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Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: July 28th, 2020, 11:45 am
by eddiecoyote
Hello all.

I'm currently in Somalia on deployment. I'll be home and out in the woods just before September. It may be too late this year, but I'm interested in a hike from Crater Lake to Crescent City. My plan is to have my gf drop me off and pick me up, and on both ends of the hike we enjoy the local bed n breakfast. She's welcome to hike with me, of course, but I'm not sure that it's her bag.

Two years ago I did the loop around Mt Hood. Loved it. The next year I did the loop around Three Sisters. Loved it, though easier it was longer than Mt Hood. Those elevation changes at Hood were fun.

Anywho, while I'd like to do the Oregon PCT trail and I'm fairly confident I could do an average of 35 miles a day, that's defeating the purpose for me. I'm wanting to buy a camera when I return and enjoy being away from people for a change. Deployments aren't hard with the hours and work, it's hard for us introverts with the constant exposure to people every damn minute of the day. sheesh.

I'd like to take 5 to 7 days and hike. I think 20 miles a day is a nice slow pace, though I've been known to do 15 when I'm really soaking up the scenery.

I've hike all over the mid and northern part of the state but now I'm moving to Ashland and don't know the area.

I've been scouring the net for hikes, and so far it seems that my best option is to take the PCT south and then at some point take another trail west into the redwoods.

Anyone done such a hike? How is it in mid September? I froze my butt off one July at the base of South Sister when it dropped to below 10 degrees and I had a summer sleeping bag. HA!

Thanks!

Re: Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: July 28th, 2020, 12:21 pm
by adamschneider
The Klamath and Siskiyou Mountains along the OR/CA border are rugged, hot, and not very developed in terms of trails. If you really were to hike all the way out to the coast, a huge chunk of it would have to be on USFS logging roads. Finding water in September might be a challenge.

You might want to just stay on the PCT and get picked up in Castella instead.

Re: Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: August 3rd, 2020, 9:03 am
by kgbpdx
I'll second what adamschneider said about the area's ruggedness. However, I think your route would be technically possible if you linked the PCT with some of the trails in the Siskiyous and the Bigfoot trail. It would be a difficult but rewarding route. I'd have a look at the Siskiyou Mountain Club's and Bigfoot Trail's sites for maps, etc.:

https://siskiyoumountainclub.org/
https://www.bigfoottrail.org/

Re: Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: August 3rd, 2020, 9:47 am
by Aimless
Lack of water sources would be a big factor in planning that hike. The chance of wildfires would add some unpredictability. You're more likely to be coping with heat than cold, but September is always tricky in terms of weather. Just realize that the level of challenge will be on the high side. Identify some bail-out points along the way, just in case things go sideways on you.

Re: Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: August 3rd, 2020, 10:52 am
by adamschneider
I hadn't heard of the Bigfoot Trail. According to their map, there's a route to the coast on "trails" all the way west from the PCT at Red Buttes, but I wonder if maybe some of those don't exist yet, or barely exist.

map.jpg

Re: Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: August 18th, 2020, 1:35 pm
by Chazz

Re: Crater Lake to Crescent City?

Posted: August 18th, 2020, 6:31 pm
by walrus
I wonder if you could piece together something that goes down the Rogue? There is trail from Grave Creek to Foster Bar, but then I think you'd have to paddle from Foster Bar down to Gold Beach. From there, you could take the Oregon Coast Trail the rest of the way down.

I agree, though: hot, dry, fires and would add poison oak if you are sensitive to such things.