This will be a backpacking field trip. Participants need to be relatively fit and able to walk on rocky, steep and uneven trails and also carry all their creature comforts. All meals will be self-prepared.

Join co-leaders Joe Cernac and Ken Himes backpacking to explore the Russian Wilderness Area. We’ll start with Duck Lake as our base camp for two days of exploration in this area, reputed to have the world’s highest concentration of coniferous tree species, with 18 species concentrated within a one square mile area. Day trips to Little Duck Lake will offer a chance to see many Ericaceous plants as well as a lakeside subalpine fir. Another day’s side trip will explore Eaton Lake. (Three miles/2,200 foot elevation gain from trailhead to camp.)

We’ll depart Duck Lake on Wednesday morning (July 20), with a stop in Etna’s brewpub for lunch and resupply before we continue to Mt. Eddy. A late afternoon start will take us to our base camp at Deadfall Lake (four miles/400foot elevation loss and gain).

Day trips to the Mt. Eddy Summit at about 9,000 feet will provide panoramic views of the northwest and Mt. Shasta, and other explorations of this fascinating alpine serpentine region will follow. Darlingtonia bogs, foxtail pines and anemones close to lingering snowfields will delight everyone. On Saturday, July 23, we’ll hike out to another possible pub stop before returning to the Bay Area.

Reservations are required, and this trip is open to CNPS members only. Please contact Joe Cernac for itinerary and to sign up, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For further info, contact Joe at (408) 292-5465, or Ken at (650) 591-8560.