Mothers, Daughters, and Marble: Backpacking Marble Mountain Wilderness with Friends, Day 1

Oregon Checkermallow, Sidalcea oregana

 

Date: August 3, 2023

Place: Marble Mountain Wilderness, Yreka, California 

Coordinates:  41.593839, -123.142869

Length: 6 miles

Level: strenuous

 

 

On the summer of 2022 I went with my friend on a backpacking trip to Snow Mountain. That trip was cut short because of the weather, and left us wanting more. Last summer we managed to find a suitable time window, and we took my friend's spouse's suggestion to go to Marble Mountain Wilderness. My friend suggested that we'd bring along our daughters and have a mothers-daughters trip. My elder chika was too busy with her own things. Besides, she had already gone with me on a backpacking trip earlier that summer, and decided it was not so much her thing. I therefore presented the idea to my young chika. My young chika knows my friend's daughter and likes her a lot, so she accepted enthusiastically. In preparation of this trip I  Bought a book written by a local ranger, and planned our route based on his endless superlatives of a particular region of the Marble Mountain Wilderness . The author said in the book that the places shouldn't be missed is the Marble Valley and the Little Marble Valley. We therefore planned a route that goes by these valleys.

Our planned trailhead, Lovers Camp, was almost a full day's drive from our home, so my chika and I left n the previous evening, stayed over night in Red Bluff, and met with our friends in Yreka after lunch. By the time we reached the trailhead it was already 3 pm. We knew we wouldn't have the time to hike all the way up to the main ridge area, so our plan was to go up Red Rock Valley trail and find a campsite along the way. 

At the Lovers Camp Cliff Lake Trailhead

About 50 yards into the hike I noticed I forgot my camera in the car. I went back to retrieve it and quickly caught up with the others. What I didn't realize was that I also forgot the charging cable for my GPS. It didn't matter for recording the first day though. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS

Right on the beginning we ended up splitting to the stock trail. We didn't realized it at the time though, we figured it out only on our way back, three days later. We started at a good pace and although I warned my hike mates  that I tend to stop frequently to take photos, I didn't take that many on this part of the trail.

Bog Orchid

About a mile into the hike we had to cross Canyon Creek in a place that was suitable for stock but less so for people. We had to take off our shoes and wade in the water across.

Saxifrage

After the creek crossing the trail started ascending through the forest, mildly at first, with a few switchbacks.

Cliff Lake Trail

The forest was fairly dense and I could barely see the opposite ridge across the valley. Very quickly we established that I was the slowest hiker in our group so with a mild nudge I was placed in the lead, thus verifying that our group stays together and doesn't stretch on the trail.

Although we didn't walk fast, the trail felt like it was evaporating under our feet. The hike was not difficult, and we all chatted happily, especially the girls. Every now and then we came upon other people, mostly day hikers, that were coming down the trail. A couple of them were preceded by a dog that started barking when she saw us and had to be called back by her owners.We all stopped and chatted for a little while. The descending couple told us that we should expect lots of running creeks on our way, information that we were glad to hear because it meant not having to carry much water on us. It turned out however, that they meant higher up the Cliff Lake Trail, and we were about to turn on the Red Rock Valley Trail.

For some time we were ascending through the forest on Red Rock Valley Trail as well. I kept on the lead and the other three lined up close behind me. I suppose that if I was alone I would have taken it slower. As it was, I felt the need to push on and moved as fast as I allowed myself to walk. 

Red Rock Valley Trail

We didn't see any side creeks at first. Not within the forest area. But we see more wildflowers the higher we ascended. 

Erigeron sp.

Eventually the trail leveled considerably, and the scenery changed into small open meadows interspaces by forested patches.    

Red Rock Valley Trail

There were many more wildflowers blooming in the open meadow areas. The lower meadows seemed to be past peak bloom, but there was still much to see. 

Common Yarrow (left) and Cinquefoil (right)

A few butterflies flew between the flowers. I didn't want t stop for too long but occasionally I did get to take a photo of a paused butterfly. 

Butterfly on a Goldenrod Bloom

Not only butterflies were in the air. I detected a dragonfly that was resting on a rock and was almost perfectly camouflaged on it. 

Dragonfly

Our water breaks were short. We pushed on, wishing to get to a suitable campsite with enough daylight to set up camp and to make dinner. We were also hopeful that there will be water near where we wanted to camp. 

Higher up the trail I started seeing more plant species. The bloom seemed closer to its peak as well. I took most of the photographs while on the move, but some did turn out ok. 

Great Red Paintbrush, Castilleja miniata

More flowers brought more butterflies. The large swallowtail butterflies had my friend pause to take photos too. 

Swallowtail Butterfly

During the past winter California got a lot of precipitation and despite the continuous heat since May, I thought there might be some snow left up high in the mountains. Far ahead of us I saw a small patch of snow, and that was the only snow we've seen on this trip. 

For a while we kept walking between meadows and forested areas. In general, the uphill ascends were in the forested areas while the meadows were relatively flat.  We also kept on the lookout for water - we have not yet seen any surface water since the first creek we crossed. 

Red Rock Valley Trail

We could hear the main creek of Red Rock Valley flowing over t the side but had no access to it. We weren't worried though, we still had plenty of water. 

