08-07-2025 Another Day Exploring, A Morning Kayak, a drive to Glass Mountain and a hike to the Medicine Lake Glass Flow

Early morning miasma on the lake with the air temperature at 34F

This morning, it was Deborah's turn to get out on the lake during the early morning stillness. There is no better time to be out paddling.  Even though it was cold when we got up, by the time we were on the water, the sun warmed us enough that we had to take off our jackets. 

Lots of delightful vignettes to during a slow paddle on the lake

Since we have paddled this lovely lake every single day, I thought I would share a little bit of geologic information.  Feel free to skip this part if it is too detailed.  I love this stuff and I think a few readers do as well.

Medicine Lake is a small lake just 4 miles wide and 7 miles long. It is nestled in a caldera that may have formed by collapse after a large volume of andesite was erupted from vents along the caldera rim.  No single large eruption has been related to this caldera formation. The only eruption recognized to have produced ash flow tuff occurred in late Pleistocene time, and this eruption was too small to account for the formation of the caldera. 

Deb and I were on the lake for a couple of hours, and the winds never came up

Later theories are that Medicine Lake caldera formed by collapse in response to repeated extrusions of mostly mafic (darker colored basaltic) lava beginning early in the history of the volcano, somewhat similar to the formation of Kilauea caldera in Hawaii. The small lake from which Medicine Lake volcano derives its name lies within the central caldera.

The broad shield volcano that forms the Medicine Lake Highlands began to grow about one million years ago, following the eruption of a large volume of basalt. During the past 11,000 years, eruptive activity at Medicine Lake Volcano has been episodic. Eight eruptions produced about 1.3 cubic miles of basaltic lava during a time interval of a few hundred years, about 10,500 years ago. That eruptive episode was followed by a period of calm that ended with a small andesitic eruption about 4,300 years ago. During the most recent eruptive episode between 3,000 and 900 years ago, there have been 8 eruptions.  

The area called Glass Mountain is large enough to be seen from miles away on Highway 139

Even though we have been there often, when we are in Medicine Lake, Mo and I usually take the back road drive to Glass Mountain, specifically to hike up to the best outcrop of black obsidian we have ever seen.  We were excited to share this amazing spot with Deborah, and after lunch, we piled into Deb's car for another back road trip.  Mattie was best left at home in the cool and safe MoHo, since hiking on shards of glass isn't good for little pup's feet.

Negotiating the rough, rocky tracks that are "trails" around the area can be tough

The goal is to stand next to this gorgeous obsidian outcrop

Glass Mountain is a large, solidified flow of volcanic glass, specifically obsidian, which is a type of volcanic glass formed from cooled lava. It originated from the eastern caldera rim of Medicine Lake volcano, with the lava flowing down the eastern flank of the volcano. 

Trying to manage a decent pose on the sharp glass outcrop can be challenging

Daughter Deb had a much easier time climbing around than I did

The flow is composed of rhyolite and dacite, which are types of volcanic rock. The formation involved an initial explosive phase with ash and pumice, followed by the oozing of thick, glassy lava flows. The Glass Mountain obsidian flow is relatively young, dating back about 950 years. 

Yesterday, from the top of Little Mount Hoffman, we could see Little Glass Mountain, in the photo above. It is a specific area within the larger Glass Mountain formation, known for its high flow front of broken obsidian and pumice. A few years ago, Mo and I drove down to explore Little Glass Mountain.  It was interesting, but not nearly as dramatic as Glass Mountain, with obsidian that was dark gray rather than pure black.

A photo I took in 2003 of the lighter colored obsidian at Little Glass Mountain

Something else I need to mention: In all the photos I have taken over the years, I have never seen any evidence of beetle kill in the area.  Sadly, if you look closely at some of our photos, you see brown and dying trees, mostly high-elevation lodgepole.  With increasing temperatures and repeating drought cycles, the trees can no longer resist the invasion.  It is a story that is happening throughout western forests from the Sierras in California all the way north into British Columbia and Alaska.  It made me sad to see this happening at Medicine Lake.

