EAGLE PEAK (9,892') 2X, HAT MOUNTAIN (8,737') August 9-10, 1994

With my buddy Fred, he needed the County Highpoints for Modoc and Lassen Counties. These two hikes fit that bill, and myself having little else to do, I tagged along to assist. We can do peaks solo, but carpooling with better hiking safety is my kind of activity.

Me leaving home in Fred's wagon, we motored out to Highway 299 and headed for Cedarville, CA, for dining and sightseeing before our hike. Camping somewhere, we got up early for the hike up Eagle Peak from the east. I had done Eagle Peak from the west once with a Club group from the Central Valley, as part of a Labor Day holiday weekend. People were so game to adventure and travel back then!

We motored south along the highway enroute to our trailhead. The east side of the Warner Range made for nice sights.

Beginning our hike at about 7:30 a.m., I would recommend the North Emerson Trail, passing Emerson Lake. It climbed nicely and was pretty scenic. I soon reached the main ridge, and waited for Fred. It is cross-country north to the top over easy terrain. It took about four hours to summit. The views were spectacular. We had a long time atop the peak, and then hiked back down the same way, back to the car by 3:25 p.m.

Taking back dirt roads to our next peak, Hat Mountain, we gained some sights unknown to most. That is one of the big pluses of our adventure travel. Most locals will never know the wild beauty of so much of this great state!

We car camped at about the end of the rough road, near a reservoir. The mountain was seen from there. We had plenty enough provisions for a short stay.

Starting early, about 6:10 a.m., we followed the guidebook directions to the top of Hat Mountain, a big, flat, rocky plateau. Our ascent time was roughly two hours, and I placed another register, as on Eagle Peak, to mark our success, and to provide others with their op to note comments, and their own climb, too. Fred finally came up and we both made sure we had touched the top, with a small cairn seemingly misplaced. The views were good, and we shortly hiked back down to the car by 10:20 a.m. We motored out west, with sights to see, back to the main highway, U.S. 395.

Likely, CA, made for a photo stop. I supposed we motored back home that day, as Fred can't do much hiking with his bad knees. The Warners are not so far, for me, that we couldn't make a short trip out of this.

Eagle Peak from the east entailed roughly about 10 miles and 4,000' gain, and Hat Mountain required about 5 miles with 2,000' gain or so, by the book. These are round trip figures.

County highpointing makes for a good way to explore, and I still work on a few of these peaks or points. Because there is private land, I deem that I will never achieve finishing climbing all of them, but hopefully, public access will be secured. Then, hikers can freely enjoy visiting these geographic points, well worthwhile by most that do those.

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