Mt. Persis

The access roads are drivable to the trailhead--at least my 1980 Datsun 210 managed to make it there, although some portions of the roads required extended use of first gear. From Highway 2 between Gold Bar and Index, take FR 62, a good gravel road. Take the first primary left--not so good. Take the second left--increasingly bouldery, pot-holed, and washed out. Finally, take the third left, where there is a cairn on one side of the road and a hubcap on the other. This road ascends and then descends to its terminus, with a rock pile. A few hundred feet before is a pullout that can accommodate three or four cars, with a big burnt spot, remains of a burnt tire and other residue. The unsigned trail is 30 to 50 feet beyond the pullout. It's at about 2900 or 3000 feet msl.

Before the area was logged, the trail was steep and primitive. It starts out now steep and eroded with poor footing in many spots. It is easy to follow up through mostly clear-cut forest remains, with only the occasional side trail to lead one astray briefly. Cairns and blazes mark the way through the first scree field. At the second, we missed the cairns and headed across the scree and up, instead of turning right and following along the base of the rocks (where there are cairns and we added some more). Not many flowers of note, apart from a nice collection of avalanche lilies near the shoulder, where the trail starts to level out a bit.

The upper lake is still 80% ice covered. The lower one has a snow slope cascading into it, but it's probably 80% uncovered. The water is bone-chillingly cold. At the summit, there were wisps of clouds passing through, and the views in some directions were obscured by clouds and haze. Still, that view down to the town of Index was unobstructed, and the views of Mt. Index were great.

Step carefully on the way down because the steep footing crumbles easily. Took us 2 hours to make the descent. Somebody in the valley was doing target practice, which confirmed that people are still using the area for shooting.