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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 11, 2006 Puck Lakes hike offers a taste of 'east-side' ecology By Bill kettler Mail Tribune A trail on the east side of the Cascades passes a pair of lakes that are often overlooked by hikers hurrying toward more scenic grandeur in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The Puck Lakes lie just north of the Nannie Creek Trail, which enters the Sky Lakes Wilderness north of Klamath Lake. Although it's only a few miles east of Lake of the Woods, the trail (No. 3707) has a distinctive "east-side" feel because it receives significantly less rain. Trees tend to be smaller on the east side, and there's much less understory vegetation. The lakes are relatively shallow, so they tend to warm up enough to make swimming a possibility by this time of year. They also can provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes well into the summer, so you might want to wear clothing that covers bare skin if you go, and carry insect repellent, even in August. The Nannie Creek Trail is much more gentle than the west-side trails into Sky Lakes, with only about 500 feet of elevation gain over the two miles from the trailhead to the lakes. The drive to the trailhead shows off some of the wide-open spaces that make Eastern Oregon so different from the west side. On the way to the trailhead, hikers will see Upper Klamath Lake, the Crater Lake Rim, the Cascade crest and the expanse of grazing land north of Klamath Lake. Advertisement This is a wilderness trail, so mechanized equipment, including bicycles, is not allowed. Horses are OK. The route begins at the wilderness boundary in stands of Shasta red fir and mountain hemlock and climbs gently through a series of switchbacks to a hilltop, then continues across nearly flat ground for about three-quarters of a mile to a short side trail that goes to the lake. The junction is unmarked, but if you look for a footpath to the right (north) you should be able to see it. It's barely 100 yards to the lake, which is about 10 feet deep at its deepest part, according to Art Bernstein, the Grants Pass hiker and trail guide writer who includes the trail in his book, "Hiking Oregon's Southern Cascades and Siskiyous," (Falcon Press, $18.95). There's a faint trail along the left (west) side of the lake to Little Puck Lake, 0.3 miles to the north. The lakes are fairly enclosed by the surrounding trees, mostly lodgepole pines at this altitude (6,500 feet), so there's not much in the way of mountain views. If you want to see more scenery, you'll have to continue west on the Nannie Creek Trail for about a mile to a place where the trail crosses an open rocky slope where you'll be able to see across the Sky Lakes Basin. If you visit the lakes and turn around it's about a five-mile round trip. Going on to the overlook makes a seven-mile round trip, a good day for most day-hikers. To reach the trailhead, take Highway 62 east to White City, then turn onto Highway 140 toward Lake of the Woods. Drive east past Lake of the Woods to Westside Road near milepost 43. Turn left on Westside Road and continue about 12 miles to Forest Road 3484. Turn left and follow this gravel road six miles to the trailhead. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492 or e-mail: [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s Advertisement