BACKPACK: UPPER SKY LAKES BASIN
Details
Please read the following carefully.
We are still in the wildfire season, so stay alert for possible changes to this event.
THIS TRIP REQUIRES PREPARING for overnight in the wilderness. The appropriate gear is needed, your own provisions, and be able to hike with a full pack. If you want to share gear, arrangements would have to be made between members. TIP: For more comfortable wilderness foot travel, be cognitive about the weight of your pack. I recommend targeting 30 pounds or less including food and water.
I set a low cap on the group size for a backpack trip. Please change your RSVP if later you are unable to attend. In doing so, this courtesy changes the status of those signed up after you when a wait list forms.
Itinerary:
Day one: From Cold Springs Trailhead, 5-mile hike to Margurette Lake and pitch camp for two nights.
Day two: Hike the 8-mile Luther Mountain Loop past the Snow Lakes and then connect with the Pacific Crest Trail for a short distance before descending on the Divide Trail back to camp at Margurette Lake.
Day three: Return hike to Cold Springs Trailhead with an optional detour to Isherwood Lake and other lakes in the lower basin. If we choose the route this adds 1.3-miles and a total of 6.3 to Cold Springs Trailhead.
The extended weekend appears to be trending on more mild temperatures. The daytime highs are forecasted in the 60’s and 40’s for the nights in the Upper Sky Lakes Basin. We will access Marguette Lake via the Cold Springs Trailhead. The hike is over gradual trail, passing Heavenly Twin Lakes and other small lakes along the way. For the second day, include in your gear a minimalist day or lumbar pack for our day hike on the Luther Mountain Loop. I would rate this loop route challenging with several hundred feet of elevation gain and the ups and downs on the trail, however we will be leaving our full pack at our Margurette Lake base camp.
Note: The meetup location is only a rendezvous point. I wouldn’t recommend parking a vehicle there overnight. We will caravan to the trailhead. Prior to the trip, attendees can organize ride share independently, arrange for a drop off and pick up, or follow in your own car to the trailhead.
GEAR: The contents of the list are general.
Sleep system: tent, sleeping bag, and pad.
Layers: clothes to sleep in, extra pair of socks, hat, gloves, and jacket. If there is a chance of precipitation, bring a rain shell.
Toiletries in small quantities: dental hygiene items, pain reliever, meds, lip balm, sun screen, insect repellant, and some rolled up toilet paper in a ZipLoc bag.
Cooking essentials: cooking pot, stove, fuel, lighter, cup, and utensil.
Remember: Reliable source of light with fresh batteries, first-aid, water purification system, and bottles for at least a 2-liter capacity. If you don’t have an Ursack, Bear Vault, or similar container, bring 30-50 feet of cord for suspending your provisions out of reach of bears and other denizens of the woods.
Meals: Saturday lunch – Monday lunch
Optional items: Trekking poles helps with stability, a pair of light weight camp shoes, shorts & top for swimming, and a bandana can come in handy.
MEMBERS FROM KLAMATH FALLS DIRECTION, meet at the Cold Springs Trailhead at 10:00 am. Below is the link to a Google Map.
BACKPACK: UPPER SKY LAKES BASIN