Trail views landscapes showing questionable USFS salvage logging of wildfire sites near the wilderness boundary. In the wilderness the route traverses the Kelsey Range and the Siskiyou Crest affords panoramas of the coast ranges, Siskiyou and Marble Mtns, Trinity Alps, Kalmiopsis and the Pacific Ocean. Excellent views of Preston and other Siskiyou Peaks, Dillon and Clear Creek drainages and historical, geological and biological features are of interest.
The moderately strenuous 14 mile Trail, the Siskiyou leg of the Kelsey Trail, begins on the Clear/Dillon Creek Divide, rises to the Kelsey Range--Bear and Red Mountains--drops into a Dillon Creek headwaters, and goes over the Siskiyou Crest to Harrington Lake in the South Fork of the Smith River watershed. At Harrington Lake one may continue on to Gunbarrel or Buck Creek trailheads on the Smith River or follow the Siskiyou Crest to Elk Valley.
Distance: 0.0
Elevation: 4700'
Trailhead: A tree sign is marked Bear Lakes. In 1996 the
trailhead was pushed over the landing by heavy equipment related to fire
salvage. The trail is not obvious. Walk toward the ridge crest from the
road.
Distance: 0.2
Elevation: 4750'
Elbow Springs. Don't expect water here late in season.
A wooden Elbow Springs arrow nailed pointing down to a trailside fir is
easily missed.
Distance: 1.7
Elevation: 5000'
Bear Valley Gap. Looking down on Bear Valley nestled in
Clear Creek watershed. I did not see a side trail depart.
Distance: 2.0
Elevation: 5560'
Bear Pass Wilderness Boundary. A side trail junction departs
here for little Bear Valley and Bear Lakes. Down this trail about 0.2 miles
is Little Bear Valley and a waterhole in meadow. To Bear Lakes take trail
downhill. This one mile trail may seem to be taking you to lower lake but
hang in there going downhill.
Distance:4.5
Elevation:5000'
Gap in Red Mountain. Here the peridotite landscape begins.
Approaching the gap you will see a flat on the other side with a large boulder
in it. That's where you are heading to sit down in an old camp. Water is
available early in the season.
Distance:6.0
Elevation: 5616'
Red Mountain. You will stop many times in this area unless
driven by slashing rain, snow, or wind, as views are many, including one
into the canyon of Clear Creek 4000' below. From here the trail rapidly
descends.
Distance:7.5
Elevation: 5040'
Dillon Creek. Dense fir forest by avalanche chute. Water
year round in creek and at spring by trail camp.
Distance: 8.5
Elevation: 5640'
Clear Creek Junction. Danger in winter. Don't plan a Clear
Creek component of your trip unless you know that you can cross this formidable
stream--several times to get to the Clear Creek trailhead.
Distance:8.6
Elevation: 5610'
Hillside Seep. A pitcher plant (Darlingtonia californica)
seepside camp.
Distance: 9.6
Elevation: 5360'
Willis Hole. Looking down on a broad flat basin of Dillon
Creek headwaters with pond.
Distance: 9.9
Elevation: 5800'
Siskiyou Crest. Highest point of trip great views in all
directions. Can see the Pacific Ocean. From here trail descends 500' trail
may be obscure in places looking downhill head to left if in doubt to encounter
headwaters basin. Trail goes through a marshy area 40 yards north of lake.
Cross lake outlet stream and go away from lake around rock outcrop and circle
back to lake for campsites on south side.
Distance:10.9
Elevation: 5160'
Harrington Lake. No fish , only newts. Camps are in rocks
not by water.
The trail was originally built under the direction of a Corps of Engineers, Lt. Colonel. W. R. Kelsey, who came to Fort Jones (Scott Valley) in 1849, "retired and out of a job." In 1850 he explored, guided by Indian Scouts, to find a route to shorten the supply line to Fort Jones from Vancouver Barracks on the Columbia River. In 1851 he worked with Chinese laborers to build a trail connecting Fort Jones to the port of Crescent City. Thousand upon thousands of gold bullion and tons of supplies were shipped on the Kelsey Trail in the early gold rush days. After crossing the Marble Mountains a crucial trail juncture was the crossing of the Klamath River. At the place now called, Ferry Pt., a boatman was contracted to provide crossing services. Army packers were Californiano vaqueros from the mother lode country. The last commercial use in 1909.
Old growth forest species: bears, wolverines, marten, fisher, mountain lion, goshawk, peregrine falcon, spotted owl, white headed woodpeckers, pileated woodpecker, ruffed grouse, tree swallows, bald eagles.
At Bear Lakes Sadler Oak (Quercus sadleriana), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), weeping spruce (Picea breweriana), south wall of upper Bear Lakes basin, Alaska cedar (Cupressus nootkatensis). At Hillside Seep look for Darlingtonia seep species. Willis Hole is named for the pioneer California botanist Willis Lynn Jepson who supposedly enjoyed the diverse vegetation of this particular area. Look for Shasta fir (Abies magnifica var. shastensis) near Siskiyou Crest.
Red Mountain is composed of peridotite which yields toxic soils with low water holding capacity. Runoff is rapid and streams swell.
Adams, Steve and Greg Blomstrom 1977
CNPS Seeks To Save A Fragile Wilderness, Vol. 5 , No. 3, p 3-11
Fremontia
Hart, J. 1975
Bigfoot Country, p198-216
Sierra Club.
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