Medicine Lake - Siskiyou County, California

Visited on 6/17/18 returning from a weekend adventurous camping trip where we met up with Jeff’s brother, Brian and his two nieces Hannah and Lauren up at Lava Beds National Monument near Tule Lake, CA.  On our way home we stopped drove into the Modoc National Forest to an elevation of 6,770 above sea level to check out the campgrounds and facilities offered at Medicine Lake.  It is a 640 acre lake that is located 10 miles southwest of Lava Beds National Monument and 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta, CA.
Medicine Lake is considered one of the most gorgeous lakes in California. It is located far off the beaten path, but the long drive is worth every bump when you catch that first breath-taking glance of the lake sparkling against a backdrop of thick woods. It's deep blue in color and doesn't have any water coming in or out of the lake except for rainfall and snowmelt. Once the center of a volcano, this 640 acre lake is said to be at least 150 feet deep in places.

The lake lies within walking distance of the campsites. There is camping in four national forest campgrounds located along the northeast side of the lake.  Our favorite camping spot was #45 right on the lake shore.

Medicine Lake is in the caldera of the volcano, which measures 4.3 by 7.5 miles. The caldera may have formed by collapse after a large volume of andesite was erupted from vents along the caldera rim. The distribution of late Pleistocene vents, mostly concentrated along the rim, suggests that ring faults already existed when most of the andesite erupted. No single large eruption has been related to caldera formation. The only eruption recognized to have produced ash flow tuff occurred in late Pleistocene time, and this eruption was too small to account for formation of the caldera. Later conclusions were that Medicine Lake caldera formed by collapse in response to repeated extrusions of mostly mafic lava beginning early in the history of the volcano (perhaps in a manner similar to the formation of Kilauea caldera in Hawaii). Several small differentiated magma bodies may have been fed by and interspersed among a plexus of dikes and sills. Late Holocene andesitic to rhyolitic lavas were derived by fractionation, assimilation, and mixing from high alumina basalt parental magma. The small lake from which Medicine Lake volcano derives its name lies within the central caldera.

One of the greatest camping spots on the Lake at #45.

Fall River Lake - Shasta County, California

Visited on 6/15/18 on a weekend camping adventurous trip to meet up with Jeff’s brother, Brian and his two nieces Hannah and Lauren up at Lava Beds National Monument near Tule Lake, CA we stopped at Fall River Lake in the small town of Fall River Mills, CA.  Fall River Lake is a 194 acre lake located 14 miles east of Burney, CA and 69 miles east of Redding, CA.  At an elevation of 3,304 above sea level, this scenic area has a wealth of native wildlife and vegetation. The water is as clear and healthy as any waters in California. It is home to an eclectic mix of migrating ducks, deer, various eagle species, heron, osprey, and many animals. It is difficult to describe how intoxicating this place is and how mesmerizing it’s many vistas. The one aspect that has kept it almost entirely secret is the limited access.

Fall River Lake provides visitors with endless recreational opportunities.  Kayaking and canoeing are a popular activity. Anglers will find rainbow and brows to be plentiful. For birdwatchers and nature lovers, there is waterfowl of all kinds.  Fall River Lake attracts outdoor enthusiast who love wildness and waters of utmost purity!

The harmonious atmosphere at this visited lake can provide a tranquil paddle uninterrupted by noisy powerboat traffic and crowds.  Nature lovers, bird watchers, duck hunters and wilderness oriented fly fishers covet this treasure. Those who seek the out of the way paddling getaways will not be disappointed.

The rutted dirt access is not well-maintained nor is it well marked, which makes the lake a little difficult to reach. It may also be one reason there was only one other boat on the lake besides myself on a holiday weekend. There are a handful of primitive boat-in campsites along the shore with vault toilets (but no water).
 

Clear Lake Reservoir - Modoc County, California

Visited on 6/17/18 returning from a weekend adventurous camping trip where we met up with Jeff’s brother, Brian and his two nieces Hannah and Lauren up at Lava Beds National Monument near Tule Lake, CA.  On our way home we drove down into the Tule Valley and navigated our way on dirt rutted roads with storm clouds looming overhead, through cow pastures for miles until we found Clear Lake Reservoir.  This reservoir is located on the eastern side of the Tule Valley about 19 miles from Tule Lake, CA on U.S. Forest Land in the Modoc National Forest at an elevation of 4,498 above sea level.  It is a very large 24,800 acre reservoir that is very shallow.
 
The Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1911, this 46,460 acre refuge consists of approximately 20,000 acres of open water surrounded by upland habitat of bunchgrass, low sagebrush, and juniper. Small, rocky islands in the lake provide nesting sites for the American white pelican, doublecrested cormorant, and other colonial nesting birds. The upland areas serve as habitat for pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and sage grouse. Except for limited waterfowl and pronghorn antelope hunting during the regular California State seasons, the refuge is closed to public access to protect fragile habitats and to reduce disturbance to wildlife. The Clear Lake Reservoir is the primary source of water for the agricultural program of the eastern half of the Klamath Basin with water levels regulated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

For the wildlife enthusiast, a visit to the Klamath Basin Refuges at any season is a voyage of never–ending discovery. Year to year and season to season the dynamic ebb and flow of wildlife is a process of constant change. Over 490 wildlife species have been observed in the basin including 353 species of birds. Fall and spring bring the drama of one to three million ducks, geese and swans using refuge wetlands as a vital stopover in their annual migrations. Winter bald eagle numbers peak in mid February with basin populations ranking as the largest recorded in the contiguous United States. Thousands of wetland nesting birds also raise their young on the six Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges.

