POINTS OF INTEREST

Ben Lomond - the old fire lookout at the very end of the 611 - a good day trip out and back - structure long-gone!

the Washout - a huge landslide on the south side into Pine Creek. From the re-growth, maybe sometime in the late '90s. Just a reference that our tires may move some dirt, but nothing compared to excavator installation of rolling dips, or Mother Nature's choices.

Frying Pan Falls - a small pretty waterfall you can see off the 519 past Bear Lake

Garnet mine - a hike-in area to pick up specks of garnet out past the meadow on the upper 614 (west of Long Lake)

Lotts Mine (and rock dam), and Morris Mine - two private parcels out trail 605 (past Morris Lake)

old flume below rock dam

Hippy Camp - the only Group camp in the High Lakes, located on the south side off the lower 614. It was rehabbed in ~2008, and then almost immediately burned up. It has no redeeming features except it is flat.

LANDMARKS

the "T" - the large parking/meeting area at the end of Smokin' Duck Rd (SDR). The T is the main entrance with the map. If not aired down by now, do it here.

29 Switchbacks - (PNF trail 640) two sets of switchbacks from Rock Creek and Tobin coming up from Hwy 70 into the south part of the High Lakes. They are also PG&E tower maintenance access roads.

Poser Rock - down the miner's trail off trail 602

Pipejam (and Pipejam Rock) - This difficult trail got its name from two of the founders of FOTHL winching to remove this annoying rock, hearing snapping metal sounds, limping home, only to find a tobacco pipe had jammed between the transfer case shift levers, stopping it from fully engaging low range.

Other Common Terms

• the "Y" - the turnoff from the road to Philbrook, the start of Smokin'Duck Road (25N05)
• the "triangle" - the start of the dirt roads, some staging, the turnoff from Skyway to Humbug Summit Rd.
• Bypasses - there are no bypasses in the High Lakes - you must do the trail or turn around
• StairSteps - the section of 611 before Long Lake where you finally need 4WD.  It got filled with gravel to do a rolling-dips project to control long-term erosion.  We WILL remove that gravel, rock-by-rock if we have to, when the project is done (2024?)
• Smokin’ Duck Road - the 25N05 road to the High Lakes. Just look at the map for the reason for the name!
• Dice Rock - a 3-ft cube rock that used to be painted like a dice.  Its location is at the start of the hard snow uphill in winter, so progress is measured relative to it, even though it now lies in pieces in the ditch.