Common Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum lanatum

We reached a nicely flowing side creek and carefully crossed it, hopping on strategically-placed stepping stones. 

My friend's daughter was the one who spotted the lily for me. Of course I had to pause and take a closer look on this. 

Wiggins' Lily, Lilium pardalinum ssp. wigginsii

Clouds started gathering above us. The forecast had a small chance of rain, and I hoped that it wouldn't happen, or at least not until we were all tucked for the night. 

We were closer to the Red Rock Creek now, and could hear it flowing nearby. Wherever we chose to camp, now we would have access to water. The earth was more damp too, and the vegetation varied accordingly. 

Seep Monkeyflower, Erythranthe gutatta

We kept moving on though, wishing to get to the trail junction with the Little Elk Lake trail and camp there for the night. 

Crimson Columbine, Aquilegia formosa

A large rocky peak loomed on the west. I checked the map but it didn't have a name for it. 

My chika was beginning to tire. My friend's daughter was all energetic and chatty, and pulled her on forward. I looked at the map - we were getting close to the trail junction. I was getting tired too, but I didn't say anything. 

Sickletop Lousewort, Pedicularis racemosa

Although whenever I stopped to take a photo of a wildflower, I also took a moment to catch my breath. There were plenty of flowers along this part of the trail - both in the little open meadows and in the woods.

Pipsissewa, Chimaphila umbellata

The last bit of the hike was fairly flat and we increased our pace, ready to find a place to camp. Whenever I backpack in a new place I always wonder how the camping areas would look like and how easy it would be to spot them. In high use areas this is usually easy, but we were hiking on a less used trail. 

Red Rock Valley Trail

I was very happy and quite surprised to spot a patch of downingia near the trail. Downingia grow in flood-prone places right after the water dried out. Always before I've seen them in low elevations and this was the first time I've seen them bloom up in the mountains. 

Cascade Downingia, Downingia yina

On the last leg of the hike my friend took the lead and went ahead to scout for the campsite. She found it right at the trail junction where it was supposed to be. It was nice and flat, with plenty of space to set up a number of tents, and a short walk to the creek below.  Our hike was done for the day. 

Little Elk Lake Trail Junction Campsite

We quickly pitched our tents and turned our attention into making dinner. My friend, who already scouted the creek below, suggested that we would have our dinner there, and we all agreed and floowed her down with our food and cooking gear. 

Baldhip Rose, Rosa gymnocarpa

On the way down to the creek I saw quite a few wildflowers, mainly roses, checkerbloom, and paintbrush. 

Dwarf Checkermallow, Sidalcea malviflora

The Red Rock Creek was running nicely but not very high. There was no problem crossing it without having to take our shoes off, but finding a spot to conveniently fill our bottles was more of a challenge. 

Red Rock Creek

While dinner was cooking I took the opportunity to look around some more. There seemed to be much more bloom on the other side of the creek, and I skipped across to take a closer look. 

On the other side of the creek was the first place on this trip that I saw lupine in bloom. In the very beginning of its bloom. 

Broadleaf Lupine, Lupinulatifolius

Before crossing back I looked at my trip partners. They were all relaxed, enjoying time together, playing word games while making dinner and treating water. I joined them and joined the word game. The clouds continued to gather, and near the end of our dinner a light drizzle started, accompanied by some far away thunder. The drizzle ended quickly, and we cleared and stashed our food and  cooking gear. 

Dinner by the Creek

Our day wasn't done, though. While she was scouting ahead, my friend had checked the area across the creek and saw many flowers there. Now she wanted to show me the area. My chika and her friend didn't want to join us and stayed at the camp site. 

White Bog Orchid, Platanthera dilatata

My friend wanted to see the trail that goes up to Little Elk Lake, even if we weren't going to hike up it. She was right about the intense bloom along that part of the trail. 

Daisy, Erigeron sp.

Most of the bloom there was in an overgrown meadow. The thin trail was barely visible in the thick vegetation. We pushed through the overgrown plants, accumulating a few scratches on the way. 

Little Elk Lake Trail

The light was getting low. Of the numerous photos I took on this little scouting walk only a few came out right. 

Horsemint, Agastache urticifolia

We didn't plan t go very far on this trail. My friend had seen a cascade on the creek when she was there earlier, and wanted to show it to me.  

Pacific Ninebark, Physocarpus capitatus

We pushed thrugh the side vegetation to get to a point of view of the cascade. There was no good view point where we could stand stable and have a tree-free view of the water, but we did see the cascade and enjoyed the sound of leaping water. 

Red Rock Creek

We stood by the creek for a little while, then started back to the campground. The clouds thinned a bit and I was able to snap a few more photos on the way back. 

Angelica, Angelica sp.

The evening came and light faded fast. Anticipating more possible rain, we all finished our evening routine quickly and got ready to get in our tents. My friend and her daughter had their lights n and were reading a book inside their tent. My chika tucked herself inside the sleeping bag and closed her eyes. I remained outside last, making one last run to the creek to fill the bottles. I sat on a log for a while, savoring the peaceful forest, until I felt sleep creeping on me. I went inside the tent and tucked myself in, hoping for a good night sleep. On the morrow, we'd be going up to Marble Valley, and I expected to be awed. 

Link to second day blogpost.