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Published: October 12th 2012
I’m up before the sun and it’s cold. The sky is starting to show colors and I break out the Pocket Rocket to boil water for some tea. Freezing. I make my tea, and cozy up in the hammock to watch the sky lighten. It’s a quick, cold breakfast of hardboiled egg, a slice of cheese and a banana. Time to prep my day pack. I’ll take 3 liters in the platypus with some magnesium powder mixed in, a little smoked salmon, jerky and cheese for lunch, plus an extra Guayaki yerba matte power shot, thank you very much. Time to button up camp, change into my hiking gear and I’m down the road.
Today I’m hiking Brokeoff Mountain, which is ultimately why I decided to stay in this half of the park. It’s the second highest peak in Lassen National Park touting spectacular 360 degree views from the top. It’s approximately 3.7 each way starting from 6,414ft ascending to 9,235ft. I’m excited to check it out!
Wow! The sky is incredible this morning! There are lots of clouds and color. That coupled with the shapes rising out of the topography make for a mystical setting. The road winds uphill
to the park summit and then back down, zig zagging horizontally back and forth across the mountain. There are mind blowing views around every bend. Many of the lakes are now dry, creating meadows full of fall color with small streams meandering through. I see a pullout ahead and stop. There she is! Brokeoff Mountain. I’ll see you shortly my friend!
It’s about 13 miles from the campground to the park entrance in this direction as well. There’s a visitor center, café and campground here which I’ll check out after I’m done with the hike. I keep seeing signs in the park that make me understand just how fortunate I am to be here at this particular time. Signs such as “limit of 20 hikers per group on trail at a time”. Ah, the joys of off-season travel. The trailhead for Brokeoff Mountain is just outside the Southwest park entrance. I see two guys setting off as I’m pulling in, but other than them, the trailhead parking area is quiet. I take a few minutes to gear up and set off.
The hike starts out uphill on a very lush, brushy path. The floor is roots, almost like stairs
for the first section. In almost no time, I’m in a picturesque little meadow with streams and reflection pools here and there. The color is amazing, the water is so green. My eyes are bugging a bit at all the beauty and I need to watch where I’m walking.
Eventually I start to warm up and need to take some layers off. “Start light” you can always add. But I just couldn’t this morning. I was too cold. Now the trail heads directly towards the south side of Brokeoff Mountain. The path is gentle and not steep. It winds along and goes through more meadows, more forest. The distinctive rocky peak getting ever closer. The trail then cuts around the backside of the mountain and suddely it's super windy and cold. I just took off half my clothes and packed them up. Oh well.
The wind continues and it’s not abating. I see the two young men I had seen in the parking lot. We exchange a “hey” and I see they have very satisfied looks on their faces. I know it will be good. Above 7,800ft it’s bitingly windy and cold to the top. I do have to
say the trail is very nice. Not too rocky and fairly soft on the feet.
They didn’t overstate the views! It’s a small, flat peak with fantastic views in every direction. The wind is blowing really hard so it’s hard to hang out. I take a video, some pictures and head back down. I was planning on having lunch at the top, but there is no shelter so I start down.
I find a super lunch spot with stellar views. Lassen Peak looming in the background. Hello. . .
A man comes down who had headed up after me, his dog stopping by to try and eat my lunch. I pass a few other people on the way down and it’s done. Now what? Visitor center and firewood!
The visitor center has a café and I get a hot ham sandwich. Pretty good! I also pick up a trail map of the entire park. On the way back to camp, I’m sure to stop at all the turnouts I drove by this morning and have a look. I find a great spot near the park summit to gather some wood. The Honda is filling
up and I’m feeling secure about my wood situation.
I pull into camp and what’s this? The campground is still empty except someone has decided to camp right next to me. Really? Really? Heavy sigh. . . Okay, getting over it and moving forward.
I back the CRV right up to the fire ring and unload my stash. The Sven saw assembles in a minute so it's time to get busy. I open a beer and take breaks from the firewood, sipping and swinging in my hammock. My feet are sore and it feels good to get them in the air. As I work I think of Dick Proenneke,
Alone in the Wilderness, "I . . . . hiked 30 miles, now I. . . . will chop wood to build a house . . .. . .” and I laugh out loud. Maybe my new neighbors will decide to move away from the lady sawing wood and laughing to herself!
No such luck. But they seem alright, quiet enough in their Pink Panther van.
Tonight it’s miso soup for dinner. I get the fire going and set about picking up camp, looking forward to
kicking back next to the fire. Dinner is done and it was fine. An easy camp meal and clean up. My fire is hot and I’m happy. It was a great day in the park. The campground is very quiet.
When camp chores are done I settle into my gravity chair. It's set up on a downward slope so when reclining, I’m horizontal on the perfect star gazing platform. Covered in a blanket, comfy and warm next to the fire, I stare up into the night. I see a shooting star!
. . . .and so it goes for the rest of the evening. 😱
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Charley
non-member comment
A problem..
Michele , I HAVE to quit reading these..! I have lived close by all these years and have never taken advantage of the area..Your descriptions are so well done that I just need to do one of these, at least once :) Keep up the excellent work!!