In the West Salmon Mountains of Trinity Alps Wilderness, day 2 followed better trail, as we headed up to Horse Ridge Trail along Horse Trail Ridge, tagging Trinity Summit (Guard Station) and North Trinity Mountain along the way. It hardly ever lost us!

More details here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/04/trinity-trinity-summit-and-horse-trail.html

#California #HumboldtCounty #TrinityCounty #SixRiversNationalForest #TrinityNationalForest #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #TrinityAlpsWilderness #SalmonMountains
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger

2nd day: Starting off fighting snow, heading north on the PCT as the trail eventually gets to a ridge line walk. We headed up, appropriately, Big Ridge for the day's destination, then returned to Paradise Lake.

All the details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2026/04/paradise-big-ridge.html

#California #SiskiyouCounty #KlamathNationalForest #MarbleMountainWilderness #PacificCrestTrail #PCT
#backpacking #hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #mountains #peakbagging #peakbagger #snow #lakes

Day 2 had the one peak to bag with its Buena Vista as well as some beautiful lakes to stop by: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/08/buena-yosemite-buena-vista-lake-and.html

#YosemiteNationalPark #California #MariposaCounty #MaderaCounty #YosemiteWilderness
#hiking #backpacking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #Yosemite #peakBagging #peakbagger

Day 3 was moving day and had lots of free time, so I got to hike the Wilderness high point, which happens to be the Mendocino National Forest high point too!

More here: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/south-yolla-bolly-mount-linn.html

#California #TehamaCounty #MendocinoNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness
#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakbagging #peakbagger #volunteering #NRT #BigfootTrail

Day 4 was for returning, but there was enough time for one more peak and a visit to the triple point. Water from there variously goes into the Smith River (via middle fork), the Illinois River (via east fork), and Klamath River (via Clear Creek).

The details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/06/preston-youngs-peak.html

#California #KlamathNationalForest #SiskiyouWilderness #SiskiyouNationalForest #RogueRiverSiskiyouNationalForest #SiskiyouCounty #DelNorteCounty #SmithRiverNationalRecreationArea

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakBagging #peakbagger

Day 3 had thoughts of some diversions, then different, better, actual diversions while making some of the return. The higher, but not highest, peak was bagged.

The details: https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/05/preston-el-capitan.html

#California #KlamathNationalForest #SiskiyouWilderness #SiskiyouCounty #ElCapitan #notThatOne

#hiking #nature #landscape #travel #hike #outside #backpacking #peakbagging #peakbagger

Next, the hike:
https://valhikes.blogspot.com/2025/05/black-rock-mountain-lookout.html
which visited the old Guard Station location and then climbed to the fire lookout location. Only one is still standing and none were entered.

#California #TrinityCounty #TehamaCounty #ShastaTrinityNationalForest #YollaBollyMiddleEelWilderness

#hiking #dayhike #ShastaTrinityNF #TrinityNF #YollaBolly #fireLookout #nature #wilderness #publicLands #TrinityNationalForest #landscape #hike #travel #outside #peakbagger #peakbagging