View of Medicine Lake from the Caldera Rim in 2003. No beetle kill in sight

Beetle kill in our campground at Medicine Lake

There is no quick fix for this problem on such a huge scale.  Most of the timber at this elevation isn't marketable, so timber companies aren't interested.  The US Forest Service is so overwhelmingly understaffed and underfunded that it cannot thin or burn, or even cut down the dying trees.  The last resort of using pesticides is much too expensive to consider. It is heartbreaking to see this happening in our beautiful Western forests. In 2022, in California alone, bark beetles affected more than 1.9 million acres of forest land. This is a significant increase from the 780,000 acres affected in 2021. 

Typical lunch: apples and peanut butter, cheese and crackers, chips and dip, and apples and carrots for Mattie

We returned to camp for a late lunch and an afternoon relaxing before going for a short hike just north of the campground to the Medicine Lake Glass Flow.  While not as dramatic as Glass Mountain, the edge of the Glass Flow is just a short .75 miles from the campground on an easy, mostly level hike on a nice trail.

It was perfect for Mattie, and we encountered no one else on the trail. It was ok to let Mattie off-leash since she minds well when called, and there wasn't another soul around.

After our hike and supper, it was time for...you guessed it...another beautiful campfire.

Once again we were treated to a magnificent show of sunset and a rising moon, with the lake reflecting the changing light and the sparkling moonlight on the water.  

Mo had me take many photos of that water reflection, trying to see the sparkle.  I discovered that a still photo cannot capture it adequately, and when I finally took a video, it was easy to see how the rippling water reflected the moonlight.

Originally, this was supposed to be our last night at Medicine Lake, but I got a wild idea as we sat by the fire, and we made the decision to extend our stay for one more night.  There was one more destination we wanted to share with Deb. Tomorrow I will write about our road trip and post the photos of the eagles I got on that last morning with the "real" camera.

08-06-2025 A Day Exploring the Medicine Lake Highlands

 

Mount Shasta view from the road leading to the Little Hoffman Lookout

After our morning kayak, the three of us ate an early lunch before our next outing for the day.  Deb was tickled to have the opportunity to try out her Subaru Crosstrek Expedition on a real dirt backcountry route.  The road leading to the lookout is about 4 miles of dirt, rock, and gullies through forest that has been cleared and only partially cleared up after what appeared to be a prescribed burn. She drove it like a champ and was tickled with her little car that is mostly used on the freeway between her home here in Grants Pass and Central Point near Medford, where she works.

After 4 miles or so, we arrived at the locked gate at the entrance to the somewhat steep gravel road that leads to the lookout at the mountain summit. 

Mo and I hiking up to the Lookout in July of 2014 (notice the jackets)

Mo and I hiking up to the lookout in August of 2025

We have done this hike several times over the years, always looking forward to the magnificent views that open up at the top of the mountain.  Each year, I get the opportunity to check my progress as I compare how much harder it might be for me as my "thing" progresses.  I am happy to report that with sticks and a slow pace, I did as well as last year.  A great sign that with this slow progression, I probably won't live long enough to end up in a wheelchair.

Almost there!

Deb and Mo taking photos of flowers and views along the road to the lookout

The Little Mt. Hoffman lookout was constructed in the 1920's and was used by the Forest Service on a regular basis until 1978. It is one of the few remaining historic lookouts on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lookout is still occasionally used by the Forest Service in times of extreme fire danger.

Staying at the lookout would be a unique and memorable experience. From a height of 7,309 feet, Little Mount Hoffman offers a spectacular view of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, Mt. McLoughlin, and a variety of other interesting landforms. From the Tulelake Basin in the north to the Fall River Valley in the south, the 360-degree view offers a glimpse of some of Northern California and Southern Oregon's most unique and beautiful scenery. 

The lookout has been restored to its original character

For just $75. per night, you can rent the lookout by reserving at Recreation.gov.  There are bathrooms, but there is no drinking water, and you must pack up what you will need for your stay.  Also, there is a fire pit if you bring your own wood, and there are no restrictions at the time of your reservation.  It says nothing about this on the website, but I did read somewhere that they open the gate for renters to drive up the road rather than having to pack wood and water and food to the site.

