Whiskeytown

Northern California is a treasure trove of beautiful lakes, rivers and mountain vistas, and the Whiskeytown area is certainly no exception.  Whiskeytown Lake was formed by the damming of Clear Creek, completed in 1963, and is also fed by the Trinity River via Lewiston Lake.  Whiskeytown Recreational Area   The dam was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy in September 1963, only two months before his assassination in November that year.  The lake is surrounded by walking trails, and there are four waterfalls with relatively easy access in the surrounding areas.  I recently participated in a free kayak tour that the Ranger District offers during the summer months, and subsequently made the decision to buy a kayak of my own.  During the tour, our guide told us that Whiskeytown Lake is home to four pair of nesting eagles, as well as numerous Osprey.  I was fortunate to spot one of the eagle nests when kayaking with Wilma and Donnie out of the Oak Bottom area. 

                                                                                  

The "Glory Hole" allows for water to drain from the Lake when levels reach capacity. 

The road over the top of the dam takes you to Brandy Creek, a popular recreation beach, and access to camping, hiking trails, and the Brandy Creek Falls. 








My friend Mike recently treated me to a drive on the southwest side of the Lake, via the Carr Powerhouse Road and south on South Shore Drive.  Though the road name sounds like a resort, this is a trip best taken in a four-wheel drive vehicle, as you climb a steep, winding dirt road to an amazing overlook of the Lake and surrounding mountains. 

A view of the channel from above the Carr Powerhouse looking south.

Along the way, we made a stop at Boulder Creek, a beautiful little creek with a park-like setting.

Boulder Creek

Continuing south, we took in amazing views of the Lake, including the Oak Bottom Beach and Marina.
 

Oak Bottom Beach and Marina

Highway 299 is visible on the other side of the Lake

The road we followed eventually took us back down the mountain, past Dry Creek Campground, and into the Brandy Creek area. 

This pedestrian bridge crosses Brandy Creek, and links with a trail that leads back to the Dry Creek Campground. 

Brandy Creek

Our initial "plan" for the day was to head back toward Redding from Brandy Creek, but we made a spontaneous decision that (since we were so close), we would just take a drive up and do the "short" hike up to the Brandy Creek Falls.  We followed Brandy Creek Road for about 3.5 miles to the start of the Trail up to the Falls.  This is a moderately steep 1.5 mile hike to the upper falls, but it's well worth the effort.

Trail to the Falls

Lower Brandy Creek Falls

While this wasn't the most difficult hike either of us had done by any means, it was late in the day by the time we started out, and I think we were both relieved to see that we were almost to our destination at this point.

As we made our way closer to the upper falls, the trail gave way to the terrain, and we made use of the hand rails placed along the side of the creek to help us on our way.

This bridge crosses the creek just below the upper falls, and offers some great views of the creek and pools below.

The stairway seen at the left of the picture is the last one in place before you reach the pool at the bottom of the upper falls. 

 

What a treat when you arrive!

Brandy Creek Upper Falls

We were determined to cross over the pool below the falls in order to sit on the boulders at the edge of the pool, but to do so, we had to cross the creek and climb a bit of a rock wall.  Mike was brave and jumped across on the rocks, but I chose to remove my shoes and wade through.  The water was cold, but really refreshing after our hike up, and we stayed for a while for some rest and photos to prove that we actually were there!

Just a side note, this is a view of the Falls in August following a severe drought,  It takes some imagination to picture how they would appear in the early Spring after a healthy winter of rain and snow. 



We were tired after our hike, but not quite ready to call it a day, so Mike took a right turn after crossing over the dam, and we headed down to the Whiskeytown Cemetery.  Don't know if I can really describe our initial reactions as we approached the entrance to the Cemetery.  I think we were both a bit speechless at first, and that is highly unusual for either of us.  To say that this is a unique cemetery really falls short of describing what we saw there.  A short history:  the cemetery was originally located where Whiskeytown Lake is now, and the existing graves were moved in 1960 prior to the building of the dam.  The cemetery continues to be a gravesite of choice for many, as the majority of the burials have taken place since the cemetery was relocated.

There was just no end to the zany decorations that have been chosen by family members and friends to recognize and remember their loved ones interred here.

Yes, that really is a gas tank  from a motorcycle, filled with plastic flowers!

 

This was a great end to a really wonderful day, and though we had some laughs about what we saw at the Cemetery, I always appreciate when people chose to follow their own path rather than simply sticking to the traditional, and sometimes boring, ways of doing whatever it is we do.

I found this post about the Cemetery, and loved the video the author included.  It seemed so appropriate!  One man's interpretation of the Whiskeytown Cemetery experience







There will be additions to this post, as there are more waterfalls to climb to and more backroads around the Whiskeytown area to explore.....stay tuned!