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MY ADVENTURE Peak experience on Preston Peak Iconic mountain hike offers a wealth of treasures Comment By George Sexton for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By George Sexton for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM By George Sexton for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM --> IF YOU GO From the Oregon/California border on Highway 199, drive approximately 5 miles south to the sign for the Knopki Creek Road and take a left (east) onto the bridge over Griffin Cr... » Read more X IF YOU GO From the Oregon/California border on Highway 199, drive approximately 5 miles south to the sign for the Knopki Creek Road and take a left (east) onto the bridge over Griffin Creek onto Forest Service Road 18N07. This road takes you about 16 miles up into the mountains to the Young's Peak Trailhead. There are two junctions on the road to be aware of. At the 8-mile marker be sure to take the right toward Sanger Lake. And 15 miles in take another right toward the trailhead. These junctions occasionally have signs but they are often vandalized or removed. A Siskiyou Wilderness Map and a full tank of gas are recommended. » Social News Preston Peak is not the highest mountain in the Siskiyous, but it is certainly the most iconic. Standing tall amidst a range of wilderness peaks and looking down on Raspberry Lake, Rattlesnake Meadows and the expansive old-growth forests of the aptly named Clear Creek Watershed, Preston is special. It offers both the macro of stunningly rugged mountain cliffs that overwhelm the landscape and the micro of botanical treasures that reward those with a careful eye. My only previous climb to 7,300-foot foot Preston Peak was back in 2002, and for the past 13 years I’ve often reflected on how lucky I am to have enjoyed a view that stretched from Mount Shasta to the Pacific Ocean in which ancient forests defined the landscape. Growing up during the heyday of logging in the Oregon Cascades and Coast Range mountains, as a young man I was used to being rewarded for bagging a peak with a sweeping view of endless clearcuts and logging roads. After patiently listening to my frequent rants and raves about the magnificence of Preston Peak, my buddy Michael finally insisted that we plan three days and two nights in the Siskiyou Wilderness to camp at Raspberry Lake and day-hike up the ridge to the summit. I could hardly say no. The 6.2-mile hike into Raspberry Lake is unforgettable. One follows an old mining road that is slowly being reclaimed by the wilderness down into Young’s Valley as views of the high Siskiyou Mountains improve with nearly every step. It is gorgeous and dramatic country. Just to the north, the headwaters of the East Fork of the Illinois River begin, eventually flowing into the Rogue, while rainfall in Young’s Valley feeds Clear Creek, which is a cold-water tributary to the Klamath. The trailhead starts in yet a third major watershed, that of the undammed and fish-friendly Smith River. I know of no other place in the region where one can so easily hike between three of the most beloved and beautiful watersheds on the West Coast. Nestled into a basin between Copper Mountain and Preston Peak, Raspberry Lake is a justifiably popular wilderness destination that makes for a convenient and pleasant base camp. In the spring, azaleas provide a lakeside floral display, while in the summer the lake is irresistible as a swimming hole. An exposed rock outcropping extends into Raspberry on the north side of the Lake from which one can view the surrounding landscape, or if bold (and foolish) enough, dive into the deep waters. The distance from Raspberry Lake to Preston Peak is surprisingly short, if one measures distance by how the crow flies. But the elevation gain is immense and the route is extremely steep. A faint, user-created trail appears and disappears as the route leads out of the lake basin and up a steep ridge toward an unnamed false summit that can be seen from the lake. Then things get wild. Skirting the false summit one reaches a saddle with the first expansive views to the east, where the Red Buttes rise up on the far side of Indian Creek. From the saddle, the approach up the west flank of Preston looks like madness — a series of rock walls, boulders and ridges. With mindful route-finding and careful footing, there is a nontechnical route around each of the obstacles on the long, slow trudge up the mountainside. A surprising diversity of rare conifers and shrubs covers much of the route, lending credence to the Forest Service designation of Preston as a Geological and Botanical Area of note. When Michael, Zola the wonder-dog reached the summit we could see neither Mount Shasta nor the ocean. Smoke had rolled in from wildfires throughout the Siskiyous. We were in fire country, during fire season, and smoke was all around. Prior to the Forest Service Smokey the Bear war on wildfire, this would have been a frequent and normal occurrence. And now fire is coming back whether we like it or not. The real secret about climbing Preston Peak is that the views of Shasta and the Pacific Ocean that I’d remembered from my trip in 2002 aren’t the best part. The rugged mountains, the wilderness forest, the alpine lakes and meadows, and the long slog to a remote and wild landscape are their own rewards. Life is good in the Siskiyou Mountains. George Sexton is Conservation Director for the Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center. By George Sexton for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By George Sexton for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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