Little Kachess, Mineral Creek

Headed toward Trail 1312 from road 4930, cut over Box Ridge to Box Canyon Creek and found a big log over the creek for our crossing. We had a fair and realistic idea of what we were going to find but the paths are not built trails and this is not a route to take unless you like crawling over and under blowdown and precariously balancing once in awhile.

Once on 1312 we headed north on a trail that was mostly in good condition but once again there is a lot of blowdown and the trail is completely washed out for short sections on the occasional very steep slope. It was not clear from the Forest Service report whether this entire trail is closed or just the no longer-existent bridge at the campground. We did see several people walking the trail on our return later in the day, some having arrived from the lake by kayak.

From the junction with the Mineral Creek Trail, 1331, we continued north to Park Lakes. The first incredibly brushy section is before the creek crossing. We were able to cross the creek on more blowdown without difficulty just a few feet up from the cairns. After some nice forest we waded through more brush, much of it over our heads. It was usually very difficult to see your feet and the tread below them. There were occasional nice views of Box Ridge over the brush.

About a mile before the lakes the brush thinned out and we climbed through the forest. When the trail reached the first lake, at about 10 miles from our starting point, we found a couple friendly fellows who were camping there for a few days and at that moment, trying to avoid some of the numerous mosquitos. Those wonderful guys pumped some water for us from the lake and offered us food. We had no immediate need of either but gladly accepted both and definitely enjoyed the back country hospitality and the friendly greeting. They reported that the trail was clear to the junction with the PCT, but once there they soon encountered heavy snow to the NE.

Then it was back the way we had come, naturally with all the same conditions. We did end up crossing Box Creek at a trail junction downstream from our handy log. The rocks are slippery and the water was a little fast and up to our knees and mid-thigh just before the far bank but it was cool rather than icy and felt good towards the end of a sunny and leisurely 10-hour day.