Fish Lake, Pacific Crest

Hiking through the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, I was very aware of how diverse this place is. Established in 2000 and further expanded in 2017, it protects over 114,000 acres at the meeting point of the Cascade Range and the Siskiyou Mountains. Unlike most national monuments often designated for historical or geological significance, this one was set aside specifically to preserve biodiversity. With over 200 bird species, including the threatened Northern Spotted Owl, and waterways critical to salmon in the Klamath River, it’s a haven for wildlife. Some plants exist nowhere else, like Green’s Mariposa Lily and the critically endangered Gentner’s Fritillary. More common but still useful, the Blue Elderberry shrub grows along the trail. Its flowers can be brewed into tea, and its berries are edible.

Passing a couple of reservoirs, I reached the catchment of Hyatt Reservoir. Created in 1923, it’s stocked annually with 250,000 young rainbow trout, drawing anglers from far and wide. Usually bustling with campers and boaters, today, it was quiet. I took the time to swim and cool off. A few miles later, I arrived at the even larger Howard Prairie Lake. Surrounded by fir and pine, the still water and towering trees made for a peaceful stretch of trail as I pressed on.

After another 15mi (24km) of trekking through dense forest, I reached the south side of Brown Mountain. The PCT skirted around its western foot, cutting across a vast field of solidified lava. The dark volcanic rock, with only a few sparse trees scattered across it, was a stark contrast to the thick greenery I’d been hiking through. Brown Mountain, a cinder cone at 7,344ft (2,238m), looks relatively young, but its origins date between 12,000 and 60,000 years. Its last eruption, about 2,000 years ago, left behind lava flows over 250ft (75m) deep. While the base is cloaked in old-growth forests, the summit is mostly bare, opening up views of Mount McLoughlin to the north and Fish Lake to the northwest.

Fish Lake was originally a small natural lake until a dam was built in 1898 to supply water to Rogue Valley. In the early 1900s, engineers connected it to Fourmile Lake for extra water storage. Today, it’s a peaceful recreation spot popular for trout fishing, boating, and swimming. After miles of rugged terrain, the sight of calm water was a welcome change, and I decided it was a good place to pitch my tent for the night.