All three of us thought that might be a wonderful thing to do someday. We can even bring our dog if she remains leashed.

The views in all directions are simply spectacular.  I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to spend the night up there watching the skies and the stars.

Here is a website for information about renting the lookout: Little Hoffman Lookout

Just for fun, Deb pulled up the Peak Finder app to see the names of all the mountains we could see from the lookout.  It was great to have a signal up there as well, and we caught up on emails and text messages before going back down to the lake, where there is no signal. Access to the internet would be a nice benefit while staying in the lookout, with apps about weather and the night skies and flight radar adding to the natural beauty of the place.

We returned to camp in time to relax a bit before supper and another gorgeous campfire. This time it was spaghetti made at home, a really good salad, garlic bread, and best of all, one of our favorite wines. Klinker Brick Winery in Lodi has the very best old vine zins around, and Old Ghost is truly delicious.

Mo built another perfect campfire, and we snuggled with the dog and blankies, and jackets as we watched the sunset and the almost full moon rising once again over the lake.

Tomorrow, another day of exploring as we visit Glass Mountain and the Glass Flow at Medicine Lake

08-05-2025 First Days at Medicine Lake

There is nothing quite so wonderful as that moment of anticipation as we approach one of our favorite places in the west.  The Medicine Lake Highlands loom over the landscape south of the Oregon border near Tulelake.  We know the route well, having camped at Medicine Lake together several times since our very first shared camping trip in August of 2003.

We have returned several times in July or August, and sometimes in frosty September.  The only thing that keeps us from going there more often are the fires that can darken the skies with thick smoke during the months when the weather is conducive to an off-grid camping trip.  This year, for the first time, we planned to share this special place with Daughter Deborah, and I watched the smoke maps daily as our scheduled departure grew closer.  Wonder of wonders, the winds kept the smoke from the California fires north of the lake, and the skies were gorgeous and clear as we drove over the High Lakes Pass, past Klamath Lake, along the State Line road adjacent to the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge, through Tulelake, and south on Highway 139 toward Alturas.

We have two favorite campsites at this lake, 43, which was already occupied, and this one, 45

Medicine Lake Highlands unfold like a vast, uplifted world, a gentle giant of a volcano built up by successive basalt flows that erupted from fissures as recently as 1,000 years ago. As the land swells upward, its crown is hollowed into a shallow caldera where forest, water, and stone mingle.  Within that natural amphitheater rests Medicine Lake, a still, dark mirror cradled by slopes of pine and fir. On quiet days, the surface lies so calm it seems almost to deny the restless forces that shaped it. It is that glassy stillness that draws us again and again to camp beside the lake and launch our kayaks on the silky water.

Mo and Deb did most of the hauling of wood and gear down to the firepit and picnic table

There is much to explore in this magical landscape. Radiating outward from the lake, the highlands are etched with the marks of ancient fire. Vast fields of ropy layers of cooled lava sprawl toward the horizon, some weathered and softened by time, others raw and sharp-edged as if the eruption cooled only yesterday. 

To the east of the lake, Glass Mountain rises in a stark, glittering contrast to the dark basalt around it. Born in a furious eruption less than a thousand years ago, it is a hill of pure obsidian, a chaotic tumble of jagged shards and car-sized boulders that catch the sun like splinters of black crystal. Walking there is like treading on broken glass, each step ringing underfoot with the clinking sound of glass shards. This is the high volcanic country we looked forward to sharing with Deborah. 

After setting up camp and getting settled, Mo started a campfire, and I cooked supper on the Weber, our trusty little BBQ that has been with us for at least a decade.  We had marinated grilled chicken breasts with foil-roasted yukon potatoes and onions with a dollop of beef tallow, my newfound seasoning treat.  A simple salad and a bottle of wine rounded out the meal as we looked out over the lake.