Located in Modoc County, California near the Oregon border, Clear Lake Reservoir stands statuesque among the surrounding hills and plains. The original earthfill dam was built across the Lost River in 1910 and replaced with a new concrete dam in 2002. Though the reservoir was first created to reduce water flow into the Tule Lake wetlands and store irrigation water for agricultural land, the area has since become home to one of the most important wildlife refuges in the state. Because of its large surface area (25,760 acres maximum) and relatively shallow depths, the reservoir has a high rate of evaporation during warm weather. Clear Lake Reservoir should not be confused with Clear Lake, a natural lake located in Lake County, California.

Modoc National Forest commands 1,654,392 acres of northeastern California real estate, housing within its boundaries the Warner Mountains, from the Cascade Range, and a forest bed that was covered by lava millions of years ago. In the lower elevations, visitors to the forest will find bitterbrush and curl-leaf mahogany, which slowly give way to a sprinkling of aspen, incense cedar, ponderosa pine, red fir, and white fir in higher elevations. At the forest's highest elevations, you'll find lodgepole and western white pines, as well as some startlingly beautiful vistas from your vantage point on top of the forest's summit.

Wind your way along nature trails that were once traveled by covered wagons and their brave passengers, their wheel ruts still carved into the canyon rock. Take a hike along a section of the famous Oregon Trail, experiencing the forest in almost the same state as those settlers many years ago. Walk the paths of the Native Americans and settlers who trapped, hunted, and fished for their living. Catch a glimpse of early 20th century life in Tom Smith's Cabin, now listed on the National Register of historic places. As you hike through the Modoc National Forest, you'll not only have a front row seat to the area's diverse wildlife, but you'll take a trip back in time.

Dorris Reservoir - Modoc County, California

Visited on 6/11/2018 on our way back from Springfield, Oregon to visit family and to attend Jeff’s niece, Hannah’s High School graduation ceremony.  We stopped on the way back to check out Dorris Reservoir just 3 miles east of Alturas, California.  This 1,060 acre reservoir is located in the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge at a location of 4,396 feet above sea level.  The mountains in the distance were beautiful with a light snow cap on the top of them.  Very peaceful and quiet area with just barn swallows swooping down near the dam when we visited.

Located at #2 on this map is Dorris Reservoir.

I tried to capture the barn swallows swooping along the shoreline of Dorris Reservoir.

Big Sage Reservoir - Modoc County, California

Visited on 6/10/2018 on our way back from Springfield, Oregon to visit family and to attend Jeff’s niece, Hannah’s High School graduation ceremony.  We stopped on the way back to check out this nice remote lake with wild horses and cattle grazing around the beautiful peaceful lake.  Big Sage Reservoir rests at an elevation of 4,400 feet on a sage and juniper covered plateau.  This 5,400 acre is located 8 miles north of the City of Alturas.  The water edge was difficult to navigate in our truck camper on the unpaved trail that led down to the lake.  We hiked down to the lake by navigating near grazing cattle and some wild horses.  The dogs played in the water to cool off as we kept one eye on the nearby cattle with calves to make sure they didn’t charge us!  On our way up to the lake we passed Devil’s Garden Conservation Camp built and maintained by the California Department of Fire and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.  They help fight forest fires and maintain the roads in the area.

West Valley Reservoir - Lassen County, California

Visited on 6/9/2018 on our way back from Springfield, Oregon to visit family and to attend Jeff’s niece, Hannah’s High School graduation ceremony.  We stopped on the way back home to check out this nice reservoir.  West Valley Reservoir is in the northeastern corner of California at an elevation of 4,770 feet, east of Highway 395 near the town of Likely, California.  This 970-acre Reservoir Located in high desert terrain with lava rock, Sage brush, and Juniper.   It has a shoreline of 7 miles which is usually frozen over from December to early March.  West Valley is owned and administered by Modoc County.  We traversed unpaved roads with our truck camper to get a good vantage point to view this lake.  It is somewhat remote and has limited facilities for the primitive camper.

Clear Lake - Modoc County, California

Visited on 6/11/2018 on our way back from Springfield, Oregon to visit family and to attend Jeff’s niece, Hannah’s High School graduation ceremony.  We decided to venture back to hike to Mill Creek Falls and hike to a small lake at the top of the ridge just beyond the falls.  We drove back to the Mill Creek Falls Campground which is located at the south end of the beautiful and lush Warner Mountain Range. This range is wetter than most in this area, largely due to its relatively higher elevation and volcanic origin (volcanic rock does not absorb water and it is more fertile).

The Falls are very nice and they were full of water when we visited.  Clear Lake is a beautiful small lake about a ¼ mile hike on over the ridge from the Mill Creek Falls and trail head directional signage.  We first hiked uphill ¼ mile to the overlook for the beautiful Mill Creek Falls.  Camping Sites 10 - 14 are close enough to the waterfalls that they can be heard...a dull roar, but a pleasant white noise. Great for sleeping.

The Clear Lake/Poison Flat Trails depart from the back of the campground. From the trailhead, it is approximately 10 minutes to Mill Creek Falls (no more than 100' elevation change whole route). Mill Creek Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in Modoc County.

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