Val and I went thru different ideas for this three-day weekend that included the Wallowas and some other places in northern California. The weather didn’t look good anywhere so we opted for something closer and maybe more relaxing. Originally the plan was to head to Wall Lake and hike around the area. The hike we had planned for the first day was short so we were not in a hurry to get on the trail. While driving there, we made a call to turn and head to the Olallie Lake Resort to check it out and once there, we changed the plan again.
Day 1: Olallie Lake to Averill Lake
Once parked, right outside the campground entrance, we got on the PCT heading west. The first part gained a bit of elevation and gave us a glimpse of Olallie Lake but not much more due to grey skies. AS we snaked thru the areas, multiple ponds and little lakes appeared on both sides. We followed the PCT for a while until it topped out around Twin Peaks and started descending on the other side. From there, we took our first turn heading to our original destination at Wall Lake. Part of the route was in the forest descending pretty quickly to a small chain of lakes starting with Fork Lake and the Deer Lake. A couple of minutes later, we got to Wall Lake to find the main campsites already taken so we decided to continue on and check the following lake. At this point, the trail was following a small stream that connects all these lakes and at some point we got to Averill Lake with a big, empty site on the north shore right next to the trail. We thought for a minute of staying there but being so close to the trail made us explore a bit. We found a user trail following the north side that lead to an even bigger campsite with a huge fire pit. Several user trail continued from there. One of them headed closer to the lake and on that one, we found a perfect spot for our tent just steps away from the water. By then, the sky had mostly cleared so we had a chance to enjoy the peaceful view of the rocks in the lake.
On day two we woke up to a cold and foggy morning. The view of the lake was completely different from the view we had the night before. After a warm breakfast and coffee, we packet our gear and got on the trail to retrace our steps back to the PCT. All the lakes in the way had the same eerie look with fog flying slowly over the water. It almost looked like they were haunted. The trail itself looked quite different on the way up. We then took the PCT heading south to the junction with the Top Lake trail. On that short section we crossed several PCTers fast pacing north. We took the Top Lake trail for a short distance until we veered off on a less used trail towards Timber Lake. The trail itself was not very picturesque as it went thru a section of dead forest but soon it descended to the North Shore of Timber Lake. When we got there, we found nobody so we had the lake entirely to ourselves. We continued counterclockwise on the lake and found a large, exposed campsite with a fire pit. We were not very excited about the site and the little excitement we had diminished even more when we saw an abandoned outhouse. We continued on but didn’t see a trail around the lake. Later we found out we had just missed it. Still, since we had most of the day still ahead of us, we retraced our steps and decided to go look for other options around the lake going clockwise. Towards the eastern shore we found a small grass meadow that extended to a small pond with multiple deer and elk tracks. We thought for a minute of setting up there but didn’t find any firm ground so we continued on. The southern shore of the lake got rough pretty quick with a rocky shore and lots of underbrush. We thought about returning but kept pushing on and it seemed like there was a possibility ahead. We did pass several places that looked promising from the distance but ended up being not usable. Finally, we found the user trail and continue towards the north side and finally found a little promontory with a perfect spot right in front of the lake. There was space for more tents so we set up right next to where the fire ring was giving us views and access to the water. After lunch, I hung the hammock between two trees right in front of the water so we spent the rest of the day just swinging in there, reading a book and just enjoying the views.
Day 3: Timber Lake to Olallie Lake
Day three started almost with no clouds and the sun coming sideways and illuminating the other side of the lake. As we made breakfast, we saw the forest turn intense yellow and the fog start to lift from the lake surface. At one point, it seemed like a ball of fire was going to roll into the lake. It was quite spectacular. Not rushing, we packed our gear and got on the trail retracing the Timber Lake trail back to the Top Lake trail. We had the choice to head back on the PCT or a different, shorter trail, straight into Olallie Lake. Not wanting to repeat, we opted for the shorter version which took us pretty fast back down to the lakeshore. This time, we clear blue skies, we did enjoy the views of the lake, Olallie Butte and the rare appearance of Mt Jefferson behind a ridge. It was indeed a very relaxing trip were we stretched something we could have hiked in one day and made it a three-day backpack!
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