Mills Peak Fire Lookout

Our annual trip to "Camp Rutabaga", also know as Diablo Campground near the Sierra Buttes - was delayed till September this year.  Last weekend we finally got into the Sierras for some camping, hiking and tall tales.  After huge snowfall last winter, there was snow on the ground and on the trails much later than usual this summer.  A friend who intended to hike for a month on the Pacific Crest Trail beginning in April had to cancel his sabbatical.  Too much snow made the trail impassable.

We went up to Mills Peak fire lookout station and found a "manned" fire lookout.  The building was built in the 1930's and has weathered the severe conditions very well.



I spent some time talking with the Ranger who also "manned" the fire lookout.  He said that there would probably be over 150 visitors on this beautiful September Saturday.  Through the glass you can see him looking off toward the northwest with his binoculars.



There is a panoramic view of this lakes region of the Sierras.  The Sierra Valley, source of the Feather River is easily visible to the east, with Mount Lassen visible to the north.

It's hard to believe that we have come back to this area the past four years, and had not been up to Mills Peak.  What other treasures lie waiting in these mountains?

Sierra Buttes and Yuba Pass

After months of walker, crutches, cane, physical therapy and "rehab.", I was able to return to the Sierras to hike on the remodeled hip. My goal was to get back on the trail by the end of summer, and by my accounting, Labor Day weekend still counts officially as "summer". Over the long weekend John and I met friends Francois, Gerda, Melt, Bob and Karen to camp at the Diablo campground near Sardine Lake. Melt towed Francois' classic Jeep up to the home base campsite, and we took this amazing little mule up a logging/fire trail part of the way up to the Sierra Buttes. We then hiked the rest of the trail up past the Pacific Crest Trail to the fire lookout on the top of the Sierra Buttes.

The Sierra Buttes are ancient rock formations that have fist to head-sized cobbles metamorphosed into a composite showing a range of colors and cobble types. These aren't little bitty crystals.



The top of the Buttes has a fire lookout station perched on the crest, with precarious steel stairs anchored into the rock.



The views are stunning in every direction, and as the highest point in this part of the mountain range, it's all downhill from here.


Even on a sunny day, we're bundled up for the wind - puffy purple vest for me, and fur coat for Jasmine!