West of Dunsmuir

After a stop at Four Wheel Campers in Woodland to replace our old 3-way refrigerator with a WAECO Compressor 65 Liter Refrigerator/Freezer 2-Way (AC/DC) we drove north to Dunsmuir and then west.

Dawn at Cedar Lake.

Our camp from the southern shore of Cedar Lake. Later in the afternoon I hiked up to the Cliff Lakes which were our original destination until we reached the section of road that comprises the dam for Cedar Lake.

The road was a 150 yard path across large uneven rocks and boulders and I just didn't feel like subjecting my 10 year old truck to the abuse.

 The northern shoreline of Upper Cliff Lake is private property.

This gate marks the beginning of the private land. GoogleEarth shows three buildings on the property.

 Cliff Lake.

 More of Cliff Lake. A couple was skinny dipping off the dock on the private land so I didn't stay long at the lake. (Sorry, Jackson, no photos.)

 Lower Cliff has a couple of nice spots to camp.

 I encountered this segregated butterfly gathering along the shoreline of Lower Cliff Lake.

 Returning to our Cedar Lake camp.

 Sunset at Cedar Lake. We were pleasantly surprised at how few mosquitoes there were at our camp.

 The next morning we drove up to Gumboot Lake and met Sam and Mary, from San Francisco, who have vacationed in this area since the 1960's.

 Next stop Mumbo Lake. Not much of a lake to be found at Mumbo.

 We drove west on the Ramshorn Road across to the Trinity River and California Highway 3.

After checking out a couple locations along the Trinity River we drove over Scott Mountain Summit and on to our next camp.

 Our camp next to Big Carmen Lake. Once again very few mosquitoes at our camp. Thank you, dragonflies.

 Reflections were happening at Big Carmen Lake.

 This Twelve-spot Skimmer that found a perch on a branch near my chair was one of hundreds flying around the area. A large Green Darner was patrolling above the lake.

 Something sinister lurked about 40 feet from the shore.

 We hiked to Little Carmen Lake and thought that it should be renamed Little Carmen Meadow.

 Headed back to pavement. After reaching California 3 we drove north through Scott Valley to Yreka and a motel.