This was my first-ever solo trip hiking and backpacking. I was filled with excitement with a modicum of nervousness, and when I’m alone in unknown situations, all my senses are heightened. Then it’s a feeling my body gets used to and then I’m cruising alone, while other gawkers muse about why a young lady is off galavanting on her own.
After driving on highway 89 for several hours, I made it to the first stop of my multi-day trip: Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. There is free wi-fi in the cafe, but there is no other source of wi-fi unless you’re on top of a tall mountain (for me, my phone worked on top of Brokeoff Mountain and Chaos Crags). I set-up my tent just off the parking lot (where one of the campgrounds are) and nestled in for a nap.
Quick tip: I recommend sleeping or lounging around for at least several hours to adjust to the altitude of 6700 feet (or arriving the night before).
After a short nap, I still felt somewhat nauseous from the altitude change and waved it away because I needed to get to to the top of Brokeoff and back down before it got too dark. I headed to the trailhead and as I was lacing up my boots, I was filled with so many jubilant jitters! I could not stop thinking, “Wow. I’m here… I made it! My first hike of my first solo camping trip!”
Brokeoff Mountain, as its name implies is part of the historic (already eroded) Mount Tehama andesitic stratovolcano. How very cool.
The trail begins winding through some tall grass, and quickly transitions to a wooded area.
Some small ponds appear (looking more like an oversaturated meadow), though I am sure it looks more like a lake in non-drought years. As I’m taking pictures, I hear loud voices and chat with a group of people who tell me that they just came down from the peak and that I’ll be the only person at the top. (I later find out that Lassen Peak is a much more popular hike)
As I continued, I heard the sound of water tumbling. Wow. In this drought? At a very minimal flow, I saw several small creeks converge into a larger stream that flowed over a steep drop and down into the pond below.
The trail continues to climb up and I see my first sighting of the top of Brokeoff Mountain. Woohoo! Now, the trail is mostly exposed and I see little critters and birds flittering around. The trail winds around the small field and I realize the trail winds around the slope of the mountain, taking me away from the peak.
I finally make it to the tree line and realize that the difficulty has just begun. The peak I saw earlier was not the peak and the trail actually heads west before it winds back east to the peak.
The last leg of the journey is tough, mainly because of the uphill climb and the elevation. The peak caps at 9235 feet and I am so overjoyed as I see Lassen Peak, the rest of the park, and a bit of snow on Mount Shasta. The views are stunning. It’s so easy to spend an hour up there taking pictures, eating and relaxing. Don’t forget to head back down!
On the way back, the sun was already behind the peak, so it’s mostly shady and cool. A word of warning on the descent: it’s very steep and hard on the knees. The critters I saw earlier have retreated to their home. I did catch a glimpse of several deer munching on some grass.
Brokeoff Mountain
Length: 7.4 miles RT
Peak Elevation: 9235 ft
Crowd factor: very low
Happy travels!
Cat
