station parking lot, camping there is limited to a total of 8. Others can camp in the adjacent Patterson Campground, or the East Creek Campground half a mile away, or a nearby dispersed free site. Campground campsites are $15 per night, cash or check, half that with pass. Anyone joining me in the Station parking lot for camping, please contribute $30 cash or check per vehicle toward facility rental. The Patterson area is accessed by about 10 mi of well graded gravel road, which extends off the paved road near Blue Lake. I've rented the Patterson Station from Friday thru Monday am.
Online peak bagging sites, such as SummitPost and PeakBaggers, include records of out-of-area climbers who have successfully summited Hat Mtn. Their records include at least four quite different approaches with varying detail, some perhaps not the best.
Capable vehicles are useful to explore any of the potential approaches, and can include high clearance and 4X4 street legal rigs, or off road OHV's, side-by-sides, ATVs, dirt bikes, perhaps even MTBs or eMTBs. Possibly even horses, with public corrals available at the East Creek Campground! Good navigation aids, plenty of water, and all the usual hiking pack and backcountry items are essential. Satellite texting and Satellite emergency comm are good to have included in any team. I'll plan to have my Mini-Starlink internet connection set up at Patterson Station as needed. There is little cell coverage in the greater region. Those attending should be experienced and resourceful in remote backcountry matters, or team up and stick with someone who is. Off-trail hiking can involve exposure to ticks and potential illness, so tick precautions are advised, including repellant treatment for legs, pants, socks, footwear.
To get to Patterson, you take Highway 395 to the tiny community of Likely, turn East on the paved Jess Valley Road at the Likely General Store, follow signs on the paved road for Blue Lake. A few miles short of Blue Lake the paved road turns sharply to the right toward the Lake, but you should continue straight, up, where the road turns to gravel, with signs for Patterson. Follow the signs on the gravel road for about ten miles to reach Patterson. See map images in Photos section of this posting. You may wish to download map images to your phone for offline use.
LEGAL: Each person who RSVP's "Yes, and or attends or participates in this posted meetup event, agrees unconditionally to the following by virtue of such RSVP, attendance or participation, without further assent:
1. No organizer or host shall owe any legal duty, or have any financial liability or obligation, or any duty to warn to any member, participant, guest or attendee regarding anything relating to any posting, person, risk, or event.
2. Each member, participant, guest or attendee, and not any host or organizer, shall be solely responsible to determine all aspects of the safety of any event, the safety of any area where any event take place, and the suitability of the event and area for the participant in question in all respects including experience level, expertise, physical condition, and medical condition.
3. The organizers and hosts profess no expertise in first aid, in medical care, in emergency rescue or procedures, and shall have no obligation to render any aid of any kind to any participant, although they may without further obligation or liability render any such aid. - Labor Day Weekend - Blue Lake - Camping, Hiking, Kayaking, Biking + New Event!Blue Lake Campground, Madeline, CA
A new fun twist this year, read on, the Hat Mtn Challenge on Sunday. Again we have a large group campsite in the remote South Warner Mountains reserved Friday thru Monday, Labor Day Weekend 2025. Meet at uncrowded and secluded Blue Lake Campground in Northern Lassen County, in the Modoc National Forest, for fun Labor Day Weekend adventures around the lake including camping, with options of hiking, kayaking, biking, fishing, and more. Elevation is about 6,000 ft. Get there when you can and leave when you wish. We will be pretty unstructured. Please bring $30 cash or check per vehicle to contribute to the group campground fees. The group campsite is well suited to tents, and RVs up to mid-sized.
https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/The-beauty-of-Blue-Lake-is-well-worth-the-long-2605745.php
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/modoc/recarea/?recid=71258
To reach Blue Lake Campground, you travel up Highway 395 to the small town of Likely, then turn right off 395 just before the General Store on the paved road that leads East. In about ten miles the paved road will fork, and you continue right, SE, following the sign for Blue Lake. Stay on the paved road until you hit Blue Lake and the campground, about 8 more miles.
Considering the amenities and scenery, it is one of the less crowded campgrounds in the state. There is also some dispersed camping available in the National Forest away from the Campground. There is a nice hiking trail that circumnavigates the lake, and there is good hiking up and down Parsnip Creek above and below the Lake. Well graded gravel roads lead to nice places off of the paved road and make for great bicycling. The lake is renowned for trout fishing and is well suited to kayaking.
SPECIAL SUNDAY EVENT CHALLENGE! There are some great dayhikes on trails the general area, including trails to the north at Mill Creek Falls/Clear Lake, and farther north, ultra scenic Pine Creek Basin. BUT . . . this year on Sunday we will present a special competitive and fun hiking and navigation challenge, the Hat Mountain Challenge! The highest point in Lassen County is Hat Mountain, elev. 8738 ft, and it is about 8 straightline miles east of Blue Lake. Very few have stood atop Hat Mtn, as there are a number of possible approaches, no official trails and it can be challenging to get close in terms of navigation and terrain. At your own risk, go solo or form teams, choose routes, and lets see who can be first atop Hat Mtn, and who can make it at all, rewarded by edible prizes and a spectacular view from the top. See photo section, for Hat Mtn/Lost Lake photo and an old topo map, but be warned many routes shown on the topo no longer exist. Our Blue Lake Memorial Day Campout would be a great time to do recon, form teams, strategies, etc.
See the Photos section of this event post for more photos and maps.
There is a nice little general store at Likely on Highway 395 right where you turn off 395 and head East on the paved road to Blue Lake. The store has gas pumps, but they are only operative when the store is open, and hours are quite limited. It is best to top off with gas in Susanville or wherever you can, and if the Likely store is open, you can top off again there.
Likely, CA on 395 is about 85 mi N of Susanville. When you reach Likely, you take the paved road East that starts immediately S of the general store. There are few paved roads in the region, but the road is paved to the Campground. Watch for Blue Lake signs on the paved road, especially where the paved road forks when you reach Jess Valley, the big meadow, and there you take the right, South, fork. The Campground is about 18 mi from Likely.
LEGAL: Each person who RSVP's "Yes, and or attends or participates in this posted meetup event, agrees unconditionally to the following by virtue of such RSVP, attendance or participation, without further assent:
1. No organizer or host shall owe any legal duty, or have any financial liability or obligation, or any duty to warn to any member, participant, guest or attendee regarding anything relating to any posting, person, risk, or event.
2. Each member, participant, guest or attendee, and not any host or organizer, shall be solely responsible to determine all aspects of the safety of any event, the safety of any area where any event take place, and the suitability of the event and area for the participant in question in all respects including experience level, expertise, physical condition, and medical condition.