Check out our little chipmunk companion investigating the warm fire

We had another companion on this trip, our newfound friend Eldarr, a little gnome we found at our last campsite at Fish Lake on Fourth of July Weekend.  He was so cute, with one broken leg, so we decided that he needed to come traveling with us.  I named him Eldarr after doing a bit of research on gnomes, and his name means keeper of fire and protector of the hearth.  It was fun learning about gnomes and their long, storied history in the Scandinavian countries.  Until recently, for me, gnomes were just those silly little things everywhere at Christmas that are such a "thing".  Now I know why.

After supper, the glassy lake beckoned, and Mo said, "How about going out in the boats?".  We had already unloaded the boats and carried them down to the beach, so we were ready to go.  Deb stayed with Mattie, and for the first time, we got photos of Mo and me together in our boats on a lake.  

We paddled across the lake to "our" meadow, and on the way back, a bit of a breeze came up to ruffle the water. We call it our meadow because in 2003, when we were tent camping and I was learning to sail, we would tack back and forth near the meadow in Mo's sweet little red sailboat.

Sailing on Medicine Lake in 2003

The moon was rising as we returned to camp and Mattie was very concerned about us being out of her sight for a time.  Deborah kept the fire going and the four of us settled in to watch the fire and the rising moon over the lake.

The next morning Mo and I got up early to enjoy the beautiful stillness of the lake early in the day.  As with most mountain lakes, the stillness only lasts until mid-morning or so with winds kicking up around 9 or 10, making the paddle home less enjoyable.

I took only my phone with me on this paddle, unwilling to go to the trouble of packing up the Nikon, but when I saw the eagles, I knew that was a mistake.  Even the fancy camera in my Samsung 25 Ultra can't zoom in enough to catch the detail that I hoped for.

On our last morning at the lake, I did take the big camera with much better results than this photo, which I will include in the last post of our trip.

Still, we enjoyed every minute of our time on the water, searching out the eagles and paddling to the far western shore of the lake where the pink polygonum was blooming as usual.

Deb enjoyed her morning time without being rushed, and walked down to the lake to open up her umbrella for us to use as a marker of where we should head for as we paddled back to camp

If you look closely, you can see the MoHo parked in the upper area of our campsite and Deb's blue tent down below.  Our campsite is one of several along the lakeshore that are designated as "first-come, first-served" sites, with no reservations.  Many sites in the upper part of the campground can be reserved through Recreation.gov, but during the week, even in summer, we feel comfortable taking a chance that we would get a spot in one of the four campgrounds at Medicine Lake. We have always enjoyed the A H Hogue campground better than the other. Hogue is the unnamed campground on this map between the Medicine and the Hemlock Campground.

Map of A.H.Hogue campground with site 45 on the lower center right next to the lake

We were ready by ten to begin the next adventure of the day, with a back road trip to the Little Mount Hoffman lookout with its spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

Coming Next:  Little Mount Hoffman Lookout hike, Glass Mountain, and the Glass Flow

July Placeholder

 Seems as though we have been having too much fun.  I am quite behind on my blogging stories.  Having just returned from a great camping trip to Medicine Lake, one requiring almost 3 days of photo processing, I decided to write that first, before returning later to fill in the blanks about a great July.

So just a couple of highlights:

Fourth of July was celebrated with another lake camping trip to Fish Lake with daughter Deborah, including a side trip to kayak our beloved  Recreation Creek.

Early July saw the summer heat building with a few storms and sunsets and summer flowers

Mid-Month I traveled north to Brownsville for a few days to visit Daughter Melody.  I enjoyed her gardens, conversations, good cooking, and a day trip to the coast at Newport.

Mid-Month Mo and I traveled back over the High Lakes Pass to Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls for the first Thunderbirds air show held there since 2008.  Spectacular!

We were included in a level 2 evacuation notice thanks to a fire that was much too close for comfort, just a mile south of home

Late in the month, my sweet little Dakota, which I bought new in 2002, passed away, and Mo and I found a replacement in Portland.

For my personal journaling purposes, each of these events requires more than a photo or two and one sentence, but all that will show up later, when I find days that are not filled with so many other things that allow writing time.