9.33 & 9.34 Sisson-Callahan hike and Mount Elwell climb in the Sierras
Long Lake, below Mount Elwell, but still above 6,000 feet Mountain arising from the lake We spent over four hours negotiating 9 miles in the Shasta Wilderness, a forest with pine fragrance, streams and the odd tree or two—that’s in the millions. It turned out to be a mixed day, a mix up in understanding the hike but our best at judging a difficult-to-follow path. It’s easy to understand that people often get lost, spending days in a forest. How much further to go before the summit? Finally, at the peak We did not see another soul during the hike. However, when we do meet people, it’s often an eye opener discovering different lifestyles. We came across a young couple meandering along a mountain on Monday. After a brief chat, we suggested they hike Black Butte. “We don’t have a car,” they replied. ‘How did you get here?’ We asked. “We walked from the town,” they said. For the record, the town is eleven miles away. The woman, who is a nurse, was carrying at least 50 po...